PC Zone Disappeared After Ungrouping with Another Zone (ref#F4CNCE)

Support
1

What best describes your playback issue?

· A connected audio device is not appearing in Roon

What type of Zone is affected by this problem?

· *Network Zones* are affected.

How is the affected Zone connected to your RoonServer machine?

· Network - Ethernet

Which network audio protocol is the Zone using with Roon?

· RoonReady

Does the device show up at all in Roon Settings -> Audio?

· No, it does not show up there

Does the device play audio from another source when using the same connection?

· The device has no problems with another audio source

If the device has multiple output options, do the other options work as expected?

· Multiple output types are affected

Is the device using the latest firmware as per the manufacturer?

· Firmware is up-to-date but the issue remains

Do you have an approximate timestamp of when the issue last occurred?

· The issue started sometime 28th March.

What are the make and model of the affected audio device(s) and the connection type?

· Ethernet cables used in connection, Unifi switch, ROCK is in a NUC and my PC is self-made.

Describe the issue

I have Roon installed on my PC (W11). The PC has the latest Roon version 2.62 and can connect via Ethernet to the ROCK. It can also control other devices, and it was earlier able to play music, too. The PC was grouped with another zone, and after ungrouping, my PC disappeared and is no longer visible as a zone.

Describe your network setup

I have Unifi UDM SE as router/firewall. Rock, all the zones and PC are in the same VLAN and everything connected via Ethernet cables.

2

Hey @Matti_Malkamaki,

We are trying to enable diagnostics on the Windows 11 PC. Please turn it back on and let us know here once that is done so we can check for the log report. After you’ve opened the app for the diagnostic report, you can try reset your RAATServer instance.

  • Create a Backup of your current Roon database
  • Exit out of Roon
  • Navigate to your Roon’s Database Location on the affected PC location, not on ROCK
  • Find the folder that says “Roon” and “RAATServer”
  • Rename “Roon” to “Roon_old” and “RAATServer” to “RAATServer_old”
  • Reinstall Roon from our Downloads Page

Please note that this will reset your PC audio to the defaults and wipe out any custom DSP settings, so please be sure to create the backup as per the 1st step if you have made edits in this area.

3

Thanks. I did that and also so that I deleted all the former Roon, Roonserver and Raatserver folders from my PC. I have the backups from the ROCK on a separate NAS (works fluently, checked it) and no DSP settings, etc. so a completely clean installation is no issue for me.

The ROCK and Ropieee’s under it work as a charm (also when controlled from the Roon on my PC), and also the PC with other sources. I am somewhat clueless…

4

Hi @Matti_Malkamaki,

To confirm, on a fresh Roon setup, you don’t experience any issues? If you restore from a saved backup, do the issues pop back up?

If this is the case, see if only resfreshing your RAATServer folder again might help. This won’t erase all your database edits and changes, this will just reset your Roon Settings -> Audio Tab to factory settings.

Thank you!

5

I wish that was the case. I made a complete fresh installation, and the problem is still there.

Now, after complete fresh installation:

  • Rock works on all other zones as a charm
  • My PC has the Roon installed and I can control the ROCK with it
  • The audio channels and speakers in my computer work with all the other software, web browsers, etc.
  • The ROCK does not recognize my computer as Audio Zone: if I go to Settings - Audio, it is not shown on the list of zones
6

Hey @Matti_Malkamaki,

Thanks for the clarity! Since your PC can still control the ROCK, the basic handshake between the two is working. If the ROCK can’t “see” the PC as an endpoint, the discovery packets are likely being dropped or blocked.

On your Windows 11 PC, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Windows Security > Firewall & network protection.

  • Click Allow an app through firewall.
  • Ensure both Roon.exe and RAATServer.exe are checked for both Private and Public networks.
  • Note: If you use a third-party antivirus (McAfee, Norton, etc.), you must disable its firewall temporarily to see if the zone reappears.
If that doesn’t help, since you are using a UDM SE and a UniFi switch, "IGMP Snooping" or "Multicast DNS" can sometimes interfere with how Roon "broadcasts" its presence.
  • Log into your UniFi Console.
  • Check that Multicast DNS (mDNS) is toggled ON.
  • Try toggling IGMP Snooping OFF temporarily. While usually helpful, it can occasionally block RAAT discovery if the switch doesn't correctly identify the PC as a multicast member.
We’ll be on standby for your reply and results, thanks Matti! 🙏
8

Thanks Benjamin!

  1. W11 Firewall
  • Firewall setting is private (this is a desktop, just FYI)
  • For some reason, the public was not selected.
  • I changed Roon, Roonappliance and Raatserver to allowed through private & public.
  • No effect on the Roon
  • FYI: There are 2 raatserver.exe apps listed, but I have only one installed.
  1. I am also using F-Secure as additional virus protection.
  • In the blogs, no info on blocking anything related to Roon
  • I added the Roon, Roonserver and Raatserver as excluded apps.
  • Turned the virus protection off.
  • No effect on the Roon
  1. Last item; UDM SE
  • mDNS is on on all of my VLAN’s
  • FYI: Both Rock & PC are on the same VLAN, 10.1.1.x
  • On the Gateway level, Gateway mDNS Proxy was on custom and only for specific traffic (list did not include anything related to Roon or Raat)
  • IGMP Snooping was off.
  • Turned the mDNS on Auto on the Gateway-level, too and also the IGMP on.

