What kind of performance/speed issue are you experiencing?
· Can't connect to search or search takes a long time to complete
Please try to reboot your Roon Server
· No, the issue is still the same even immediately after a reboot
Please try to reboot your networking gear (Router/Switches/etc.)
· No, the issue is still the same even after a reboot
Is there any change in behavior if you try to navigate to Roon Settings -> Library and set both Background and On-Demand Audio Analysis to Throttled or Off?
· No, the issue is still the same
Does the issue happen on multiple Roon Remotes (controllers) or just one?
· Issue happens on multiple remotes
Router Domain Name System (DNS) change
· I don't know how to do this
What is the operating system of your Roon Server host machine?
· MacOS
Timestamp of issue occurrences
· It's happened consistently from 3-15 to 3-18, any time I've used it.
Describe the issue
Roon Server either unavailable, requiring a reset or crashing during playback after the most recent update.
Describe your network setup
Spectrum, Spectrum Wifi 7 Wireless Router, 1gb speed, MacMini Server via wifi, Fiio SR11 (hard wired), iPhone, iPad Pro, MacBook Pro endpoints.
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.
Thanks for the additional information! From a fresh diagnostic report, we’re not seeing any traces related to a server crash or server disconnect. We are, however, seeing playback failing a few times within the time range you’ve shared. Is that the issue your primary experincing?
More specifically, we’re seeing playback failing due to a server-side buffer overrun:
Debug: [raat/tcpaudiosource] disconnecting
Error: while sending frames for FiiO SR11: serverside buffer overrun
Warn: [raat/tcpaudiosource] send failed: Arg_NullReferenceException
Warn: [raat/tcpaudiosource] disconnecting + retrying
Warn: [zoneplayer/raat] Error during streaming: System.Exception: serverside buffer overrun
at Sooloos.Broker.Transport.RaatTcpAudioSource.SendFrames(IPEndPoint ep, Int32 stream_id, Int64 streamsample, Double buffersize, StreamFormat format, Double gain, Double peak, Byte[] buf, Int32 nsamples)
Based on the logs you shared, the “server-side buffer overrun” and subsequent audio stoppage are being triggered by a significant network instability between your Roon Server and your FiiO SR11 endpoint.
You are streaming a very high-bandwidth Tidal FLAC file (24/192) which is being upsampled/converted to 32/192 for the FiiO SR11.
Sample Rate: 192kHz is data-intensive.
The Buffer Overrun: Because the network connection is dropping/stuttering, the Roon Server’s internal buffer—which is trying to "push" these heavy 32-bit audio frames to the FiiO—fills up completely because the "pipe" to the FiiO is blocked. Once it can't hold any more data, it throws the serverside buffer overrun error and stops the stream.
Right before the stoppages, we see a massive spike in Round Trip Time (RTT):
An RTT of 53.5ms is extremely high for a local network sync. RAAT requires very low latency (typically <2ms–5ms) to keep the clock master in sync.
Some next steps for you to try:
The IP addresses 192.168.1.yyy (Server) and 192.168.1.yy (FiiO) suggest they are on the same subnet, but something is blocking the traffic.
Are either of these devices on Wi-Fi? High-res 192kHz audio over Wi-Fi is highly susceptible to the 10-second dropouts seen here. If the FiiO SR11 is on Wi-Fi, try connecting it via Ethernet.
Flow Control/IGMP Snooping: If you are using managed switches, ensure IGMP Snooping is configured correctly or try a "dumb" unmanaged switch to see if the dropouts stop.
Test a lower sample rate: Try playing a standard 44.1kHz (CD quality) track. If it plays without dropping, the issue is purely bandwidth/throughput related.
Bypass the FiiO: Try playing to a different zone (like your phone or system output). If that works perfectly, the bottleneck is specifically the network path to the FiiO SR11.
Hi Benjamin. The Fiio is hardwired to the router, and the Mac Mini is in the same room on wifi but 15 feet away. The dropout is a recent issue that has NOT happened for the last 6 months, but the primary issue is that the majority of the time NONE of the endpoint devices or remotes can see the server when I go to use Roon and it forces a restart to get it to work, and now when it drops out it forces a restart as after the dropout the devices again can’t see it. There isn’t a bandwidth issue, it’s consistently over 1gbps in the house via wireless or wired and there are a maximum of 6 active devices on the network at any one time. Can you think of a router or Roon Server setting that might be causing the problem? The server has always been on set to wake from network and it’s only been an issue since the latest Roon update.
Hi team. Do we have any update on this? The problems are getting worse. It’s now dropping frequently and endpoints and remotes are unable to see each other about 50% of the time without a server reset. It’s dropped multiple times yesterday and today and required a full restart to function. There have been no network issues. I’ve reset the endpoints and remotes as well and the problems remain. This all started after the most recent Roon update.
Thanks for your patience. We’ve reviewed the logs from your device and noticed that several sessions have been terminated due to a timeout. Roon relies heavily on multicast traffic for discovery, so we need to ensure everything is set up correctly.
Please confirm or adjust the following settings:
Ensure your Roon Server machine is connected via a wired connection, not Wi-Fi.
Disable IGMP snooping on your router to allow multicast traffic to flow freely in your local network.
Let us know if these settings are in place. Thanks!
