· I use a single personal router not provided by my ISP
ARC Status
· ARC is *Not Ready*
Roon Error Code
· None of these are listed. It simply says "TIMEDOUT" or similar.
System or third-party *firewalls *or *antivirus software* can sometimes block RoonServer from reaching ARC.
· Try adding RoonServer and its associated processes to the whitelist of any firewalls or antivirus software you have installed, including the Windows system firewall, if applicable. [You can learn more about firewall exceptions with Roon here.](https://help.roonlabs.com/portal/en/kb/articles/firewall)
Has the status in Roon -> Settings -> ARC changed after adding exceptions in your firewalls and antivirus software for Roon? ARC is still *Not Ready*
Don't give up yet.
· I'm stuck. I'd like to create a post to ask Roon Community for help.
Describe the issue
I have Roon set up on my QNAP NAS device at home in the UK where it works well with my Linn system and via Roon ARC on my iPhone when I am travelling. I recently acquired a Fiio M21 music player on which I am trying to use Roon ARC in Thailand, where I am for the next 2 months. I am getting a message on the Roon ARC app saying “There is an issue with your Roon server. Your Roon server is online but there’s an issue that’s preventing access. Go to the Roon app for more information. There is no information on the Roon app other than to tell me it is waiting for the remote Core, which I cannot access as I am in Thailand. Meanwhile Roon ARC continues to work fine on my iPhone in Thailand. Please can you advise how to solve this problem.
Describe your network setup
QNAP NAS. I am away from home, and cannot check the other equipment I have.
Since your Roon Server is online and accessible, and ARC continues to work on your iPhone while you’re in Thailand, we’d like to narrow down the network conditions on the FiiO M21 side.
Could you please let us know:
Which mobile network provider the FiiO M21 is currently using (if applicable)?
Have you tried using Roon ARC on the FiiO M21 across different Wi-Fi networks (for example, hotel Wi-Fi vs another public or private network)?
Does the behavior change when switching between Wi-Fi and mobile data (if both are available)?
This information will help us better understand whether the behavior is related to specific network conditions rather than the server itself.
Thanks — we’ll take it from there once we have these details.
The Fiio is not connected to mobile internet but to the Internet of the building in Phuket where I am staying. The answer to the provider of that service is not straightforward-
“Its not a direct 3BB internet but there are other backups links like NT and UIH as well, in case of outage”
I have not tried this yet. The Fiio is just living in the apartment where I am staying.
I have no SIM card in the Fiio, so only Internet data.
Just to confirm, did this FiiO connect previously on this network, or has that device never reached RoonServer during your stay in Thailand?
The culprit is likely in the downstream connection - the building internet where you’re staying. If there’s any filtering or traffic blocking, then ARC won’t be able to establish or sustain a connection. This could be at any infrastructural level above the building itself, so it might be difficult to pin down.
Are you able to set up a mobile hotspot from another phone and try connecting to that on the FiiO M21? This will test a completely separate downstream network pathway.
We wanted to ping this thread since we haven’t seen a response. Please let us know the information requested in the post above at your convenience, as we’ll need to know some of these details to proceed with suggestions. Thank you!
I have now been able to connect the Fiio to a different WiFi network and the result is the same. I see exactly the same screen when trying to connect to Roon ARC and am unable to get it to work.
Thank you for testing on a different Wi-Fi network.
Since:
Roon ARC continues to work on your iPhone in Thailand
The same ARC account and server fail to connect only on the FiiO M21
The issue persists across multiple Wi-Fi networks
This strongly suggests that the connection path used by the FiiO device is being filtered or restricted upstream (ISP, regional routing, or device-level network handling).
Next Step: VPN Test
As a diagnostic step, we recommend testing Roon ARC on the FiiO M21 while connected through a VPN:
Enable a VPN on the FiiO (or via a router-level VPN, if available)
Connect to a VPN endpoint outside Thailand (e.g. UK or EU)
Then retry connecting Roon ARC
If ARC connects successfully over VPN, this would confirm that the issue is related to regional or ISP-level traffic filtering, rather than your Roon Server or ARC configuration.
Please let us know the outcome of this test and we’ll advise on next steps.
I don’t have a VPN and think things are getting too complicated. I am able to use Roon ARC in Thailand on my iPhone. I leave Thailand in early March to return to the UK and can test Roon ARC then on my Fiio. I can let you know at that time whether it works, or whether I still have a problem. Nonetheless it does seem strange to me that Roon ARC works on one of my devices in Thailand but not the other when they are using the same WiFi.
Thank you for the clarification — and I completely understand how this feels confusing.
What you’re seeing can happen because the iPhone ARC app was already authenticated and holding a valid session token from before (or from a successful earlier connection). That allows it to continue working even if new authentication requests are partially blocked or filtered.
On the other hand, the FiiO M21 is a new device in this context and needs to complete a fresh authentication and handshake with Roon’s cloud services and your Home server. Based on all the testing so far, something in the current network path appears to be preventing that initial authentication step from completing on the FiiO, even though general connectivity is available
Unfortunately, without a VPN test, there isn’t a reliable way for us to bypass or confirm regional / ISP-level filtering affecting the FiiO’s connection path. So at this point, there’s nothing further we can safely change on the server or ARC side.
Testing again once you’re back in the UK is absolutely reasonable, and please do let us know the result when you’re able to try that. If the issue persists there, we’ll be happy to continue troubleshooting.
Thank you for your patience and understanding — and safe travels back hom