If you want to utilize the WiFi speed of a Firestick 5GHz wireless network connection, then use this tutorial to connect your Firestick.
TIP: You can also connect your Firestick to an Ethernet adapter!
Getting to Know the Firestick
The Amazon Fire TV Stick — sometimes called the “Fire Stick,” is a streaming device made by Amazon. Moreover, the Fire Stick is fashioned like a Flash drive and connects straight to your Television set’s HDMI socket.
Further, it’s similar to the Roku in many respects. Despite its modest size, it’s a complete streaming player that can transform practically any television into a smart TV.
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You may use a Fire Stick to view TV shows and movies from popular streaming applications like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and YouTube. To unlock new functions, you may also link your other Amazon gadgets, such as an Amazon Echo.
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What It Can Do For You
The Fire Stick, according to Amazon, offers “hundreds or thousands” of stations to your TV. This covers all of your favorite streaming services, such as Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Netflix, and HBO Now, and network TV applications, sports, and dozens of niche channels you may have never heard of.
Keep in mind that installing an app on your Fire Tv stick is similar to, but not the same as creating an account. In addition, you must sign up for a second membership if you wish to view a premium service such as Netflix.
The Stick features an intuitive remote control with a microphone built-in. Of course, since it is an Amazon product, you’d expect it to support Alexa. Moreover, you’d be correct because you can use Alexa to give the Fire TV Stick instructions.
Further, you can control all of your Alexa-connected devices just like you would an Amazon Echo.
The Basic Firestick Setup
- Connect the Fire TV stick to the power adapter that came with it and then to the HDMI video input on your TV.
- Then switch on your TV and check sure the HDMI input is the right one.
- Finally, navigate through the greeting and installation directions on the TV screen using the remote control.
- You’ll need to sign in to your Amazon account and enter your Wi-Fi password. There’s no need for a VPN or anything like that.
- After that, you’re ready; all you have to do now is add and login into any streaming platforms you want to utilize.
What is a 5GHz Channel?
So, you probably know by now that in order to use your FireStick, you’ll need a strong, reliable internet connection. The offline capabilities just don’t measure up to the troves of streaming content you can access over Wi-Fi.
When you look at your network, you’ll likely see that there are two versions: one of them is the regular name (2.4GHz) and the other is ex. NetworkName_5G. These numbers at the end of the network’s name signify the frequencies at which they operate.
The 5GHz channel, or NetworkName_5G, has more bandwidth available for use, which means that there is more space for devices to use the same network. With 5GHz, you can have your laptop, game system, and phone all on the network without losing much performance on them individually.
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On the other hand, the 2.4GHz Wi-Fi channel will experience more overlap if you are using many devices on it. This is because they are all trying to communicate with the service, but each request must wait until a channel is available.
5GHz is a more powerful version with more channels, so there can be many perks to using your game system, streaming stick, or other electronic devices on the 5GHz channel in your home.
Are Higher 5GHz Channels Better?
Higher frequencies mean higher performance and more power, so the higher 5GHz channels will provide you with better speeds if you’re close to the router.
That’s the difference, though—the 5GHz is much faster, and higher frequencies cannot travel through walls or other obstacles as well. So, if you are using something in the other room, it won’t matter which 5GHz channel you use.
In general, each band of 5GHz Wi-Fi will have a group of access points, with each channel in the band using different frequencies.
The highest channels are used for military, weather radars, and other high-importance purposes. However, this also opens the door for outside interference.
So, we would recommend sticking to the channels in the lowest band of 5GHz connection (36, 40, 44, and 48).
How do I check my 5GHz channel?
If you want to check which 5GHz channel is the best one for you, you can actually download a tool to help you see. W-Fi analyzers do just this! One of these will tell you if people in your area are on the same channel as you.
Suppose many people in your area are on the same 5GHz channel. This could be one of the reasons that your Wi-Fi is slow. So, in this case, it would help to check your 5GHz channel regularly with a tool like WifiInfoView or WiFi Analyzer for Android.
