Connecting the Internet via cable to the Xiaomi TV: full instructions with error analysis

Why Wireless Internet is Better Than Wi-Fi for Xiaomi TVs – and When It’s Not

Xiaomi TVs (Mi TV 4/4A/4S/5 series, Redmi Smart TV series, and others) support both types of Internet connection — cable (Ethernet) and Wi-Fi. However, the choice between them is not always obvious. The wired connection guarantees stable speed, minimal latency and no interference, which is critical for 4K- streaming video, online games via Google Stadia or NVIDIA GeForce NOW, and for working with IPTV in high resolution.

At the same time, Xiaomi TVs with an Ethernet port (usually 43 inches or higher) automatically prioritize wired connectivity over Wi-Fi if both are activated, which means that even with a cable connected and Wi-Fi enabled, traffic will go through the LAN — and this is not always convenient. For example, if your router is far away and the cable is laid suboptimal, the speed may be lower than the air at 5 GHz.

In this article, we will examine:

• 🔌 How to physically connect a cable to a Xiaomi TV (including models without an Ethernet port)
• ⚙️ Step-by-step network configuration in the MIUI TV menu, including manual assignment IP, DNS and MTU.
• ⚡ Typical errors (e.g., "Network unavailable" or "IP-conflict") and how to fix them.
• 📊 Speed comparison between Wi-Fi and LAN using the example of Mi TV 5 Pro.

What Xiaomi TVs support wired internet – and what to do if there is no Ethernet port

Not all Xiaomi models have an RJ-45 connector for cable connection, here's a quick compatibility table:

If your model doesn’t have an Ethernet port, there are two options:

1. Use a USB-Ethernet adapter (e.g., TP-Link UE300). Xiaomi TVs on Android TV support most adapters on the ASIX AX88179 chip. Connect the adapter to the TV's USB port and then the cable to the adapter.
2. Configure a bridge over the router (if it supports WISP or client mode), in which case the router connects to the main network via Wi-Fi, and the TV to it via cable.

⚠️ Warning: Adapters on Realtek RTL8153 chips may not work with MIUI TV firmware older than 2021. Check compatibility on forums (e.g. 4PDA before buying.

Step-by-step: how to connect the cable to the TV Xiaomi

The connection process is three steps: physical connection, network setup in the menu, and connection check, and we'll go through each step in detail.

1. Connecting the cable to the TV and router

You'll need:

• 🔗 Ethernet cable (category Cat 5e or higher, length up to 100 m).
• 📡 Free port LAN on a router (usually marked in yellow).
• ⚡ Router power supply (if it has been disabled).

Connect one end of the cable to the Ethernet port of the TV (or USB-adapter)

The second end is inserted into the free LAN port on the router.

Make sure the router has a port indicator (green/orange) on the light.

Turn on the TV and wait for the MIUI TV--> to boot.

If the port indicator on the router does not light up, check:

• 🔄 The cable is inserted before clicking (sometimes force is required).
• 🔧 The port LAN on the router is intact (try another port).
• 📦 The cable is not bent or damaged (especially at connectors).

2. Network settings in the TV menu

After the cable is connected:

1. On the remote, click the Settings button → select the Network and the Internet.
2. Go to Ethernet (or Wired Network).
3. If the connection is not established automatically, click Set up manually.

In manual mode you will need to enter:

• IP- address (e.g. 192.168.1.100) must be free on your network.
• Gateway (usually 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1 – see the router sticker).
• Subnet mask (standard 255.255.255.0).
• DNS (you can use 8.8.8.8 from Google or 1.1.1.1 from Cloudflare)

Checking the connection

After saving the settings:

1. Return to the Internet and the → Ethernet.
2. Make sure that the status has changed to Connected.
3. Start YouTube or Netflix and check the video playback speed in 4K.

💡

If the speed is lower than expected, try manually setting the MTU (Maximum Transmission Unit) in the Ethernet settings, the optimal value for most networks is 1472 or 1500.

Typical Connection Errors and Their Solutions

Even with the right cable connection, there can be problems, and here are the most common ones and ways to fix them:

If the TV doesn’t see the cable at all (there’s no Ethernet on the menu) it’s possible to:

• 🔌 The Ethernet port is disabled in the service menu (relevant to Mi TV 4S after reset).
• 🛠️ The connector on the TV board is damaged (repair required).
• 📥 TV firmware is outdated (update via Settings → About TV → Software Update).

⚠️ Warning: Xiaomi TVs with firmware older than 2020 may not support Jumbo Frames (packages >1,500 bytes). If your router is configured to MTU 9000, reduce the value to 1,500, otherwise connection breaks may occur.

Speed comparison: Wi-Fi vs Ethernet on Xiaomi Mi TV 5 Pro

To see if we should switch from Wi-Fi to cable, we tested the speed on Mi TV 5 Pro 55 with the Xiaomi AX3600 router.

Conclusions:

• 📶 Wi-Fi 5GHz is faster than 100-megabit Ethernet, but loses in stability (especially with a large number of devices on the network).
• 🔌 1-gigabit Ethernet provides top speed and minimal latency, but requires quality cable (Cat 6 and above).
• 🎮 For online gaming and IPTV it is best to always choose a wired connection.

💡

If your TV only supports 100 Mbps over Ethernet and your router delivers 300+ Mbps over 5 GHz Wi-Fi, wired connectivity may be slower than wireless, in which case it makes sense to stay on Wi-Fi or upgrade equipment.

Additional settings for experienced users

If you want to optimize your wired connection as much as possible, there are hidden options available in MIUI TV:

1. Change in network priority

By default, Xiaomi TV always chooses Ethernet if the cable is connected. To force Wi-Fi (for example, if Ethernet is slower), do:

1. Go to Settings → Network and Internet → More.
2. Select Network Priority (if no option, turn on Developer Mode – see below).
3. Install Wi-Fi as the main connection.

2. Enabling the developer mode

To access advanced settings (e.g. MTU, Proxy):

1. Go to Settings. → On TV.
2. Find the Assembly Number and click on it 7 times in a row.
3. Return to Settings, a new section for developers will appear.

In the developer mode, you can:

• 🔧 Set up a static route (useful for VPN).
• 📡 Disable Automatic Network Switching.
• 🔍 Insert Network Log to diagnose problems.

Frequently asked questions