Update failing on Core and both iPhone and iPad app unable to start because of that

Support
1

Roon Core Machine

Mac Mini late 2012 with 2,5 GHz dual core Intel core i5, 16GB 1600 MHz DDR3, running with macOS Catalina version 10.15.7
Current build is 1299.

Networking Gear & Setup Details

Modem is a Liberty Global Connect Box wired (through wall with approx 10m STP) connected to a Netgear GS308v3 switch, also connected directly to the modem is a Synology NAS DS209+II

Connected Audio Devices

Kef LS50 Wireless II and Bluesound Node2 from Netgear using Audioquest cables

Number of Tracks in Library

over 40.000 tracks, mostly FLAC files on the NAS, but listening is probably over 95% streaming (Qobuz).

Description of Issue

Used Roon for a bit over a year now, love the program, not only the audio part but even more so the ā€˜wikiā€™ part of musical encyclopedia stuffā€¦ wonderfull
BUT i experienced Roon crashing or shutting down at least ten times. No big problem, started the program back up and weā€™re off again. Also multiple times got the message of update available, then trying to upgrade but got the message ā€˜problem with checking the updateā€™
Deleted and downloaded Roon again, new setup, got the latest build and fine again until the next ā€˜crashā€™
Recently did a full reboot for the MacMini, new MacOS and new donwload/install of Roon.
Worked fine until yesterday: Roon had shut off, restarted it but got the ā€˜update availableā€™ message again, same problem ā€˜problem checking the updateā€™.
Now things got worse: on my ipad i ignored the update message (little x on the side) and i can use the Roon Remote working fine. But on my Iphone i clicked on ā€˜install updateā€™ and now Remote on my phone keeps asking for the update and i cannot ignore it with the little cross on the side, have to do the update and now keep running in the circle of update failed/retryā€¦ same result over and over. By the way the Ipad is an 8th gen and the iPhone is an iPhone X both running iOS version 16.6.
My phone is off course MY phone but the iPad is ā€˜familiy useā€™ so the current situation is less than ideal so to speakā€¦

Perhaps not unimportant: i experienced a spontaneous restart from the MacMini while browsing pictures from icloud about two months ago. This happend only once. My brother is using a same gen MacMini and has no problems.

Any suggestions would be welcome, at the moment Roon is fantastic for me, just bought another year, but now rethinking future Roon subscription, maybe the complexity of the program is making it more sensitive to small quirks in my digital/electronic infrastructureā€¦? Just guessing of course.

Update a few hours later: same problem that I had with the iPhone now also on the iPad, resulting in NO ROON REMOTE that I can useā€¦ā€¦ ;-(**
This is becoming a very very disappointing experience, please help!

Update2: tried removing and re-installing Roon on the Mac, still same issues of update failing and remote app(s) not working because of that
(I noticed the new install is still build 1299 by the way?!?)

Thanks everyone in advance!

5

Hey @Paul_Delissen,

Thanks for reaching out! Iā€™m sorry to hear youā€™re still having issues updating your Mac.

If possible, can you confirm if there is any change in behavior if you try a fresh full reboot of your Roon Core now? Beyond that, I would also give your router a reboot, and review your DNS settings on the Mac.

Preferences>Network>(Your Local Network)>Advanced>DNS

Thanks!

6

Thank you Benjamin, I will give that a try this weekend. Anything special I should consider regarding the DNS settings you mentioned, what are the best or preferred settings?

Regards, Paul

7

@Paul_Delissen, Cloudflare or Google DNS are very reliable (I use Google in place of AT&Tā€™s DNS on my network). Cloudflareā€™s DNS resolver defaults to 1.1.1.1 but there are a few other variations such as 1.0.0.1. Googleā€™s DNS resolvers are 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4. Both of these have IPv6 addresses also.

8

Thank you Robert. I will try your suggestions if I can figure out what it all meansā€¦ as much as I appreciate your help the fact that i donā€™t understand any of that dns stuff maybe illustrates my frustration: I feel I have to be an experienced network tech to get my music going again. No disrespect to what Roon is and accomplished this hardly feels user friendly or intuitive. As long as itā€™s running thereā€™s much musical and informative enjoyment but when it kinda breaks downā€¦ā€¦ā€¦ā€¦ā€¦ā€¦.

9

@Paul_Delissen, understand, some of this can seem complicated. In many, but not all routers, you have an option to select the ISPā€™s default DNS server(s), or select a different one. In my case, AT&T does not allow me to change their DNS settings on their supplied router, but I have another router I use connected to theirs where I connect all my my home network. This second router, from ASUS, provides an option to use a different DNS setting. (in my case Googleā€™s DNS). As my entire home network is connected to my ASUS router, this is what Roon and everything else on it uses Googleā€™s DNS.