Use a Different WiFi Network Name (SSID) For Your 2.4GHz and 5GHz Networks
Most WiFi routers let you choose the name of your WiFi networks. If this is the case, then go into your WiFi router’s admin panel and choose a name for your 2.4GHz network and choose a DIFFERENT name for your Firestick 5GHz WiFi network.
Why? Sometimes Firestick can have trouble connecting to the Firestick 5GHz network if the 2.4GHz network has the same name (since Firestick may “by default” try connecting to the 2.4GHz network).
For example, if you have the Apple base station as your WiFi router, then use this guide to switch the network names.
If you don’t know how to do this, don’t worry! We’ll give you detailed steps in the sections below.
How to Change Firestick 5GHz Channel
If your Firestick is acting up when it’s connected to the 5GHz WiFi network, then change the 5GHz network to utilize a different WiFi channel.
TIP: At least one Firestick user we spoke with said their 1st Gen Firestick 5GHz works great on WiFi channel 149.
If your WiFi Network is using 2.4GHz, then change the WiFi channel of your network to a channel between 1 to 11.
Or if your wireless network uses 5GHz, then change the WiFi channel to a channel between 36 to 48 or 149 to 165.
We’ll show you how to do this in the next section. Keep reading!
Important: Firestick Security Note
Let’s say you’ve figured out how to fix your Firestick 5GHz issues, and now you’re interested in getting free streaming content from a great 3rd party app. Or even if you’re interested in getting free, region-blocked content on Netflix, Hulu, and YouTube that is currently being kept from you!
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If you need a little help installing a VPN in your Firestick 5GHz, we’ve got just the thing. Our guide will walk you through how to install a VPN on any device.
How to Access Your WiFi Router’s Admin Area
It’s really not very difficult (for most Firestick users) to access their router’s admin area to change the WiFi channel or network name. In most cases, just follow these steps:
- Start by opening a web browser window (like Google Chrome, Safari, or Firefox) on a device that you know is connected to your WiFi network (such as your WiFi-connected smartphone or laptop)
- Then in your web browser, enter the address http://192.168.1.1. IMPORTANT: If this doesn’t work, then on your Firestick / Fire TV go to Settings, then select Device, then choose About, then select Network and write down the IP address for the Gateway. Try typing this Gateway IP address into your browser’s address bar.
- You should now see a box for Username and a box for Password. HINT: Your router’s username and password are usually on a sticker that is stuck onto your WiFi router somewhere (sometimes on the bottom side of the router). If you can’t find your router’s username and password, then call your Internet Service Provider and they’ll help you find it.
- Now that you’re logged into your WiFi router’s admin area, look for a button or a tab that says something like Change Wireless Settings. On some routers, this area is labelled Wireless Settings and after you click on that you may need to click on wireless settings or Change Basic Settings.
- Your router should now show your settings for the Firestick 5GHz channel. In most situations, this settings is automatic. Change the channel setting to channel 36.
- Now save the changes (usually there’s a Save button somewhere on the screen)
- Your 5GHz WiFi router should now reset the Firestick 5GHz network (by restarting the network). Just wait a few minutes and your device(s) should reconnect to the WiFi automatically once the Firestick 5GHz network comes back online.
- Finally, check your Firestick / Fire TV’s WiFi connections that are available. You should now see your 5GHz network name (aka SSID).
If the steps above didn’t work for you, then continue reading to try the other wireless solutions below.
What Is a WiFi Channel?
A WiFi channel is like the channel on a TV or a radio station. WiFi networks can use a variety of channels (from about 1 to 20).
So like in the solution at the top of this page, to change your WiFi channel you’ll need to go into your WiFi router’s admin area (see the steps in the previous section) and switch the channel to a lower channel (like 3 or 5).
Lower WiFi Channels All Occupied?
If the lower WiFi channels are occupied for you, then you may be stuck using 2.4GHz network for Firestick. Then just put all your other devices on the 5GHz WiFi network to minimize network congestion & signal confusion.
Check out this list of WiFi channels on Wikipedia.
