Roon server (2.60) says Arc is "ready." However, when attempting to use Arc on mobile it tells me "port forwarding" issue. I can sometimes get it it to work but more often than not the Arc is not available when I am away from my home network. UPnP is enabled on my router
Describe your network setup
ISP - Verizon Router: Verizon CR1000B Nokia Optical Network Terminal Mac Mini M4 - MacOS Sequoia Version 15.6 Mini connected to Router via ethernet cable
Thank you for reaching out, and I’d be happy to help you get ARC running stably.
First, to clarify what is happening behind the scenes: when your Roon Server says “Ready”, it means that our Roon cloud servers can successfully see and connect to your Mac Mini. The “port forwarding” error you are seeing on your mobile device indicates that the specific connection between your phone and your home router is intermittently failing or being blocked.
To get this sorted out, please try the following steps:
1. Set up Manual Port Forwarding While UPnP is convenient, it can be quite unreliable on ISP-provided routers like your Verizon CR1000B. The router might open the port initially but then silently drop it later. We highly recommend logging into your router, disabling UPnP, and creating a manual Port Forwarding rule that points directly to your Mac Mini’s local IP address and the port Roon ARC uses (typically 55000).
2. Test on an External Wi-Fi Network When you are away from home and experience this error, please try connecting your phone to a different Wi-Fi network (like a cafe, office, or a friend’s house) instead of relying solely on your cellular data. Some mobile carriers use strict firewalls or CGNAT that can block these connections. Testing on an external Wi-Fi network helps us isolate if your cellular provider is the culprit.
3. Consider Tailscale (Alternative Solution) If manual port forwarding still proves inconsistent with your Verizon equipment, a highly reliable workaround is to use Tailscale. It creates a secure, private tunnel between your phone and your Mac Mini, bypassing the need for port forwarding entirely. If you are open to trying it, you can find our step-by-step setup guide here: Tailscale Setup Instructions for macOS RoonServer
Please give the manual port forwarding and the Wi-Fi test a try, and let me know how it goes!
I’ve turned off UPnP. Please assist me with creating a manual port forwarding rule. What is the original port? Is the forwarding port 55000? What is the protocol? Thank you
1. Static IP (Yes, do this first) You are correct—this is the foundational step. You need to ensure your Roon Server always has the same address so the router knows where to send the traffic permanently.
You usually configure this in the DHCP or LAN settings of your router (often called “DHCP Reservation” or “Address Reservation”).
Once you reserve an IP (e.g., 192.168.1.50) for your Roon Core, you will use that address in the rule below.
2. Filling out the Port Forwarding Rule Here is exactly what to enter in the fields from your screenshot:
Application: You can name this “Roon ARC”.
Original Port: Go to Roon Settings → Roon ARC. Use the port number listed there (it is often 55000, but can be different).
Protocol: Select TCP.
Fwd to Addr: Select/Enter the IP address of your Roon Core (the one you secured in Step 1).
Fwd to Port: Enter the same number as the “Original Port”.
Thanks for sharing the above error code! Unfortunately, it appears your suffeirng from a known service outage caused by upstream DNS servers. Here is the tracking thread around the issue:
Our team is actively investigating this, though we don’t have immediate troubleshooting steps to share just yet. I truly appreciate your patience. We’ll be posting all updates directly to the tracking thread above as soon as we have news.
This thread is now closing due to inactivity. You can reactivate the conversation by submitting a new tech support request here and our team will pick up the case. Thank you!
