Switching between Roon Cores

I have multiple Cores at different locations. Once I configure the ARC app from scratch to connect to Core #1, I don’t seem to have any way to switch ARC to Core #2 except by resetting the app.

Is that by design or a bug?

Here’s my musings from early testing of 2.0…

https://community.roonlabs.com/t/make-arc-work-simply-with-multiple-cores/208926?u=johnny_ooooops

There’s also a thread in early access which if you’re part of the program I can send to you or you can just search for “arc multiple cores”.

For now I wouldn’t say it’s a bug so much as “just how it works”. I deal with this all the time. Have lots of thoughts. But multiple locations is not a core (no pun intended) use case.

You can switch between cores at will, but your Roon ARC is tied to one core with the port forwarding setup. I guess it would be possible to also setup a second Roon ARC app tied to your other core if that router is able to do port forwarding also. In that case, I think I would use my iPhone for one and iPad for the other (or whatever devices you use).

Of course, one purpose of Roon ARC is to avoid the need to do this. Just use Roon ARC tied to your first core, but still might need to use a different device for ease of use.

I see no option for this in the Android app except by resetting the app totally.

It’s not a big deal for me, in steady state I can ARC from one of the cores, but I was experimenting and I found it weird that there was no core switch on Android ARC, unlike the core switch possibility in settings for the main Roon remote app.

No, I was not talking about Roon ARC, I was talking about Roon. As I said, if you are going to run Roon ARC on two cores, it would probably be easiest to use a phone for one and tablet for the other.

Long story: I have two (soon to be three) cores at different locations. I was just testing some change to networking on location #1 to see if I could use a VPN (Tailscale, which I’m trying for other reasons) rather than port forwarding on my router, since phone and tablet are on the VPN. It did not work the way I tested, no big deal, but I had to reset ARC for the experiment and when it came up, it offered me the core at location #2, the other side of the country. I connected to it, all good, but then I had no way to go back to a core selection menu except by resetting ARC. That’s why I asked, I was wondering whether I was missing something or had found an ARC app issue.

it’s interesting… with the launch of ARC, I don’t see (FOR ME) the need for additional cores.

Cabin or second home, or office, or whatever, seems like ARC can do the job. ARC provides hi-res/lossless if on wi-fi, right? Use a tablet and connect to a proper DAC, and it’s all good, right?

Maybe there’s a need for multiple zones, but I think one could combine chromecast or airplay zones with ARC.

I’d go nuts having to manage multiple roon db’s and shuttling hard drives back and forth.

Now, I suppose get it if you require the highest sound quality possible if you have audiophile listening rooms in all your locations. Maybe that’s it.

You are assuming levels of cellular throughput that don’t match my experience. In any case, my #2 location, rural California, has little or no cell service depending on who knows what atmospheric and network factors. Locations #1 and #3, which are in dense suburban areas, are subject to serious cell congestion at rush hour, when all the driver stuck in traffic nearby are desperately trying to communicate their lateness.

I have Linn space-optimized speaker systems at the three locations, which deliver great results but are super-touchy regarding networking. I also have fairly elaborate DAC/headphone amp setups, two of them with HQPlayer preprocessing. Spending all that in carefully selected gear to then be at the mercy of flaky networking seems backwards. But of course these are my use cases arising from an increasingly itinerant life due to remote work and family circumstances.

I know I’m repeating myself, but to me, the best solution is obvious. Use your cell phone with Roon ARC #1 and use a tablet with Roon ARC #2. I think that would be preferable to trying to switch a cell phone back and forth.

I’m perfectly happy to have my cell on just ARC #n, it’s just that switching easily would be helpful when we have network/power outages (California, you know…) or just for debugging purposes. No big deal, just something that Roon could do pretty easily as they do for remotes.

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guessing this was for me, as I suggested using ARC. I didn’t mean to use it with cellular. I meant to use it on your wifi network.

But there is no need for Roon ARC with his WIFI because he has a Roon core at both places.

totally, yeah, i was just mulling over the notion of needing multiple cores when we now have ARC.

ahdunno.

Carry on.

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I hear you, but there are several reasons it doesn’t work for me, as I noted earlier.