My iPad Remote can discover my Roon Core, Andres-Mac-mini, but cannot complete the connection. It remains permanently on “Connecting…”
Core: • Mac mini running macOS 27.0.1 • Roon 2.73 (build 1696) • Core name: Andres-Mac-mini • Current Core IP: 192.168.68.111
iPad: • IP: 192.168.68.107 • Subnet mask: 255.255.252.0 • Router: 192.168.68.1 • Local Network permission for Roon is enabled
Troubleshooting completed: • The iPad successfully discovers the Core, so discovery is working. • The Mac and iPad are on the same local subnet and use the same Deco router. • macOS firewall is off. • NordVPN was disconnected for testing; the problem remained. • Roon works normally when operated locally on the Mac mini. • I force-closed and reset the Roon Remote on the iPad. • I restarted the Roon server components and the Mac mini.
Attached are the iPad Roon logs and screenshots showing the stuck Connecting state and my current Roon build.
Please investigate why the Remote discovers the Core but cannot establish the session.
Diagnostics show the broker attempting to initiate a connection with the iPad’s own RAATServer, but the connection is cyclically interrupted after less than two seconds.
The server-side logs don’t actually show the iPad’s IP address registering with the Roon Server as an available client; only the RAAT connection even attempts. The iPad also isn’t visible to our cloud servers, which means it hasn’t had any successful pairing with the server recently.
Just checking in on this, were you able to try the network check we mentioned, along with confirming the VPN is fully off and reinstalling Roon Remote for iPad? If you have not already, please also make sure the iPad and Mac are staying on the same local subnet, since that can stop discovery and leave the app stuck on Connecting, and our same subnet/IP range guide walks through that check. Send back any updates when you have them, and we can take the next step from there.
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Thanks for the follow-up. I’ve worked through everything you suggested, and the iPad Remote is still stuck on “Connecting…” to Andres-Mac-mini.
What I’ve done:
Single network interface: the Mac mini is now on Wi-Fi only. No other network services are active.
NordVPN fully off: disconnected, “Stay invisible on a local network” turned off, Kill Switch and Threat Protection off, and the app quit completely on both the Mac and the iPad.
Same subnet confirmed: both devices are on the main Deco network (not guest), with the same subnet mask and router.
Mac mini (Core): 192.168.68.100 / 255.255.252.0 / router 192.168.68.1
Roon Remote reinstalled on the iPad: deleted, iPad restarted, reinstalled from the App Store, and Local Network access allowed.
One other thing: when I restarted Roon on the Mac, it prompted for an update. I accepted it, and Roon moved from build 1696 to 2.73 (build 1700). Afterwards, Roon Server wouldn’t start at first (“Waiting for your Roon Server”). After force-quitting the Roon processes, restarting the Mac and checking the macOS privacy permissions, the server is running again and works normally on the Mac itself.
My most recent unsuccessful connection attempt from the iPad was at about 12:25 SAST (10:25 UTC) on 12 October 2026, so please pull the logs from around then.
Thank you for working through all of this and for the exact time of your test.
We pulled fresh logs from your Mac mini. At 12:25 SAST on 12 October, Roon Server could see your iPad, but the iPad never actually opened a connection to the server. In fact, the last time any remote device connected to your Roon Server was on 28 September.
We also noticed that NordVPN is still active on the Mac in the background: a few minutes after your test (12:29 SAST), its VPN network adapter came back on the Mac, and Roon Server then offered its connection on the VPN address as well as your home network. This can lead the iPad to try an address it can’t reach.
Could you please try the following:
On the Mac, uninstall NordVPN completely for this test (quitting the app isn’t enough, as it reconnects on its own), then restart the Mac.
On the iPad, delete Roon, restart the iPad, reinstall Roon and allow Local Network access when asked.
Open Roon on the iPad and select Andres-Mac-mini, and note the time of the attempt.
You mentioned you attached logs from the iPad, but unfortunately they didn’t come through on our side. After the attempt above, could you please use the directions found here and send over a set of logs from the iPad to our File Uploader? On the iPad, you can save them via Settings > Apps > Roon > Save Logs. Once logs have been uploaded, please let us know so that we can check the server for your files, thanks!
Cool Vadim happy to uninstall NordVPN, however I cannot connect to Tidal reliably without NordVPN being active. So I can uninstall NordVPN for the purpose of this test, but it will not be a permanent solution for me. - see some more background below:
Background: pre-iOS/iPadOS 27 configuration
Before the current iPad Remote issue, I had an existing Roon connectivity problem involving Tidal and local endpoint discovery. This was unrelated to the later iOS/iPadOS 27 update.
My Roon Core runs on a Mac Mini, connected to my TP-Link Deco 6E mesh network. My main Roon endpoints are the Denafrips Arce, Bluesound Node 2i, Primare NP5, and Denon Patio.
What we were solving
There were two requirements:
Restore visibility of the primary network Roon endpoints in Roon.
Maintain reliable Tidal authentication and playback in Roon.
Changes made
• Cloudflare DNS ( 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1 ) was configured to improve DNS reliability.
• NordVPN, connected to a South African server, was retained because Tidal in Roon did not authenticate or operate reliably through my normal ISP route; NordVPN provided an alternate route under which Tidal worked reliably.
• On the Mac Mini, Roon/RoonServer Local Network permissions were enabled/toggled to restore network-device discovery.
• Because NordVPN interfered with access to local Roon endpoints, a local-network route was configured so that traffic for the home LAN continued via the Deco gateway while Internet traffic—including Tidal—could continue through NordVPN.
• The home LAN/gateway configuration used for this was 192.168.68.0/22 via 192.168.68.1 .
This configuration restored access to the principal Roon endpoints while preserving dependable Tidal access through NordVPN.
Current issue: post-iOS/iPadOS 27
The current issue is separate. After the iOS/iPadOS 27 update, the iPad can discover the Core ( Andres‑Mac‑mini ) but remains indefinitely on “Connecting…” and cannot complete the connection.
For troubleshooting, NordVPN was temporarily disconnected; the iPad still found the Core but could not connect. The macOS firewall was also confirmed off, Local Network permission is enabled on both the iPad and Mac, and both devices are on the same Deco LAN. Therefore, removing NordVPN permanently would break the previously working Tidal solution without resolving the current iPad-to-Core connection failure.
mjw
(You want nice, supportive? Call a damn helpline.)
7
Whilst I think you should follow the diagnostic steps outlined by @vadim to identity the root cause, I wanted to say that the Roon mobile client can work with a VPN when split tunneling is used.
I use Proton VPN and it is possible to include or exclude apps from the VPN. So, once the problem is resolved you can direct TIDAL traffic through a VPN.
