For Roon connectivity to work properly, both Roon Server and Roon Remote need to be turned on.
· I can't turn on Roon Server, I need help.
Describe the issue
I bought a lifetime subscription and went for a 5+ months journey to China. Smart-Downloaded music to ARC beforehand, used it on the flight here but now when I want to use it again, after 2 months, it refuses to let me in. I switched off my home server before I left for my long journey. What to do?
If you don’t want to play music that is stored on the Roon Server, i.e., just downloads on the phone or streaming, then the Roon Server apparently doesn’t have to be running. But you need occasional internet on the phone:
Thanks, I do have internet connection, logs in to my account via ARC but ARC gets back and tells me “No Roon Servers found” and, unfortunately, I am unable to get any further. It seems I will have to wait until I get back home, or, ask someone to press the on/off button on my server in my home…
Merry Christmas,
Anders
Our diagnostic servers don’t currently show a RoonServer associated with your account, so we’ll need a little more information to investigate:
What is the OS of RoonServer you’re using?
What is the NAT traversal method you’re using to access ARC in China? Are you relying on Tailscale or another proxy-mesh/VPN service?
In the experience of forum users here, Roon’s authorization servers aren’t usually accessible in China due to georestriction. It’s entirely possible that ARC can’t authenticate the session with our cloud servers even with an internet connection. Try changing the DNS service or network pathway in whichever VPN you have installed on the phone.
The server at home should run Rock, from the end of October, if it was turned on.
I am using Astrill VPN with different end servers in the world. Unfortunately, it cannot be combined with Tailsscale, and Tailscale alone doesn’t work from China, so I decided to turn off the Roon server at home before leaving.
Perhaps Apple can have been removing my Smart-downloaded music from my local device after I have not been using ARC for two months? Anyway, ARC finds my account but not my Roon server and I cannot find out how to go on to my downloaded music, if it is still on my local device…
If you intended to use Roon ARC during your journey, you would have needed to leave your Roon server running. To use it now, someone at your home needs to reboot it.
Otherwise, you can use the albums you downloaded to your phone before the trip, but as stated above, you need to log into your Roon account at Roonlabs.com every 14 days to authenticate your Roon license.
As I understand it, Tailscale doesn’t work from China therefore it would be of no use to have the Roon server running at home for me, unfortunately.
I am logged on to my Roon account but despite that Roon ARC is unhappy, tells me ”No Roon servers found” and I don’t let me in any further. Possibly the downloaded music have, accidentally, been removed…
Anyway, thanks for your help and happy Holidays!
Anders
Thank you for the detailed follow-up, and happy holidays to you as well.
To clarify the situation plainly:
Unfortunately, turning off your Roon Server before the trip is the key reason for what you’re seeing now.
Even if you intend to use ARC only with Smart Downloads, ARC still needs to periodically authenticate your license via our cloud, and that process is tied to an active Roon Server having been seen recently on your account.
Since your ROCK server has been powered off for months, ARC now correctly reports “No Roon Servers found” and doesn’t allow you to proceed further.
That said, there is a practical workaround you can use without affecting your home server or database:
Temporary workaround (recommended)
You can:
Install Roon (Server + Remote) on any computer available to you locally (Mac or Windows is fine).
Launch Roon and log in with your existing Roon account.
Let this temporary Roon Server start once and fully come online.
Open Roon ARC on your phone and connect to it.
This will:
Re-activate ARC on your account
Reset the offline authorization window (you’ll get another ~30 days)
Allow ARC to function again for local Smart Downloads and streaming services
Importantly:
This will not modify, overwrite, or damage your ROCK database at home
When you return home, you can simply reconnect ARC back to your ROCK server
Your home library, history, and settings will all remain intact
Think of this as a temporary “license anchor” rather than a replacement for your main server.
Regarding China specifically: you’re also correct that network restrictions there can interfere with our authorization servers, even when using VPNs. That further contributes to the issue, but the server being offline is the primary blocker in this case.
If you have access to any computer where you are now, I’d strongly recommend trying the workaround above — it’s the fastest way to get ARC usable again during your trip.
Let us know if you’d like step-by-step instructions for setting this up, and safe travels.
Many thanks for your help!! Unfortunately I only have access to an iPhone and an iPad during my journey, as I am on the move most of the time. But if I later during my traveling get access to a Windows, Mac or Linux computer I’ll have a try with the fix.
In that case, yes — without access to a Mac, Windows, or Linux computer, there unfortunately isn’t a way to re-authorize ARC at the moment. ARC requires a Roon Server to come online at least once in order to refresh the license state, and this can’t be done from iOS or iPadOS alone.
Once you have temporary access to any computer (even briefly), starting a Roon Server and signing in will be sufficient to restore ARC access, without affecting your ROCK server at home.
Thank you for your understanding, and we wish you safe travels.