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Roomba Won’t Connect to WiFi/Cloud

Roomba Won’t Connect to WiFi/Cloud

A Roomba is a convenient piece of gadgetry to have around the house for those who don’t like a vacuum. Introduced back in 2002, they have constantly improved and can now connect to the internet for expanded functionality, but sometimes, this internet functionality may not work as intended, and you have trouble with the device connecting to Wi-Fi. So, how do you resolve this issue?

If your Roomba won’t connect to Wi-Fi/Cloud, it’s possible that the Wi-Fi signal is not reaching your Roomba. Older and cheaper routers may not send a signal far enough to adequately cover the entire house. However, if you have good Wi-Fi, you can try rebooting the Roomba and the router.

Many factors can come into play when a Roomba or any device for the matter isn’t connecting to Wi-Fi. Below we will help you troubleshoot this problem, and so we encourage you to keep reading!

Roomba Won’t Connect to Wi-Fi: Causes/How to Fix

Roomba Won’t Connect to Wi-Fi: Causes/How to Fix

There are many advantages to connecting your Roomba to the internet, from being able to set a cleaning schedule with your phone, activate the robots when you are outside the house or in another room, and keeping up to date with your Robot’s activity via push notifications. 

You pay more for the Wi-Fi enabled Roombas, so you would want to use the feature naturally. Unfortunately, things don’t always go so smoothly, and you may run into issues with connecting your Roomba to the internet.

If this happens, there isn’t a need for immediate panic since problems like these can almost always be resolved, especially if you know other devices in your home are connected to the same Wi-Fi network that you are trying to connect your Roomba to. The fix is, more often than not, pretty simple.

Your Wi-Fi Might Not Reach Your Entire Home

Depending on how large your home is, your router may not be emitting a signal that covers your entire household. This is especially true if you are using an older router or one that isn’t meant to cover a large area in the first place ( such as a mesh router).

In this case, you will need to purchase a router that offers great range, or if you have a mesh router, purchasing additional units to ensure full coverage. 

Additionally, you might be trying to connect to a 5ghz network, which doesn’t have as much range as 2.4ghz.

For the best results, place the home base in an area where the Wi-Fi signal is strong, you may run into issues if the Roomba starts going into rooms with a weak signal, but as long as the Roomba is set to only clean parts of your home with good Wi-Fi, you generally should be fine. 

Ensure the Wi-Fi Setup Instructions Are Being Followed Exactly

The internet setup process for Roombas isn’t very long, but it needs to be done as instructed within the app. The Wi-FI indicator on the device should be blinking green when going through the setup process:

  1. Enable Bluetooth on the Robot.
  2. Connect to the Robot within the app.
  3. Name Your Robot.
  4. Enter the Wi-Fi Password that your phone is connected to.
  5. Press the “HOME” and “SPOT clean” buttons on the Roomba while it is on its base for 2-5 seconds until a tone is heard.
  6. If you see either a flashing green Wi-Fi icon or a flashing blue light ring, you have successfully activated the Robot. From here, check the “I pressed the buttons” box within the app.

Note: If you would like to connect your Roomba to a different network. On Android, you can press “change Wi-Fi Network” during the setup process. On iOS, select the network you want within the app and then change the network within iOS’s settings. 

If you’d like a video demonstration on how to properly set up your Roomba from beginning to end. We’ve linked a video below to help you out:

Your Wi-Fi Might Need to Be Reset

A lot of Wi-Fi related issues can be solved by rebooting the router. Sometimes routers can get buggy if run for an extended period. In addition, you can also reset your model if you’d like to be thorough. 

It’s also possible that your router is set to secure what your Roomba supports. For example, try setting your router to WPA2 if it is on WPA3. But be warned, this will make your network less secure. 

Roomba Won’t Connect to Cloud: Causes/How to Fix

Roomba Won't Connect to Cloud: Causes/How to Fix

If your Roomba doesn’t connect to the cloud, Verify that your other devices can connect to your Wi-Fi network. If so, consider if any settings have been changed on your networks, such as the password or other security settings.

Next, ensure your Wi-Fi reaches throughout your house. If a Roomba wanders outside of the Wi-Fi range, you will see a message saying the Roomba can’t talk to the cloud. In this case, consider getting a mesh Wi-Fi router network such as a Google Wi-Fi Mesh Wi-Fi System. You can also limit how far your Roomba can wander off, but at that point, it won’t do its job in its entirety.

Roomba Says Not Connected, Try Again Later: Causes/How to Fix

Roomba Says Not Connected, Try Again Later: Causes/How to Fix

If your Roomba says it is not connected and to try again later. The Robot is waiting for a software update. To receive this update, leave the Roomba in its dock for 24 hours. This is a feature that can be annoying, but the idea is that you don’t have to manually do the updates yourself. 

If this doesn’t resolve your issue, iRomba recommends that you contact them about the issue. It could indicate a defective unit. 

Roomba Wi-Fi Indicator Not Blinking: Causes/How to Fix

Roomba Wi-Fi Indicator Not Blinking: Causes/How to Fix

If the Wi-Fi indicator on your Roomba is not blinking while on it’s home base, press the “CLEAN” button to wake the Robot. Next, hold down the “Dock” and “SPOT Clean” buttons while activating the Wi-Fi. 

Roomba Won’t Stay Connected to Wi-Fi: Causes/How to Fix

Roomba Won't Stay Connected to Wi-Fi: Causes/How to Fix

If your Roomba isn’t staying connected to Wi-Fi, the cause can be attributed to it wandering past the maximum range of signal that your router can emit. 

In this case, you can either limit how far the Roomba can go that it stays within the range, get a more powerful router, or if you have a mesh router, purchase an additional unit so that your home is covered fully. 

Roomba Won’t Connect to 5ghz Wi-Fi: Causes/How to Fix

Roomba Won't Connect to 5ghz Wi-Fi: Causes/How to Fix

Current Roomba models do not support 5ghz networks. This is likely intentional since Roombas don’t necessarily need the speed benefits of 5ghz Wi-Fi Rather, they have enough Wi-Fi coverage to stay connected anywhere in your home. 

5ghz is great for tasks that require lots of speed, such as streaming video and cloud gaming, but the range isn’t as good as 2.4ghz, and it has a harder time passing through walls. It wouldn’t exactly be ideal for a more “simple” device in its internet demands. 

Final Thoughts

A Roomba might not connect to Wi-Fi for many reasons ranging from the Robot wandering out of the Wi-Fi range or the router needs to be reset. It’s best to have a Wi-Fi system that covers your entire house, whether you need to buy a more powerful router or incorporate a mesh Wi-Fi system.

Copyright article owner is ReadyToDiy.com for this article. This post was first published on December 29, 2020.

If your Roomba isn’t connecting to your Wi-Fi in the first place, ensure you are properly following the setup procedure from the beginning. If all else fails, try changing your Wi-Fi’s security, although this isn’t ideal.

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ReadyToDIY is the owner of this article. This post was published on December 29, 2020.

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