iPhone 13 Pro iOS 17.2.1 on Wifi
Macbook Pro macOS BigSur 11.7.10
PC Windows 11
Connected Audio Devices
With or without HQPlayer 5
Player DAC Gustard R26
Number of Tracks in Library
32000 Tracks
Description of Issue
Since a while (may be few months), I remarked that when the VPN is activated on my iPhone, they no longer can connect to Roon Core Server.
De-activating the VPN and I can see Roon Core correctly.
I like to use mainly my iPhone as controller to listen music on my Hifi system. Up to now I managed to disable the VPN (AtlasVPN). Now I completely disabled AtlasVPN but my business organisation installed InTune software with the corporate VPN enabled all the time.
I can’t disable it and unfortunately I no longer can use my iPhone to connect to the Roon Core server.
Why Roon Remote on iOS is not usable when a VPN is enabled ?
A VPN has deep control over the network flow and so it all depends on the VPN configuration in this case. Typically, a corporate VPN makes the phone a part of the corporate network, and the corporate network is not where your Roon server is.
Thanks for your reply. I’m a bit skeptical about the fact that the VPN of my organization on our iOS devices has a behavior like you described. I know it is the case on our Laptop but not on the phone device (which is personal and belongs to me). We had to install recently a suit of softwares to be able to connect to the Microsoft organization’s tools but that’s all.
By the way I completely un-installed Roon Remote on my device and re-installed it.
Now all sounds to work correctly, even when I starts AtlasVPN.
Weird but the problem seems disaperead.
Thanks
It can be complex with VPN because every configuration can be different - which is probably why Roon doesn’t support running Roon over VPN. And there’s potential for additional complications like you experienced, where even more than usual might go temporarily wrong and can be resolved by reboots or reinstalls.
At my work, we regularly have people who can’t download our software product and the first thing we ask them is whether they are on a VPN - and turning it off or restarting it often fixes the problem
It’s the same for me. My company run a VPN using Microsoft accounts. We can’t install any software unless it’s been authorised by the IT Dept. This usually means using comp portal to download only the apps authorised. This includes software updates for iOS, and the use of websites.
IT-based device management can be even more complicated than already described. Defender for iOS (I’m not sure about Android) can be configured by an IT department to install a local VPN profile which creates a loopback VPN so that web traffic travels through the local Defender app. This can cause issues for certain use cases.
You didn’t hear this from me, but it’s usually possible to disable that VPN from within the Defender app and you can often run with it disabled for days or weeks before you get notified that you have to turn it back on to retain compliance. Even if you don’t leave it off for an extended period, you can turn it off temporarily to help debug connectivity issues.
If you want to do work things on your phone or bring it into the work network. Nobody prevents you from using a separate private phone, but it’s a hassle.
As far as I understood, when I use the Microsoft suit on my iPhone, all is traced. So they recommended us to use Edge for our work and Safari for our personal usage.
Yes I get that, I just wouldn’t let that on my own device. I don’t and won’t use my own equipment for work or connect to a work WiFi.
The only WiFi I use is my home network.
I keep my devices separate.
Pat’s managed to resolve they issue and seems happy so that’s fine.