Setting Up Roon ARC Access from Multiple Locations (ref#J9PMSH)

Support
1

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 work and live in two locations about 3hrs apart. At work I use ROON for music playback from iMac which accesses NAS device on the work ethernet system.
I would like to run ROONARC in my car which uses CarPlay, but cannot connect to my Room session at office due to security protocols in place for network (and they can't allow for a Port Forward).
So plan B is to establish a session at home in Boerne (Tx), with a NAS server attached to a Mac there. However, I would need to keep this session active 24/7 so my iPhone (and my car) can see that music library (a duplicate).
Of course I can't play music at two spots at same time, but needed to be able to play music at work, then when in car (at work or on drive to and from home (two homes one in Corpus Christi Tx other in Boerne).
I realize I won't be able to then "see" my recent plays at office from my iPhone (or my CarPlay Roon Arc), but at least could have access to my library.
Are there any issues to doing something like this, or tricks on how it should be setup? {moderated personal info}

Tell us about your home network

· I honestly can't tell you much about my work setup. At home using Eero mesh routers, have GVTC fiber optic which we might go to StarLink in future. All computers are apple devices (mac minis or iMacs). My backup NAS server is currently attached to a Mac mini in Boerne (since my music library is large, I keep copy of same on two NAS servers, one at work and one at main residence in Boerne). But I've never fired up Roon in Boerne to play music.

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Hello @Scott_Kelley,

Thank you for the detailed explanation.

Before going into more complex setups, there’s one important question that could significantly simplify everything:

Is it possible for you to install and use Tailscale on the Mac that runs Roon Server at your workplace?

If Tailscale is allowed:

  • You do not need port forwarding
  • You do not need to expose anything publicly
  • ARC can securely connect back to your work Roon Server using a private WireGuard tunnel
  • Your iPhone (and CarPlay) would simply run Tailscale as well

In that scenario:

  • You keep one single Roon Server (at work)
  • Your ARC library, history, and Recent Plays all stay consistent
  • No need to run a second always-on Roon Server at home

This is often acceptable even in restrictive environments, since Tailscale:

  • uses outbound-only connections
  • does not require firewall changes
  • is widely used in corporate settings

Let us know whether Tailscale is an option at your workplace.

3

You can have a Roon server at work and at home with one Roon subscription. Use the Roon server at home to support Roon ARC. You would simply authorize the work server when using it and deactivate the server at home. You would need to authorize the home server before you leave work so you can use Roon ARC in the car.

Or, you could purchase a second Roon subscription, as I did, to keep both Roon servers authorized and usable at the same time.

1 Like
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Hi @Scott_Kelley,

Please let us know if we can answer any further questions or if we can clarify any details.

Without any response, this thread will eventually auto-close, but you can always create a post in Roon Software Discussion, where topics aren’t subject to timers.

Thank you and we’ll keep a lookout for your reply.

5

We’re going to allow this thread to auto-close at this point. Please reach out in a new support request if you need further assistance.