Nucleus not visible or accessible (ref#V5MNS5)

What is the operating system of your Roon Server host machine?

· Nucleus

What kind of device are you using to perform the login?

· iOS

Where are you trying to login?

· I can't log into Roon

Are you still facing the issue on the different device

· No, the issue remains the same

Record the timestamp

· I can’t connect to the nucleus. I can’t even see it

Describe the issue

I can’t connect to my nucleus and I can’t even see it.

Describe your network setup

The nucleus is connected directly to a Verizon extender. It used to work well with no issues.

I’d just try restarting everything! My Nucleus switches off after a power cut - which we had two days ago - and always needs to be manually restarted. Try restarting your extender/router.

Hi @Antoine_Remy,

We still can’t see the Nucleus on our side, so the next thing we need to check is whether you can reach the RoonOS WebUI. If you can connect the Nucleus HDMI to a TV or monitor, please share a screenshot of what is showing there.

Hi! What’s not quite right with Roon?

· None of the above quite fits

None of the above quite fits

· None of these quite match

Tell us what's going on

· I still can’t get access to my nucleus. last night I unplugged it and put it back on after 10minutes, I regained access to it and I attempted to updated the nucleus through its web interface based on what I was suggested. After few minutes I lost control again. I don’t if it’s my Verizon extender acting up because sometimes I don’t see any lights blinking on the back of it and whenever I tilted it forward to take a look at it’s back , I heard a pulsing noise. Based on your experience could it be an issue ?

Tell us about your home network

· The main router is located in the basement and the nucleus is connected to a Verizon extender on the first floor. I have three streamers connected wirelessly to the nucleus .

Hi @Antoine_Remy

I’ve merged your new post into your existing support topic. Please don’t create new topics for the same issue just append new posts to the existing.

Thanks for the update, @Antoine_Remy, and yes, what you’re describing with the extender is very relevant.

The pattern you’ve described is a strong match for a failing network link rather than a failing Nucleus. The Nucleus came back after a power cycle, stayed reachable long enough to start an update, then disappeared again, and in the same window the extender it’s plugged into is showing no lights and making an audible pulsing noise.

It’s also worth knowing that your Nucleus isn’t really wired in the way it looks. The cable runs to the extender, but the extender’s own link back to the main router in the basement is wireless. So your Roon Server is effectively sitting behind a wireless hop, and that hop is the least reliable part of the chain. That’s a setup we’d want to change regardless of what the extender turns out to be doing.

Two things to try, in this order:

1. Get eyes on the Nucleus. Connect the Nucleus HDMI output to a TV or monitor and send us a photo of what’s on screen. This is the single most useful thing right now, it tells us whether the Nucleus is booting normally, whether the update completed, and what IP address it believes it has, none of which we can see from our side while it’s off the network.

2. Take the extender out of the picture. Move the Nucleus down to the basement temporarily and run an Ethernet cable straight into the main Verizon router, or run a long cable up to it, whichever is easier. Your streamers will still find it over Wi-Fi as long as everything stays on the same network. If the Nucleus becomes reliably visible again, we’ve confirmed the extender, and that’s a call to Verizon for a replacement rather than anything to change in Roon.

A couple of details that will help us as well:

  • Log into your main Verizon router and check the list of connected devices for the Nucleus. If it appears there with an IP address, the Nucleus is alive and the problem is purely reachability. If it never appears, the extender isn’t passing it through at all.
  • Let us know whether the extender is set up as a true extender/bridge or whether it’s handing out its own IP addresses. If it’s running its own network, your Nucleus and your streamers may be on two different networks, which would prevent Roon from seeing them even when everything is powered on and healthy.

One note on the update: if the network dropped partway through, it’s possible the update didn’t finish cleanly. Please don’t retry it until the connection is stable, a second interrupted update is a good way to turn a network problem into a software one. Once the Nucleus is on a solid wired link, we’ll confirm the OS version from the Web UI and re-run it properly if needed.

Hi @Antoine_Remy,

Just checking in on this. Were you able to get the Nucleus on a direct Ethernet connection to the main Verizon router, and take a look at it on a TV or monitor with the RoonOS WebUI or HDMI output? If the Nucleus is still hiding behind the extender, that wireless hop is still the most likely weak point, and it would also help to know whether it shows up in the router’s device list. If you have an update, please reply here and we’ll take it from there.

Please note, if we don’t hear back from you this thread may close automatically soon. If the thread auto-closes and you need further assistance, please submit a reopen support request via the technical support help form below and specify that the issue should be reopened. Thank you.

Hi @Noris,

Thanks for the follow up! I didn’t have a chance to reply sooner ( family activities) , I followed your advice.

I moved the Nucleus to the main router in the basement and left the extender taking care of the stereo upstairs.

I disconnected the Google mesh wifi.

So far I regained access to the Nucleus and both streamers in the house but no access to the one in the garage (node 2i).

I’m looking for a way to extend the internet signal there so Roon can see the Bluesound. This is where I am now. The garage is detached, any idea without running a long cable there.

Thanks again Noris

Hi @Antoine_Remy, that result tells us a lot, and it confirms what was going on.

Why removing the Google mesh fixed it. You had two devices doing routing on your network at the same time: the Verizon router and the Google mesh. A Google mesh with more than one point cannot be put into bridge mode, which is Google’s own documented limitation:

"bridge mode will only work if you're using a single Wifi device. If you want to create a mesh network with multiple devices, your router or primary Wifi point cannot be in bridge mode."

So the mesh was running its own network behind the Verizon router, with its own addresses. Anything joined to the mesh was on one network and anything on the Verizon side was on another, and Roon cannot see across that line. The Verizon extender was never the problem in that respect, since Verizon extenders pass the main network through rather than creating their own.

The garage Node 2i. Before you unplugged the mesh, what was it connected to? Our guess is that it was joined to a Google mesh point, either one in the garage or one close enough to reach it. If so, it lost its Wi-Fi when the mesh came out, and it is not a Roon problem at all.

One thing to keep in mind before you extend coverage out there. Whatever you put in the garage needs to work as an access point or a bridge, not as a router. If it runs its own network, you will recreate exactly the split you just removed and the Node will disappear from Roon again even though it has a perfectly good internet connection.

Options that keep everything on one network, roughly in order of how well they usually work for a detached building:

  • A wireless bridge, meaning a matched pair of small outdoor units, one aimed at the house and one at the garage, with an Ethernet port at the garage end. This is the most reliable option short of burying a cable.
  • MoCA adapters, if there is coax running to the garage. Verizon installations often have coax in more places than people expect, so it is worth checking.
  • Powerline adapters. These only work if the garage is fed from the same electrical panel as the house. On a detached building it frequently is not, so treat this as the cheap thing to try rather than the thing to plan around.
  • A single Verizon extender in the garage, if the signal from the house actually reaches. Given that the building is detached, we would not count on it.

Please note that all of these options may have issues with the hi-res music streaming via Roon, so cable is always the best solution.

Hi Vadim,

Your guess is on point, the node 2i was connected through the google mesh and now as I disconnected the google I lost access to the node. Yes, you’re right. I finally realized it as well that the google mesh was this issue. Thanks for your support and suggestions.

What would be a great wireless bridge for a distance of 20 feet from the house to the garage.based on your experience And would that bridge covers the area in between?

Best regards,

Antoine

Hey @Antoine_Remy,

We’re glad to hear you’ve been able to resolve your issues! In terms of recommendations, I’d suggest posting over in our #RoonSoftware category to see what other Roon users may suggest - there is a likely chance there are others who have similar setups who may be able to provide useful suggestions.

Happy listening!