I'm having trouble connecting to Roon
*None* of my remotes can connect
I previously had trouble connecting to Roon when client and server were both on the same M2 Mac Mini. Failing to get that running, I moved the server to an Intel iMac. It worked for a few days, but now is back in limbo where any client repeatedly times out trying to connect to the server.
Robert,
Speaking as a fellow user like yourself, I’d ask you to provide more details, please. That way folks on this forum can isolate what’s going on and help you fix it.
So:
and anything else relevant, please. Thanks!
Well, I included all the information that the support form asked for; not sure how I’d know to include more! 
1: I’m assuming the most recent version, but “About Roon” doesn’t work if Roon is stuck in the loading loop that I’m describing, so I can’t provide a specific version or release number.
2: I moved the server by uninstalling Roon completely from the M2 Mac Mini (including all preference files), physically moving the external hard drives that contain the media files to the Intel iMac, installing Roon there, and rebuilding the library from scratch (losing all metadata and play history in the process). Then I reinstalled the client software on the M2 Mac Mini and connected it to the server on the Intel iMac. I tested it at this point and everything was initially working, until it didn’t.
3: Mac OS X Monterey 12.7.4 on the Intel iMac server computer, Mac OS X Sonoma 14.2.1 on the M2 Mac Mini client computer.
4: I don’t know how to answer this question, honestly. I did it in the way that the software asked me to when I installed it. If there are multiple ways to do this, I’m not aware of that.
5: When I launch the client, the server computer shows “Running” in the status bar. Later, when I’m stumped as to why the client is failing to find the server, it sometimes remains saying “Running” but I’ve seen it say–rarely, though–“Not Started” (or whatever that message is; it says “Running” as I type this and may be remembering the language of the other status wrong).
And a new wrinkle: after making my original post yesterday, the server started working, and I was able to play some songs from the M2 Mac mini client. When I came here to post this today, both the client and server computers were stuck in the loading loop that’s been befuddling me. When I sat down just now, it actually connected here on the Intel iMac server computer while I was composing this message, but before I could even try to play a track, it bounced back into the loading loop. The status message for the server currently still says “Running.”
*When I say loading loop, I mean alternating between the loading screen (the Roon logo with throbbing equalizer bars) and a “Waiting for Roon Server” countdown screen.
I don’t know what else is relevant; while I’m not a computing novice, I’m not good with nuts and bolts, behind-the-scenes stuff either. I’ll try to answer any direct, specific questions to the best of my ability, but I’m not equipped to make guesses as to what else could be relevant.
And just now, before I finalize this post, I’ve just checked the server status and it still says “Running” while we’re cycling around in the loading loop.
Sorry, the client is an M2 Mac Mini; I’d forgotten the specifics of my hardware. I’ve edited my posts accordingly.
One more detail: in these rare instances when a client does connect, the circle in the upper right spins and reports a “Scanning now…” message for one of my connected hard drives, reporting the full number of “tracks imported,” but counting up from zero on “files scanned.” It did this step already when I initially set up the server, and only does this for one of the two connected external hard drives.
And we’re currently (likely momentarily) connected, so I can report that the Roon software version is 2.0 (build 1388). Same version reported for both Roon Remote and Roon Server on this computer (the Intel iMac server computer).
This post is just to confirm that the connected state I mentioned in my last post was indeed just momentarily, as I suspected it would be. We are back in the loading loop again.
Thanks very much for those details, Robert - and the screenshot.
I’m sure others will join in here to assist you.
Meanwhile I can think of three possibly salient points. From your screenshot, it does look as though your installation is scanning and processing music files to import. It’s done 115,823 of 465135, hasn’t it? What happens if you just leave Roon to run this process? Do you have any firewall software? Long shot: have you tried swapping cables (with your devices all powered down) to see if the intermittent nature of the phenomenon could be caused by a faulty connection?
1: Roon eventually enters my “loading loop;” it never completes the process in this instance.
2: Roon already did this step when I initially set it up–and completed the process then. Regardless of why it might be failing to start properly now, why is it doing this scan again in the rare instances where it does start briefly?
No; I’m not using a firewall.
Which cables are you talking about? The USB cables between the hard drives and computer, ethernet cables (these don’t exist; I connect to the internet via WiFi), something else?
The one(s) you used for this:
Process of elimination. Your ‘client’ fails to find your ‘server’, doesn’t it.
My suggestion - only - is that, since the Roon server is running, and the client can connect, albeit intermittently, it makes sense to re-examine how they’re connected.
Having said that, I feel this may also be significant:
What trouble? What didn’t work when both components were on the same machine?
May it not be that moving to two separate pieces of hardware in fact has nothing to do with what you’re experiencing?
If we can get to the bottom of why you had failures to begin with, we can solve those; and so eliminate another variable…
Yeah, that’s WiFi; no cables. And the problem is the same whether I’m trying to use the client on the Intel iMac (the server computer that also has an instance of the client software) or the M2 Mac Mini (a client only computer connected via WiFi).
The exact same trouble. When I had the server installed on the M2 Mac Mini I experienced the exact same behavior as I’m describing now.
Here’s the entire past history:
1: I had a working setup with Roon server running on the Intel iMac, with the client software on a different M1 Mac Mini.
2: The hard drive failed on the Intel iMac, and I didn’t use Roon for a long period of time, during which I replaced the M1 Mac Mini with a new M2 Mac Mini.
3: I attempted to restore Roon on the new M2 Mac Mini, but hadn’t ever configured backup, so my restore attempt was more of a kludgy brute force thing copying old preference files from an offsite backup of the Intel iMac (hard drive backup, not a formal Roon backup). That didn’t work.