Unfortunately, no effect. Roon still cannot find my PC as an audio zone. What should I try next?

9

Hi @Matti_Malkamaki,

Thanks for the update!

I would next test out completely disabling your F-Secure and windows firewall temporarily, as well as bringing both your ROCK and PC off the VLAN (which unfortunately is not fully supported), and see if you experience the same issues on your normal local subnet.

We’ll be awaiting your reply, thank you!

10

Hi,

So, I have switched off both my PC’s firewall, F-Secure, and after that, rebooted the ROCK. Unfortunately no effect, the Rock still can’t use my pc as audio zone.

What exactly do you mean by switching the VLAN off? The units need to be on the same subnet, and that’s exactly the case here. I might think this is now too simple a way, but if I switch my router off, there’s no connection. And when it is on, there are subnets for sure. But as long as they are in the same place, what could be the issue there?

11

Hi @Matti_Malkamaki,

We’re simply trying to rule out any network-related causes that may be interfering with the discovery service of the PC, and this includes virtual networks.

We don’t officially support Roon across virtual networks, and so temporarily moving your Roon devices over to a normal LAN will be a helpful test.

We’ll be monitoring for your reply, thank you Matti!

12

Thanks, got the idea.

So, I took a small switch, D-link DGS-105. It has no firewall, etc.. It just provides the connection.

Connected to it my WAN cable, Rock & my PC. Rebooted and got internet access, ROCK worked, but the issue stayed. ROCK cannot still use my computer as an audio zone.

Next thoughts?

13

Hi @Matti_Malkamaki,

Thanks for the update, and for giving that a try! While it doesn’t appear the VLAN is causing the issue, we’re still seeing the potential for your devices to be spread across multiple local subnets:

10.1.3.y and 10.1.1y

I’d again try to simplify things and get all your devices onto the same single subnet, and see if that allows RAAT to establish a connection.

As a side test - if you temporarily set up the issue PC as both a remote and temporary server, are you able to play back audio from the system output in this setup?

Thank you!

14

Thanks Ben,

I retried with the switch (unplugged Unifi) and my Rock was in 192.168.100.112 and my PC 192.168.100.111. No VLAN’s set up. Still the same - Rock doesn’t recognize my PC as an Audio Zone.

For your other question, sorry, I didn’t quite get what you meant… Can you elaborate a bit?

15

Thanks for giving that a try @Matti_Malkamaki!

A fresh diagnostic report from your Roon Server is showing the ROCK’s RoonServer can see your PC via mDNS/SOOD discovery every single time. The problem is that when it tries to open a TCP connection to port 9200 on your PC (where RAATServer listens), every attempt times out after exactly 10 seconds.

The 10-second timeout is the key detail. A firewall rejecting a connection fails instantly. A firewall silently dropping packets causes a 10-second TCP timeout. Something on Windows is dropping inbound connections to port 9200.

Let’s first confirm RAATServer is actually listening on port 9200. Open a Command Prompt on your PC and run:

netstat -ano | findstr :9200

If nothing shows up, RAATServer isn’t running or isn’t binding to the port at all, which is a separate problem. If you see LISTENING, note the PID.

Then, if possible, test whether the port is being blocked by the firewall. From any other machine on the same network, try:

telnet 10.1.1.166 9200

If it times out (not refused), the block is confirmed on Windows itself.

Next, in Windows Defender Firewall > Advanced Settings, search for any rule mentioning “Roon” or “RAAT” and delete all of them. Then manually create a new inbound rule: Protocol = TCP, Local Port = 9200, Allow the connection, apply to all three profiles (Domain, Private, Public). This is more reliable than the “allow an app” method.

Overall, this seems to be a TCP block on the Windows side. Once that connection succeeds, the zone should appear immediately.

We’ll be monitoring for your reply and results! :folded_hands:

16

Thank you! I have been traveling but will check this, once again back home.

17

Sounds good @Matti_Malkamaki, we’ll be monitoring for your reply and results! :folded_hands:

18

Well, there’s definitely something odd here.

I made the procedure as per your instructions. Also rebooted both ROCK & PC to ensure all the changes are in place. Started PC, started the Roon app. The window (pic below) jumped out. I clicked “show more” and added both public & private networks (even though I had done it in the previous phase). Checked the Audio Zones, but my PC is not showing up.

I went back to the Defender and noticed that not only RAATServer, but Roon and Tidal were all showing red. Clicked them on, allowed - again - for both private and public.

But, no result. The Roon still cannot see my PC as Audio Zone.

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