It is not physically possible to connect the server via ethernet. I have had this disconnect problem in the past and it has been resolved by changing certain settings in the Roon server and how it handles file resync delay (by increasing it). This current disconnect issue is recent per the latest Roon update. 2 things happen…streaming disconnect and the inability for devices to see each other.
While the timing with the update seems suspicious, Wi-Fi is incredibly volatile. A setup that worked for 6 months can fail overnight due to invisible changes: a neighbor’s new router causing channel interference, a microwave being turned on, a new device joining the network, or even another app on your phone suddenly hogging the bandwidth.
Unlike Netflix or Spotify, which can buffer minutes of video/audio in advance, Roon requires a continuous, low-latency “handshake” with your devices. High-resolution 192kHz streams are particularly unforgiving—if your Wi-Fi drops packets for even a fraction of a second, the stream breaks and the Remotes lose the Server instantly.
Because Roon generates an immense amount of diagnostic data every minute, a two-hour window is simply too broad to analyze effectively. To pinpoint exactly what happened to your network at the moment of failure, we need to narrow our search window significantly.
Please reproduce the issue once more and provide:
The exact time (to the minute) when the stream drops or the Server disappears.
The specific track name and artist playing at that moment.
Once we have a precise timestamp, we can isolate the exact network drop-out in your logs and confirm what triggered the disconnect.
Hi Vadim. That may be a bit difficult to do but I will do my best, and yes I understand where you are coming from regarding wifi volatility.
The behavior is that of a system that changed how it’s handling buffering (on the drops) and the peer to peer thing is like a server dropping off the network.
It would be easier to pinpoint if there were other network services related to the server failing (I’d call it an issue with the router) but there aren’t.
When I have some time over the next few days I’ll try to re-create the issue and nail it down so you can pull the log.
Just an update. I made an adjustment to the router and it seems to have temporarily fixed the problem. There was some sort of security issue happening since the most recent Roon update and requests were being blocked. Unfortunately I had to turn off the router’s internal security entirely to stop the problem from occurring. Not sure what’s causing that.
I’m glad to hear the adjustment allowed proper functionality for you! That said, I would definitely ensure you have proper security enabled and active on your router.
If you’d like to provide more specific information around the issue itself and what you’ve disabled, we could certainly take a closer look to see what some other options may be.
Hi Benjamin. It’s just the “security shield” on the Spectrum Routers. An additional issue has come up now. The Apple devices are no longer able to see each other (iPad can’t see iPhone and Vice Versa) on the network as endpoints or be controlled via Roon Remote and it is VERY difficult to get the iPad to actually play any music itself…it requires several restarts of Roon to get it to treat itself as an endpoint. The iPhone will but also sometimes requires a restart. I can get the SR11 to work fine as long as the security is off. Again, this is all after the recent update. I’ve tried resetting Roon on the iPad and iPhone to no avail. I’m wondering if there’s some sort of issue with the router and the recent update or with iOS Devices?
Thanks for the additional information! Spectrum’s Security Shield is a network-level security feature designed to block malicious websites, phishing attempts, and suspected external attacks on smart home devices. Turning it off removes this specific perimeter layer of protection, but it is not inherently dangerous provided your connected devices have their own security measures active. I’d still recommend seeing if you’re able to get things to function with this shield active.
Modern operating systems have robust built-in security. A Mac Mini features its own firewall, iOS devices utilize strong sandboxing and security architectures, and modern web browsers provide heavy phishing and malware site filtering.
Security features on ISP routers frequently monitor local network traffic and flag heavy multicast or broadcasting traffic (which is what a media server like Roon uses to find and control endpoints) as a flood or a network attack. This false positive behavior is why turning the feature off frequently resolves connectivity issues.
I know you mentioned connecting via ethernet isn’t possible, but it would be a useful thing to test in your case. I would consider purchasing a ethernet converter for your Mac to test further.
With that, network changes or application updates can sometimes cause the operating system firewall to block incoming traffic. On the Mac Mini hosting the server, go to System Settings > Network > Firewall. Check that the firewall is configured to allow incoming connections for both “Roon” and “RoonAppliance.”
Lastly, the specific behavior where Apple devices cannot see each other and are unable to communicate typically means a setting called “AP Isolation” or “Client Isolation” has been activated on the router. This feature separates Wi-Fi devices from one another and prevents direct local communication. Toggling security settings or receiving automated firmware updates can sometimes inadvertently trigger this feature or separate devices across different Wi-Fi bands (2.4GHz and 5GHz). Access the router’s administrative settings to ensure that client isolation is disabled.
Let me know if any of the above help, thanks Sean!
Just circling back on this. Were you able to try leaving Spectrum’s Security Shield on, check that the Mac Mini firewall is allowing incoming connections for both Roon and RoonAppliance, and see whether a wired Ethernet test changes anything? I’d also like to know if client isolation is disabled on the router, since that can keep Apple devices from seeing each other on the network. Please let us know what you find.
Hi Noris. Security shield is still an issue, yes. Turning it on causes drops. The Mac Firewall isn’t a problem. Client isolation isn’t a user level option on these routers…they neuter the user options. Direct wiring makes no difference. I’m going to borrow a router from the office this week, and create a separate network for the Roon devices and see if it fixes the issue temporarily.
Hi Alex. Not yet. We’ve had some weather related power/internet outage issues where I am that have delayed the testing. I’m hoping to get to it tomorrow or Friday.
