iRobot not stopping at Dual Mode Virtual Wall Barrier

If a Virtual Wall® is not keeping Roomba confined to the desired areas, use the following procedure.

1. Install fresh batteries.
2. Turn the Virtual Wall to the  “up” position and ensure the ring of light on top of the Virtual Wall will pulse 5 times when the device is turned on, or when a new mode is selected. If the light does not illuminate, you may need a new Dual Mode Virtual Wall® Barrier.
3. Place Virtual Wall outside the doorway you wish to block, with the arrow on top of the Virtual Wall facing out.
4. Ensure there are no Home Bases or other Virtual Walls within 8 ft (2.4 m) of the Virtual Wall as they may interfere with the beam.
5. Other devices that use Infra-Red technology, such as remote controls, may interfere with Virtual Wall beams.
6. Press and hold the CLEAN button on the robot for 3 seconds. Then press CLEAN to drive the robot towards the Virtual Wall and ensure it turns away. If Roomba does not turn away, go to next step.
7. Place Roomba 6 ft (1.8 m) in front of Home Base and press  DOCK to manually dock the robot. If the robot docks successfully, you may need a new Virtual Wall.

If Roomba will not return to its Home Base®, please use the following procedure.

If Roomba is picked up and moved during a cleaning job, it will not be able to find the Home Base when the  Dock button is pressed, unless it is placed facing the Home Base within 6 ft (1.8 m) of the Home Base.

1. Unplug the line cord from the Home Base and then plug it back in to ensure that it is fully inserted with a tight fit.
2. Verify that the power indicator on the Home Base starts blinking approximately once every 4 seconds or illuminates solid for approximately 4 seconds and then goes out. This is normal behavior, designed to conserve energy.
3. Ensure there are no Dual Mode Virtual Wall® Barriers or other Home Bases located within 8 ft (2.5 m) of the Home Base. These could cause infrared beam interference.
4. Position the Home Base on a hard, level surface against a wall. Ensure Roomba has a clear path to the Home Base, and that the Home Base is at least 4 ft (1.2 m) from any stairs and that Roomba has a clear path to reach it.
5. Ensure there are no foreign objects (e.g., stickers, tape, or paint) on the bumper or on the Home Base.
6. Wipe down the charging contacts on the Home Base and on Roomba with a clean, lightly dampened melamine foam such as.
7. Press and hold the CLEAN button for 3 seconds to clear your previous cleaning job.
8. Verify Roomba can return to its Home Base by manually facing Roomba, within 6 ft (1.8 m), toward the Home Base.
9. Turn Roomba on, and press the Dock button.

If Roomba is going past the Dual Mode Virtual Wall, ensure the Dual Mode Virtual Mode is set to Virtual Wall mode (not Halo mode) and the beam is facing the direction of the area you desire to have blocked off.

Should any of these steps not work, please contact iRobot Customer Care.

Hi, in my case, my Virtual Wall (Model 81002) will work in the first 3 seconds after I shut the battery compartment door. Then, it will NOT work. My Roomba 880 cannot seem to “activate” it. Please help?

In my case the sensor inside the roomba (the clear acrylic round thing on the front) had one of its cables cut. I repaired the cable (took me 10-15 min) and it started working again.