Ubiquiti Dream Machine Pro with core 24 port switch and multiple APs. Nucleus on wired connection. Formation machines on dedicated 2.4Ghz only SSID with dedicated IP subnet. All other devices on shared subnet. MDNS forwarding and multicast snooping enabled.
Connected Audio Devices
iFi Zen via 5G WiFi
Formation Flex via 2.4G WiFi
Formation Wedge via 2.4G WiFi
Number of Tracks in Library
15K tracks
Description of Issue
Formation speakers show up via AirPlay, but not via Roon Ready. I assume the issue is with the discovery protocol not forwarding between subnets on the Dream Machine (Roon is on core subnet, Formation devices on a dedicated subnet for the 2.4G devices – this setup was required to make AirPlay work). But rather than get out a sniffer and try to find the traffic, I figured I’d ask for advice.
Now that Roon is working one conceivable fix might be to move the 2.4G WiFi over to the core subnet, but that without some additional tricks I haven’t found that breaks AirPlay from the 5G WiFi. I would like AirPlay to remain available for things like podcast streaming apps that aren’t easily integrated into Roon.
I think your right in your diagnosis. If you post in the tinkering section, that is where the networking gurus hang out. Im sure one of them will be able to help you.
Roon requires all Roon devices to be on the same subnet. Apple’s AirPlay allows for Multicast DNS (mDNS) which I believe allows operating across different subnets (but not different VLANs), but not sure how Ubitquiti manages up the subnet rules.
Is there a reason everything (cabled Ethernet, both WiFi bands, Formation devices, Zen) is not on the same subnet as Roon? This would allow all devices to interoperate, while still allowing for streaming of podcasts, etc.
Yes, there is a reason. It might be possible to change with some effort, but the limitation to be on a single subnet with no support for forwarding or proxying or just manually adding devices seems bizarre to me. I would have been unsurprised by it back in the 90’s, but didn’t even imagine it in the solution that is pitched as the cutting edge.
You won’t get Roon Ready to work over different subnets without extra configuration to route the ports required for discovery. Airplay uses mDNS for discovery which can and does pass work over subnets and is setup to do so in the Unifi systems when mdns is enabled, Chromecast works the same and can also work.
I have 4 vlans and mDNS works across them all. Core is in one VLAN with all my RAAT zones, Chromecasts on another VLAN and it has no issues finding them and playing to them. Infact Uniquit recommend to silo of Chromecasts in this way. Since I did I have not had one discovery issue with CC devices, when on the same VLAN I did with every Roon update they disappeared.
With no documentation or technical information available here, and a lack of desire to get out a sniffer to solve my problem, it was easier to work around the AirPlay issues and go to a single subnet. I know I have future reasons to want to segment my network, but I can probably design it such that all the audio is in one subnet. If I can’t, I guess it will be sniffer time.