4: I reinstalled Roon fresh on the M2 Mac Mini and rebuilt the library from scratch. Just like this current instance, it worked for a short while, then started doing this loading loop thing that’s troubling me now.
5: I replaced the hard drive on the Intel iMac and–thinking that my kludgy restore attempt somehow borked Roon on the M2 Mac Mini, and might be the root cause of everything–I figured I’d try a clean install on the brand new OS install on the new hard drive in the Intel iMac rather than troubleshoot the M2 Mac Mini install. I figured fresh everything might be the solution.
6: Here we are; fresh everything wasn’t the solution. I never dove as deep troubleshooting the M2 Mac Mini Roon server problems as we are doing now for the Intel iMac server; basically, the fresh install was the first major troubleshooting step. For reasons of hardware layout, it makes much more sense to have the external drives that host the media files connected to the Intel iMac than the M2 Mac Mini, so the server should be there anyway.
Obviously, I’ll be using the formal Roon backup now (learned that lesson from the Intel iMac hard drive failure), but Roon needs to work before that backup can even be relevant or meaningful.
Thanks for your help, btw. It’s appreciated. I own a lifetime license to Roon; I’m highly incentivized to get this working.
Robert,
So sorry you’re having this trouble. But I (and others here, I’m sure) do feel it can be sorted out.
which suggests to me that your removal of the client to a second machine may indeed have nothing to do with what’s going on. You may simply be transferring a fault at the root of all this from one configuration to anther.
Finding out why you…
Is key, I think. Roon is designed to work - and 99% (?) of the time just does work as planned.
It makes me think something was amiss with that original setup.
(I can understand your frustration here: all you want to do is listen, I know!)
this also stands out (for me): it shouldn’t be necessary.
Additionally, something may also be confusing the Roon installation you now have because when you:
there did seem to be something amiss that wasn’t fixed, didn’t there.
The other thing which I note - and it may be just what you want is that from this screen grab you are asking Roon to watch for, import and run your Library in a folder that’s deep inside a hierarchy inside a subdirectory of iTunes. I suppose it could even be that both iTunes and Roon are trying to scan and update files in what seems to me (I’m ready to be corrected) an unconventional location.
Very welcome, Robert; we’re all here to help one another.
I bet you are. Who wouldn’t be. I’m also a lifer and I’d be as distressed as you must be facing this.
Can we assume from the reference # in this thread’s title that you took this route?
If so, then someone from support ought to be along soon to assist further.
In the meantime, if you have the stamina (
), I’d suggest a fresh start:
Report back. Good luck!
I’d wait a day or two to see whether anyone with an insight greater than mine can see another, better, simpler path.
I’m not using iTunes; theres no conflict there. That folder structure exists because my Roon library started out as an iTunes library, but iTunes is long gone from the picture. That’s purely a historical folder structure that I never saw a need to rename; thats all. iTunes is not running and hasn’t touched these files in years.
I think I’ll wait for official support to show up and advise before i start monkeying with the configuration/installation. if other threads here are any indication, there are logs they’ll want to review and other troubleshooting to perform before recommending a course of action.
If that’s the case, then may I suggest you try moving your music Library to another location - just in case? While Roon isn’t running. Restart when that’s done and (if you can) point Roon (Settings > Storage) to the Library’s new folder. See what happens. If necessary then try a rescan from the screen.
And I’d certainly not have two instances of the Roon client running or installed on the same system.
Yes - good luck!
Hi @Robert_Riemersma
I think the next step here is to enable some diagnostics on your account so our technical staff can get some more insight into what’s going on here.
However, before I enable this feature, I’d like to ask for your help ensuring we gather the right information.
First, can you please reproduce the issue once more and note the time at which the error occurs. Then respond here with that time, and I’ll make sure we review the diagnostics related to that timestamp.
Okay. It’s currently 10:26 AM Eastern, and I’ve just attempted to start Roon. Currently the Roon logo is doing its throbbing equalizer thing in an otherwise blank client window. The Server logo in the status bar says “Roon Server Status: Running.” Both external drives are humming with activity.
10:30 AM Eastern: got the “Waiting for Roon Server” message which quickly changed to “Uh oh, something’s not right.” And we are back on the throbbing equalizer logo.
10:31 AM Eastern: “Waiting for Roon Server” again, and almost immediately back to the throbbing equalizer logo.
I’m going to assume that this is enough to populate some logs, so I’m going to quit Roon now.
It looks like your server is crashing during analysis mode. This usually happens when the server runs out of RAM. How much RAM does your server have?
8GB, the base amount this model comes with. It looks like that’s upgradable to 16 or 32 GB, so at least I have options if that’s the problem.
@Robert_Riemersma,
Our diagnostics are showing 526062 tracks being loaded around the time stamps you gave us. If you can upgrade your RAM it would likely help as Roon can be very RAM-intensive.
You cannot upgrade RAM in a Mac Mini M2:
2023, 2020
Memory is integrated into the Apple M-series chip package in Mac mini (2023) and Mac mini (M1, 2020) and can’t be upgraded. You can configure the memory in your Mac mini when you purchase it.
I’m curious: I understand that Roon OS crashes when running out or RAM because it is designed not to swap to disk. But a Mac Mini running macOS swaps to the system SSD, so how can it run out of memory (unless the SSD was full too)?
Suedkiez, I don’t think you’ve followed this thread completely. Roon Server is not on my M2 Mac Mini, but my Late-2015 Intel iMac, which I confirmed before posting has user replaceable RAM, up to 32 GB.
What is Roon’s RAM recommendation for a library of that size? I just tried to find this on the main Roon website, but can’t find anything related to System Requirements.
