Inability to Stream Tidal/KKBOX on Android with Cellular Data in Roon ARC (ref#TLBNKN)

Support
1

What’s happening?

· I'm having trouble with Roon ARC

What best describes your issue with ARC

· Other

How can we help?

· None of the above

Other options

· Other

Describe the issue

I'm experiencing consistent issues with Roon ARC on my Android device when using cellular data. Here are the key details:

Problem Description:

  • Unable to stream music from Tidal or KKBOX services while on cellular data on Android
  • Local library files stream properly on cellular
  • Occasionally works after restarting the Roon Core, but usually fails
  • Streaming via Tidal and KKBOX on the android apps works
  • The same Roon ARC app works flawlessly on my iPhone using a different mobile provider
  • Creating a personal hotspot on the iPhone for the Android device to connect to enables Roon ARC to play Tidal and KKBOX successfully
  • Swapping the Android SIM card with the iPhone one enables streaming from Tidal and KKBOX without issues

Technical Environment:

  • Roon Core is running the latest version
  • Android and iPhone are on different mobile providers
  • Android device consistently fails while iPhone works perfectly

Troubleshooting Steps Already Taken:

  • Reinstalled the Roon ARC app on Android
  • Restarted/reinstalled Roon Core
  • Verified local library files stream correctly on cellular
  • Confirmed the issue is specific to streaming services (Tidal, KKBOX)
  • Tested using iPhone as hotspot for Android, which resolves the streaming issue
  • Tested swapping SIM cards between devices, confirming the issue is related to the mobile provider/SIM

Request for Assistance

I understand this issue is probably related to my mobile provider, but I would like to know if there’s anything I can do to resolve this issue on my end without changing providers. Are there any network settings, app configurations, or other solutions that might help overcome this provider-specific limitation?

Describe your network setup

Asus Router

2

Replying to update new findings:

  • New eSIM from different provider initially worked but:

  • Tidal stopped streaming after about 8 hours

  • Primarily using Roon ARC to stream Tidal on Android Auto

  • Other observations:

  • KKBOX streams successfully on the new eSIM

  • Using the eSIM as a hotspot for iPhone to stream Tidal with Roon ARC fails

  • Error message: “Problem connecting to server”

  • Tidal streams normally when using WiFi

  • Potential issue:

  • Issue may be specific to Tidal’s interaction with mobile networks

  • Possible restriction or compatibility problem between Tidal’s servers and certain mobile configurations

3

Hello @care.nuts ,

Welcome to the forum!

Please note that for ARC specifically, all the streaming happens directly from the streaming service provider (audio is not first routed through the Roon Server).

Since you are having issues with one ISP but not another, my suggestion here would be to see if you can try to change your DNS servers for your mobile network connection on the affected device.

You can try to change your phone’s DNS servers from the ISP provided ones to Cloudflare DNS, Quad9 DNS or Google DNS. Can you please give this a try and let us know if it helps?

4

Hey @noris

Apologies, Failed to mention earlier that I have also:

  • tried using nextdns.io DNS for the mobile connection. Similar Issue observed.
  • defaulted the DNS to mobile provider provided. Similar issue observed.
  • Upon your advice, have also tried the 3 suggested DNS, Google, Cloudflare & Quad9. They give similar results. Still unable to stream from Tidal.
  • Using the same DNS above on Wifi connection allows streaming from Tidal.

It feels like the connection is being blocked on Tidal’s end instead of the device. During the testing KKBOX still works on mobile connection.

Any other thoughts or suggestions?

Thanks

5

Hi @care.nuts,
Is it possible you have some rate limits set up for when your phone is using mobile data? If it works on a hotspot but not on mobile that would make sense.

6

Hey @daniel

I’ve looked into the streaming issue and ruled out rate limits as the cause. I’ve tested the same phone with three different carriers:

  1. First provider: Tidal and KKBOX worked initially but then both stopped functioning.

  2. Second provider (using a new eSIM): Tidal worked at first but then stopped. KKBOX continues to work normally.

  3. Third provider: Both Tidal and KKBOX are working without any issues.

Also reiterating that streaming on all three carriers from Roon local library files works. These are mostly FLAC or WAV files in my file server.

7

Hi @care.nuts,

Thank you for your thorough troubleshooting and communication thus far.

While authentications and local streaming pass through RoonServer, Tidal/KKOX/Qobuz streaming is fetched directly from the API via the mobile connection. In your case, providers one and two above seem to use a flaky CDN for Tidal.

DNS reassignment is the most common solution to this problem, particularly if local streaming via ARC is functioning just fine. You’ve already tried this without a change in symptoms.

Do you have the Tidal native app? Do you encounter any issues there?

Compare the APN settings between the effected eSIM and the unaffected eSIM, as an additional suggestion.

We’ll follow up from there!

10

Hi @connor

  • The TIDAL native app works without issue on all 3 SIMs.
  • All 3 SIMs are from different providers hence they all have different APN configs.
  • Changing the DNS still does not work.
  • The workaround I currently use is to connect through VPN which would allow streaming TIDAL through ROON ARC. Streaming through Roon works regardless of whether VPN is third party hosted or hosted on home network where Roon sits.

Ideally, I would like to stream TIDAL through Roon ARC without having to connect to a VPN.

11

Hey @care.nuts,

Thanks for the update!

We’d be curious to see…if you temporarily switch your Roon Server to your Windows 11 PC and attempt Tidal playback through Arc, are you able to do so without the use of a VPN?

It would be good to compare Arc diagnostics with this as well, let me know if it’s something you’d be able to test. Thank you! :+1:

12

Hey @benjamin

Did as you’ve requested. Similar issue faced with Tidal through Roon ARC, the first track I try would play but any subsequent attempts to play a different track would not work.

Thanks

13

Hello @care.nuts ,

Thanks for testing the TIDAL behavior on the ARC app. I am looking over your account diagnostics and it looks like there is nothing being logged on our servers.

Can you please let us know the carrier ISP that is impacted by this behavior?

If you use a personal hotspot with the regular Roon app, does playback work as expected?

14

Hi @noris

That is strange, i’ve checked to make sure that Roon Core is not behind any firewall. I’m also seeing traffic from several Roon domains. are there any logs i can export on my end to provide to the team?

For context, I’m using Roon from Singapore:
Provider #1: MyRepublic (Tidal+KKBOX not working)
Provider #2: Simba (Tidal not working)
Provider #3: Singtel (Both services working)

I’m not sure I understand your second question as the regular Roon app only works when I’m on my home network. I’ve given it a try nonetheless and the regular Roon app does not work on the regular Roon app when I use a personal hotspot from Provider #3.

Fyi, I’ve tested again on all three provider and similar behavior. Only Provider #3 works to stream Tidal consistently through Roon ARC on 5G mobile connection. This is regardless of whether I use the sim with my iPhone or my android device.

15

Hi @care.nuts ,

Thanks for providing that additional info. Unfortunately, there is no way to manually export ARC logs, only Roon logs by following these instructions, which is why I was hoping to troubleshoot the issue on the Roon side of things.

By this I meant, if you hotspot, connect your PC to the Hotspot and try to stream TIDAL/Qobuz through the regular Roon app, do you notice the same issues? Essentially if we remove ARC from the equation.

16

Hi @noris,

I’ve decided I’ve spent enough time trying to get Roon ARC working with my current providers. I ended up porting my number to a provider that’s known to work, and since then, everything has been running smoothly.

At this point, I’m attributing the issue to how Roon ARC handles data forwarding to TIDAL and KKBOX, since streaming directly through the native TIDAL app and on Wifi doesn’t cause the same problems.

17

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