Quick answer
- Do a real power cycle first: unplug the TV for 60 seconds, hold the power button on the set for 10, then plug back in. This clears more network bugs than anything else.
- If the TV connects but has no internet, set DNS manually to 8.8.8.8 under Network advanced settings.
- Try the router's 2.4GHz band instead of 5GHz. It's slower but reaches the TV more reliably.
- Still stuck? Run a Network reset, then update webOS firmware.
What's actually going on
An LG TV that won't join WiFi usually falls into one of three buckets: the TV's network stack is hung, the TV connects but can't reach the internet, or the router is handing it a bad signal. The fixes are different for each, so the trick is figuring out which one you've got. If the TV says "connected" but apps won't load, it's a DNS or router problem, not the WiFi link itself. If it won't even see your network or rejects the password it knows is right, the TV's network settings are probably corrupted.
Try these first
Most cases clear in the first two steps. Don't skip the cold restart just because it sounds too simple.
- Cold restart the TV. Unplug it at the wall for a full 60 seconds. While it's unplugged, press and hold the power button on the TV itself (not the remote) for about 10 seconds to drain residual power. Plug it back in and try again.
- Restart the router too. Unplug the router for 30 seconds and let it fully boot before testing. A surprising share of "TV" problems are really the router.
- Forget and rejoin the network. Go to Settings, then Network, then Wi-Fi Connection, select your network, and choose to forget it. Re-enter the password carefully. Watch for a 2.4GHz and 5GHz version of your network with similar names and pick the 2.4GHz one.
If it still won't connect
Now you go a level deeper into webOS.
Set DNS by hand. Open Settings, then Network, then Wi-Fi Connection, then Advanced Settings. Turn off "Set Automatically" and enter a DNS of 8.8.8.8 (Google) or 1.1.1.1 (Cloudflare). This single change fixes a huge number of "connected but no internet" cases where the TV loads nothing and apps time out.
Turn off Quick Start+. It lives under Settings, then General, then Additional Settings (older sets put it directly under General). Quick Start+ keeps the TV in a half-asleep state that sometimes leaves the WiFi radio in a bad spot between sessions. Switch it off, fully power cycle, and reconnect.
Update the firmware. If you can get the TV online even briefly, go to Settings, then Support, then Software Update, and install anything pending. Several webOS WiFi drop bugs over the years were fixed only by a firmware update. If you can't get online at all, you can download the update to a USB drive from LG's support site and install it that way.
Run a Network reset. Under Settings, then Network, there's a reset that clears every saved network and all network configuration without wiping your apps, picture settings, or logins. It's the clean slate that fixes a corrupted network profile.
When it's the router, not the TV
If none of that holds, the problem is upstream. Older LG sets only support 2.4GHz on some models, so a 5GHz-only or band-steering router can leave them stranded. Log into the router and either split the bands into separate names or enable the 2.4GHz band explicitly. Distance and walls matter more than people think on 2.4GHz, so if the TV is two rooms from the router, an extender or a wired run will beat any setting.
That wired option is the reliable escape hatch. Every LG TV has an Ethernet port, and a cable from the router (or from an extender sitting near the TV) sidesteps WiFi entirely. If you stream 4K and the WiFi keeps buckling, stop fighting it and run a cable.
When to stop and call it
If the TV won't connect on a wired Ethernet line either, and other devices on the same network are fine, the WiFi or network board in the TV may have failed. At that point it's an LG service call rather than a settings fix. But that's rare. In practice the cold restart, the DNS change, and the 2.4GHz switch clear the large majority of LG WiFi problems.