how do i reconnect my roomba 694 to wifi? the app says it's offline and the wifi button on the robot is solid red.

Diagnosis

The solid red light on the Wi-Fi button of your Roomba 694 indicates a critical connection failure where the robot can no longer authenticate with your wireless router. This typically occurs after a power surge, a router firmware update, or a change in your SSID (network name) or password. Because the robot stores a specific set of network credentials, any change to the router's security protocol (e.g., switching from WPA2 to WPA3) will cause the robot to lose its handshake and enter this "offline" state. To confirm the issue is network-related and not a hardware failure, check if the robot still performs basic cleaning tasks via the physical CLEAN button. If it vacuums normally but remains red on the Wi-Fi indicator, the internal wireless module is functioning, but the stored credentials are invalid. If the robot refuses to start even with a physical press, you may be dealing with a deeper system crash requiring a full reboot before attempting the reconnection.

How to Fix It

To reconnect your Roomba 694, you must force the robot back into "Discovery Mode" and refresh the link within the iRobot Home App. Follow these exact steps:

1. Place the Roomba 694 on its Home Base and ensure it is powered on.
2. Press and hold the Wi-Fi button (located to the right of the CLEAN button) for exactly 10 to 15 seconds. Release the button once you hear a beep and the solid red light changes to a pulsing blue light. This indicates the robot is now broadcasting its own temporary setup signal.
3. Open the iRobot Home App on your smartphone. If the robot is still listed as "Offline," tap on the device, go to Product Settings, and select "Remove Device" or "Delete Robot." This clears the old, broken connection from the cloud.
4. Tap the "+" icon in the app to "Add a Product." Select "Roomba" and follow the on-screen prompts.
5. When prompted, select your 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network from the list. Enter your password carefully—remember that passwords are case-sensitive.
6. Keep your phone within 3 feet of the robot until the app confirms "Connection Successful" and the light on the robot turns off or flashes white briefly.

If That Didn't Work

• Force a Hardware Reboot: If the Wi-Fi light refuses to turn pulsing blue, perform a hard reset. Press and hold the CLEAN button for 10 seconds until the light ring flashes. This clears the temporary cache and often unlocks a frozen Wi-Fi module. After the reboot, attempt the Wi-Fi button sequence again.
• Split Your Router Bands: The Roomba 694 is incompatible with 5 GHz networks. If you have a "Smart Connect" or "Dual-Band" router that uses one name for both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, the robot often fails to connect. Log into your router settings and create a separate SSID specifically for 2.4 GHz (e.g., "HomeWifi_2.4"). Connect your phone to this specific band first, then run the setup.
• Disable VPN and Cellular Data: During the pairing process, your phone may attempt to switch to 5G/LTE because the robot's temporary setup Wi-Fi doesn't have internet access. Turn off "Cellular Data" and any active VPNs in your phone settings until the pairing is complete.
• Check Firewall/Port Settings: Ensure your router is not blocking the ports required for iRobot cloud communication. Specifically, verify that ports 80 and 443 are open for outbound traffic. If you have "MAC Filtering" enabled on your router, you must find the MAC address (printed on the bottom of the robot) and add it to the allowed list.

Heads Up

• Signal Dead Zones: If the robot frequently goes offline, the Home Base may be too far from the router. Ensure there are no large metal objects or thick concrete walls between the robot's docking station and the wireless access point.
• Password Special Characters: Avoid using complex symbols (like & or %) in your Wi-Fi password. Some older firmware versions of the 694 struggle to parse non-alphanumeric characters during the handshake process.
• Battery Threshold: Never attempt a Wi-Fi reconnection if the battery is below 20%. A low-voltage state can cause the wireless module to time out during the pairing process, leading to a "Connection Failed" error in the app.