When it comes to streaming entertainment, it’s hard to beat the Fire Stick. Amazon’s class-leading streaming device has been around in some form for almost seven years and remains one of the best ways to add some apps to your TV.
Of course, being able to connect to your WiFi network is essential, and if you try to connect your Fire Stick to a 5GHz network, you might run into some problems. Wondering if it’s possible to connect your Fire Stick to a 5 GHz network? You have come to the right guide and we won’t even make you wait for the answer.
Can your Amazon Fire Stick connect to 5 GHz?
Yes, your Fire Stick can connect to 5GHz networks. In fact, all of Amazon’s Fire TV devices can connect to 5GHz networks, dating back to the original Fire TV streaming box released in April 2014. All of Amazon’s Fire Sticks support dual-band networks, meaning you can swap between 2.4 GHz and 5GHz networks as you see fit. It’s really that simple.
So whether or not you’re using the newest Fire Stick 4K, or you’re still using an OG model from 2014, you can rest assured that your network will work with your unit.
What is the difference between 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz wireless networks?
Some of you may not know the difference between a 2.4GHz and 5GHz wireless frequency. Here’s a quick explanation before we talk about how to connect your Fire Stick. The main differences between these frequencies are coverage and speed.
Furthermore, 5G is something totally different; is a mobile network technology (this article will be limited to 5 GHz to avoid confusion).
The 5GHz network has more bandwidth or speed, but less range or coverage. This higher frequency simply cannot pass through obstacles, which include solid objects like walls. Another advantage of the 5GHz network is that you experience less interference from other devices, simply because the 5GHz band has more channels (23) compared to the 2.4 GHz band (11).
How to separate your 5 GHz network from the 2.4 GHz network
You should start with this solution because it is the most common problem. Wi-Fi routers allow you to change the name of your Wi-Fi network to your liking. You need to go into the administrator settings and change the name of the 2.4 GHz network to something different than your 5 GHz Wi-Fi network.
The network name is a simplified term for what is actually called a service set identifier, also known as an SSID. You must separate these networks because the Fire Stick usually connects to the 2.4 GHz network by default.
The methods to change the SSID vary from router to router. Here is a general tutorial:
- You must enter the IP address of your router in the address bar of your Internet browser (works in all browsers).
- Then you need to enter the username and password. You can usually find the password on the back of your router.
- Select the settings and look for the SSID or Wi-Fi name option. Enter a new name for the 5GHz network. Save your changes and exit the window.
Change the wifi channel
Changing the Wi-Fi channel on your 5GHz Wi-Fi is not as easy as changing the channel on your TV. However, it shouldn’t be a problem if you follow the instructions below. You already know that 5GHz networks have more channels than 2.4GHz networks.
In order for the Fire Stick to operate on the 5 GHz frequency, you must change the Wi-Fi channel to channels between 149 and 165, or to channels between 36 and 48. This may seem abstract, but it will become much clearer when you do it. I requested. the following steps:
- Open the web browser of your choice (Chrome, Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, it doesn’t matter) on any device connected to your Wi-Fi network. You can do it from a tablet, smartphone or laptop.
- Enter this address in the address bar http://192.168.1.1. In case this does not work, you need to go to the settings of your Fire Stick, choose Device, followed by Abou and finally Network. There you can find the IP address of the gateway to copy it to the address bar of your browser. Press enter.
- You should now reach the administration window where you must enter the username and password (which you can usually find on your router). You can also call your Internet service provider to provide this information.
- Next, click Wireless Settings (or any other version of Settings). On your 5GHz, the channel setting changes the channel to channel 36 and saves the change.
- Wait until your device reconnects to the 5 GHz network. View the available connections on your Fire Stick. You should see the 5GHz SSID or Wi-Fi name and select it.
Fire Stick not connecting to 5 GHz network? Here are our solutions
Sometimes even when the 5GHz network is visible on your Fire Stick, it still doesn’t connect to it. There are several reasons why this problem may arise. First of all, try moving your 5GHz router closer to the Fire Stick. Restarting your router is also a great starting point.
Remember when we mentioned obstructions? Anything solid in the way can interfere with the connection. If there are no obstacles, a possible solution may be a quick restart of all your devices.
Also, make sure you are using the correct Wi-Fi password. This sounds silly, but many users experienced this issue due to password related issues. You can even reset your Wi-Fi network password from your browser’s management page, following the steps above to access the page.
Changing your network to an open network could also fix any problems. For a short period, completely remove your network password and see if that resolved the Fire Stick connectivity issues.
If none of that works, try changing the Wi-Fi channel to something other than 36. You can use any number from 36 to 48 until you connect to 5 GHz. Speaking of channels, make sure your Fire Stick remote is turned on. working properly by inserting new batteries (this will not work with low battery).
Finally, you can connect your Fire Stick to a completely different network, for example, your mobile hotspot. If nothing works, contact your ISP and let them know about your connection problems.
Established connection
That pretty much concludes this article on Fire Stick 5GHz networking. Now you know that this connection is available for every Fire Stick out there. If you are having some connection problems, you have many solutions at your disposal.
Do you have any additional questions or comments? Feel free to leave them in the comments section below.