Amazon Firestick Only Supports 5GHz Channels 36 Through 48?
One user reports that the Firestick supports only channels 36 through 48 when attempting to connect to 5GHz networks. It’s possible that if you try the fix above, then you may still have trouble connecting Firestick 5GHz WiFi.
Explanation: The other channels are ‘DFS’ WiFi channels. These channels are sometimes used by “radars” in some places, which would require the router to instantly change WiFi channels and then let the devices connected to it know about the change.
Does the Amazon Firestick Use 5GHz WiFi?
Yes, the Amazon Firestick has the ability to connect to Firestick 5GHz WiFi networks. But it’s not always super-easy to make this happen. Read the rest of this article to see the limitations when attempting to connect Firestick 5GHz WiFi.
Firestick Sees 5GHz WiFi But Won’t Connect
It’s possible that another device (such as a Bluetooth Soundbar) is interfering with the Firestick 5GHz WiFi connection.
Another possibility is that the Firestick is too far away from your 5GHz WiFi router. Firestick 5GHz has actually a shorter range than 2.4GHz WiFi.
One more thing that could cause your Firestick to not connect to 5GHz is password issues. Make sure your WiFi password is correct!
Try to reboot all of your devices, change your WiFi network to use a channel in the range of 36 through 48, and try again.
Does 1st Gen Firestick Connect to 5GHz WiFi?
Yes, the 1st Generation Firestick does support 5GHz channel WiFi network!
However, the first generation Firestick only works with WiFi routers that use 802.11 a/b/g/n (dual bands).
The 1st Gen Firestick does not work with the newer WiFi version known as 802.11 ac.
In contrast, the 2nd Gen Firestick does work with 802.11 ac.
Router Issues
The sections below show you how to deal with Firestick 5GHz WiFi router issues:
Update WiFi Router Firmware
If you have access to your router’s admin panel, then make sure your WiFi router has the latest firmware. Updating the firmware can fix many issues.
A certain Firestick user we saw on a message board reported that their Firestick 5GHz works just fine with an ARRIS modem and an ASUS router.
Change Verizon Wireless Router to Disable DFS
There’s a known issue with routers like WiFi routers from Verizon FiOS:
If you can get into your Verizon Wireless router’s admin area, do these steps:
- Go into the settings of your router
- Turn the DFS settings from Auto to Fixed bands
- Switch the channel range from 36 to 48 or from 149-165.
Or check out the actual Verizon router manual which shows how to change the WiFi channel to 36: Verizon router manual PDF.
Change Network Security Mode to “Open”
Go into your WiFi router’s admin area and change the security mode to “open” instead of requiring a password. In other words, (temporarily) make it so no password is required to log in to your WiFi.
If Firestick can connect to the 5GHz network after changing this, then the issue you have is most likely a password issue.
Change WiFi Network Radio Mode to G/N Only
Go into your wireless router’s admin area and change the Radio Mode to g/n only. It’s possible this could fix the issue.
Connect Firestick To a Different Network
Try connecting your Amazon Firestick to a different network, like a smartphone hotspot or a different network nearby.
Contact Your Internet Service Provider
If none of the solutions above work for you, then contact your ISP and ask them to help you solve the issue.
“Unable to Connect to Amazon Services, Check Your Network Connection”
If you receive this error, restart your Firestick remote by taking the batteries out and putting them back in. Some users reported that this solution worked for them.
If you press the Home button on the Firestick remote and your screen says “Home is unavailable, check network connection“, then try the solution above.
Sometimes the Firestick remote sends a faulty signal to the Firestick if it has low batteries!
Wrapping Up
We covered everything you need to know about 5GHz Wi-Fi channels in this article. We hope that this post has helped you understand what 2.4ghz and 5ghz networksare, and you can now choose which band to use for your entertainment needs.
If you have any other questions pertaining to this article or 5GHz in general, let us know down in the comments! If anything wasn’t clear, we’d be happy to chat with you about this topic.
Let us know which 5GHz channel works for you, and if you know any other Wi-Fi analyzer tools!
