How I Resolved the Initial Setup Challenge with Roborock Q5+
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Chapter 1: Introduction to the Roborock Q5+
Recently, I acquired a Roborock Q5+, but I postponed the setup for quite some time. Yesterday, I finally attempted to get it operational and ran into a connectivity issue during the initial configuration. My phone was unable to connect with the vacuum, which is the first crucial step in the setup process. Here’s how the setup is supposed to unfold according to the user manual:
- Download either the Roborock app or the Mi app (I opted for the Roborock app).
- Press and hold both the power button and home button on the vacuum for three seconds to activate pairing mode.
- The vacuum provides a voice prompt saying, "Resetting WiFi," which is a helpful feature.
- In the app, select "Add Device" and input your WiFi SSID and password (note that only 2.4GHz networks are supported).
- Tap "Next" in the app, which should trigger the following sequence:
- Your phone connects to the vacuum's temporary WiFi network.
- Necessary information, including your home WiFi credentials, is transferred to the vacuum.
- The vacuum connects to the internet through your WiFi network (the home button will blink slowly in blue upon successful connection).
Unfortunately, this is where I encountered my issue. The home button was blinking blue, indicating some level of connectivity, yet my phone could not establish a link with the vacuum. My first instinct was to question my own input—perhaps I had entered the password incorrectly. I repeated the steps, ensuring the SSID and password were accurate, but the result remained unchanged; the phone still failed to connect.
Next, I began to suspect the vacuum itself. Power cycling it did not yield any improvement, and I found myself at a loss for other troubleshooting options. I then turned my attention to my home network setup.
Section 1.1: Examining My Home Network
For context, my home network is managed by PFSense running on a Protectli box, which handles everything from DHCP to routing, and I utilize Unifi Pro for wireless connectivity. I logged into the Unifi console, unsure of what specific data I needed to investigate. My goal was to determine if the vacuum had indeed connected to the WiFi network. However, I noticed several unnamed clients connected, making it difficult to identify the vacuum’s MAC address.
It struck me to check the uptime of connected clients (the Unifi console is quite user-friendly), and I found a peculiar client that had connected about 20 minutes earlier, yet it had not been assigned an IP address.
Despite this discovery, I was still puzzled as to why my phone couldn't connect to the vacuum. Logically, it should have failed during the third step mentioned earlier if the phone had not successfully transmitted the WiFi credentials. Clearly, the vacuum had some awareness of my network.
Section 1.2: Troubleshooting DHCP Issues
My next step was to investigate why the vacuum did not receive an IP address from the DHCP server. I logged into the PFSense console and, without checking the status of the DHCP service first—as a rookie mistake—I re-enabled the DHCP service for the interface connected to the Unifi Pro. Immediately, the vacuum received an IP address. Although it could now connect to the internet, I had to repeat the initial setup process to ensure my phone could recognize the vacuum.
This time, everything went smoothly. The Roborock Q5+ overcame the hurdles posed by my home network and was back to its cleaning duties. However, a new challenge awaits: our kids! We’ll see how that unfolds!
Chapter 2: Conclusion
I didn’t document every step in detail, as the user manual provides that information. I regret not capturing any screenshots during the troubleshooting process. I wanted to share my experience because these issues might not be unique to just a smart vacuum. I’m still unsure why my phone was unable to connect to the vacuum's WiFi, or if it was merely a bug in the app’s interface.
Hopefully, this account proves helpful to someone else facing similar challenges!