So agitated that Roon just stops playing (other system on same network, same hardware, works fine)

Support
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Roon Core Machine

HP Desktop 96R4C21
Gaming Desktop 690-00xx
Windows 11, V 22H2

Networking Gear & Setup Details

Verizon FIOS arcadyan g3100 (no VPN)?

Connected Audio Devices

Sonos system, playbase, ZP120 connected to a BA subwoofer, and sonos port connected to 2 rear chanel speakers.

Desktop has built-in wifi (changing locations, so that desktop plugs directly into the router is not an option)
Sonos ZP120 connected to speakers in office, where desktop lives

One, single Sonos 1 speaker, in bedroom

Number of Tracks in Library

Around 18,000 tracks, mostly I listen to FLAC files, stored on the hard drive with the machine where the Roon software is loaded and operated (my core, I guess)
There is no streaming service connected to my Roon

Description of Issue

My player pauses and restarts, sometimes drops one or more zones, or simply stops playing.

Almost every time I use the player, it’s gotten to the point where I sometimes use Roon to find something to play, then roll over to Sonos to control the playback, because Roon is almost certain to stop in the middle of play (while Sonos, on the same network, with the same files plays without interruption).

I am so irritated that on the same system, same network, same files, the one I need to keep up with more than $100/year in subscriptions, consistently fails to work, while the basic sonos system works.

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Not clear from your post. Is your core

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@Jefe_Birkner, this appears to be a network issue, but we need some additional information. I am going to jump in and I believe finish @Rugby’s question. Which desktop computer is used for your Roon Core, and can this be connected via an Ethernet cable to your router to eliminate WiFi as a variable?

Roon also has had issues connecting to Sonos devices if the Sonos devices are using SonosNet natively. Are you using SonosNet for them? If so, can you configure the Sonos devices to connect natively to your WiFi or Ethernet network?

Do you have any other devices, such as mobile phone or tablet, you can use to test and see if this is limited to an issue with WiFi, SonosNet, or both/neither? Does you Core stutter with playback if you select the Core itself as an audio zone?

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Which desktop computer is used for your Roon Core, and can this be connected via an Ethernet cable to your router to eliminate WiFi as a variable?

This is my Roon Core Machine
HP Desktop 96R4C21
Gaming Desktop 690-00xx
Windows 11, V 22H2

Sorry that my wording wasn’t clear under “Connected Audio Devices”
Desktop has built-in wifi (plugging desktop into the router via ethernet cable is not an option, they are not in the same room.)

I’m (maybe) 80% sure that Sonos devices to connect natively to my WiFi or Ethernet network, and not SonosNet, but I’m a music enthusiast and not a network engineer, so I don’t even know how to check this for sure.

I do have a mobile phone and a laptop that I use (no tablet) and neither has suggested any issues w/wi-fi, but I can follow instructions if there is a specific test I should try.

“Does you Core stutter with playback if you select the Core itself as an audio zone?”
I’m not sure that I understand the question. My playback choices are system output, or the 4 “zones” which represent the 4 Sonos players (TV, Office, Bedroom, etc…) which I tend to pretty much always use all grouped together.

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Hi Jefe,
It’s most likely the troubles you’re having are wifi related so the suggestions/questions above are methods of troubleshooting to try and isolate the cause.

Roon recommends the Core be connected via Ethernet. This step is to try and determine if the problem exists before the Sonos Zones and should be the one to try first.
System Output is likely the “Core itself”.
Selecting this Zone would/should play music on the Core PC via its internal speakers (if they exist) or perhaps external speakers or a DAC etc. wired directly to the PC, thus eliminating wifi after the Core PC as a variable.

I’m not a Sonos user myself but I found this article explaining SonosNet and how to enable or disable it.
It was suggested above to try using Roon and Sonos without SonosNet.

All that said, if there’s any way you could, at least temporarily, connect the Core PC directly to your router via Ethernet cable I’d do this first as having the Core connected to the internet via wifi is a common cause of stuttering issues and this step alone could resolve the issue.

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You have a desktop computer running the Roon core and where your music files are located according to your responses. The suggestion is to play music on that computer using “System Output” under settings/audio in Roon. If playing music on the same machine do you get these stops?

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I guess that since I use Sonos speakers in my office, I have never had any need to hook up speakers directly to my desktop, and it will take me a couple days to see if I have an ethernet cable long enough to run from my router to my hard-drive… But even if I do, there is only one output from the router, and it needs to be directly connected to my Sonos Play Base.

Maybe the shorter answer is that Roon isn’t a good choice for me… Wish I had researched that more, before dumping a lot of money and time into configuring my catalogue :frowning:

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You could install Roon on your laptop and connect it to your router using an ethernet dongle and see if that resolves the problem. If it does, at least you have an indication of what it will take to use Roon reliably.

Probably not what you want to hear, but a NUC, Nucleus, or Mac Mini connected by ethernet might be the long term answer.

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Do you have a soundcard with a headphone output on your Core PC? Just something to test if the stuttering continues or is eliminated by playing locally on the Core PC? That helps us eliminate possible sources of problems.

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Just tested “system playback”
I do not have speakers connected, but was able to synch bluetooth headphones, to the internal bluetooth of the core machine.

Tested them to make sure that they work, by playing a YouTube video, they connect, no problem. Audio plays, just fine.

Test Roon to system output
“Too many failures; Stopping Playback”

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According to this;

“ChromeOS will never be a Roon Core”
and my laptop is a Chromebook

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That’s correct. You can’t run Roon on Chromebook.

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Devolo magic 2 homeplugs. Perfect in my system.

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You probably should install an inexpensive switch so you can have a few more Ethernet connections available.

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OK, so here’s what I do…

There is a standard headphone mini stereo jack in the back of my Core PC, when I listen to something like YouTube, I play it as a line-out into the Sonos system.

I tried to play Roon to the same line out, in the back of my Core machine, where I would plug in speakers.

I also tried to use my headphones via Bluetooth.

Both of these worked fine to listen to audio on YouTube or a streaming player, like Spotify.

In both cases, I got the same result when I tried Roon
“Too Many Failures; Stopping playback”

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Can you provide any more information on your Core PC? It seems to have either a Ryzen or Intel CPU (which brand and type?), and how much memory is in it? Still cannot tell if this is potentially a network or even a PC issue.

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Processor Intel(R) Core™ i7-8700 CPU @ 3.20GHz 3.19 GHz
Installed RAM 12.0 GB
System type 64-bit operating system, x64-based processor

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Hi @Jefe_Birkner,

Reviewing your case, the most likely culprit is the firewall exceptions you’ve put in place on your Windows machine.

You can use these instructions to add the exceptions and the executables themselves would be located in your Database Location/Application folder path.

I would also add these exceptions to any Antivirus or other Firewall blocking applications you may have and ensure that you connected to your network via a Private network, not a Public one, see this guide for more information.

If you disable all DSP and play the minimum file quality available, does that influence this behavior? Do you ever experience upstream internet connection issues on this computer?

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My firewall exceptions were correctly configured (Win 11, not 10).
When I disabled the DSP that was the thing that has made the biggest difference. It still happens, though rarely. I have been slow to reply because I wanted to give it time to see how the problem resolved. Instead of happening 90% of the time, it’s now about 15%, maybe less.

I’m going to put this in the WIN column, and be happy that I can use Roon again without expecting it to fail.

Thank You

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