10

Ah thank you for explaining it a bit more to me, much appreciated :+1:
Iā€™ll give it a go and keep you all posted, thanks again!

1 Like
11

Iā€™m sorry to say nothing changed by rebooting the Mac, reinstalling Roon, and as far as the dns setting go: this is really way over my head. I cannot find a way to change settings or at least not in any way where I feel safe enough to go messin about with this stuff, really above my leagueā€¦

What I notice when installing Roon again it keeps coming back to build 1299 where I believe the current build should be 1300 and immediately prompting me to upgrade, and there we go again, ā€œproblem checking the updateā€ etcetera

Iā€™m so stuck now I seriously consider asking Roon for a refund even though the first 30 days of my renewed subscription have passed by about two weeks ;-( and hook up my Node 2 to the Kef speakers. No offense but while BluOS is not nearly as immersive an experience as Roon is, i never had issues like this with BluOS.

If someone has any other ideas for the moment Iā€™m still open to suggestions but maybe not for long this is frustrating and disappointing.

12

Oh and I forgot but yes I also reset the modem.

13

The current Production version is Build 1303. Have you downloaded a clean image from Roonā€™s download page and tried reinstalling from this installer over your 1299 build? Roon allows for you reinstall over an existing build rather than rely on the in-Roon updated.

You can download Bulild 1303 here:

https://roon.app/en/downloads

14

To the best of my knowledge yes thatā€™s what I did:
I deleted Roon, restarted the Mac, used Safari to visit the Roon download page, downloaded Roon and opened it from the .dmg thingy, thereby installing it. Canā€™t see what I could have missed thereā€¦?

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Note sure what else to do, Iā€™m asking @support for assistance.

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FYI iā€™m enjoying a small vacation right now so maybe cannot read or respond for a few days.
Thx

21

Hey @Paul_Delissen,

Hope youā€™re enjoying your vacation! I was hoping to gain more information the next time youā€™re able to respond:

There is one last crucial step in this process after opening the .dmg file, and that is dragging the Roon application icon into your applications folder. Did you perform this last step as well?

Let me know, thanks!

22

Thanks, having a great time.
Yes that is what i did, i hoped that would prove to be a/the solution because i think all previous times of installing i double clicked the dmg file which also started or opened the program.
But last time i did drag the dmg file down to the apps folder and after starting the app it opened in the 1299 build.

23

Perhaps this weekend i will use my (Windows) laptop as a temporary alternative for the Mac Mini. This should work as the laptop is up to spec and it should work fine, curious to see which build iā€™ll getā€¦
Am i right to think this might tell me if the problem is or is not in my network or the Mac?

24

Hey @Paul_Delissen,

This is a great troubleshooting step to test, and would certainly help pin down where the issue lies. If things run smoothly for you while on a windows core, perhaps completely refreshing the database on your Mac core may do the trick.

Steps to follow back on the Mac core below:

  • Create a Backup of your current database (or if you have a recent backup saved this is fine)
  • Exit out of Roon
  • Navigate to your Roon Database Location
  • Find the folder that says ā€œRoonā€
  • Rename the ā€œRoonā€ folder to ā€œRoon_oldā€
  • Reinstall the Roon App from our Downloads Page to generate a new Roon folder
  • Verify if the issue persists on a fresh database before restoring the backup

Thanks!

1 Like
25

Hi Benjamin,
Yesterday i had Roon up and running on my Windows laptop in about 15 minutes, build 1303 so Roon Remote on my phone also working like a charm!
So at least this tells me the issue is not

  • modem
  • network
  • switch
    ā€¦ related
    My brother gave me some pointers that might make it easier for me to check and/or change dns settings (dns for dummies), so i will try that first than your suggestions for reinstalling once more.
    Thanks!!!
26

Good news!
The step by step instructions my brother gave me enabled me to set the dns to Cloudflare settings. So thank you Robert_F for pointing me in the right direction, I obviously just needed a bit more ā€˜dns-noob-friendlyā€™ helpā€¦
After setting the dns I reinstalled Roon, first got the pop-up screen asking me to do an update (so maybe Roon again installed build 1299?), with fingers crossed I clicked ā€˜install updateā€™ et voila Roon restarted and no more pop up about updates and in the settings menu under ā€˜aboutā€™ there was build 1303!!!
So up and running again without having to replace my Mac mini, the dns settings (so far at least) did the trick.
So I suppose I should take back my comment about considering asking for a refund. That said I still feel that for most people solving this problem is a frustrating exercise, I know it was for me, so in this respect the user friendliness or intuitiveness could be better.

Anyway, for now everyone thank you very much for your input, Iā€™m gonna enjoy music with Roon again!

Cheers, Paul

1 Like
27

@Paul_Delissen, excellent news and I have marked this as Solved with your change to Cloudflare DNS. Glad everything is sorted for you.

1 Like