I have used roon for over 7 years, but simple, 1 zone only, to my 2 channel audiophile system (roon server and HQP on the same machine), with wifi connecting everything. This works perfectly. A buddy convinced me to move my core to a intel NUC (I will use ROCK os), since I am upsampling to DSD1024 with EC modulators with HQP this may help me achieve the last bit of performance on my HQP machine.
So I purchased a TP link wireless access point (no ethernet in my music room) which I plan to run in client mode. So my new set up will be T-Mobile 5G router/modem connecting to the internet this is also a 2 band wifi router. It will connect wirelessly to the new TP Link AP in client mode. From the TP link I’ll run ethernet to a small switch and then ethernet (from the switch) to both the intel NUC with ROCK and my roon core and to the HQP music server. Point ROCK at my HQP machine and all should be good, I think.
My question for more advanced roon users than me is will my roon remotes; iPad, Fire Tablet, Android phone still be able to see and control my roon core? They will be connecting to my wifi network which is the same network the TP link AP will connect to?
Based on what I see there, my educated guess is that you’re going to be fine. The point of this mode is to enable the access point to act as a transparent bridge. Provided you configure your device as described on that page, I don’t see anything that indicates that your wireless client devices connected to the T-Mobile router won’t be able to communicate directly with devices wired up to the new access point.
This I’m looking for are NAT, introduction of a new subnet / the access point acting as a DHCP server, anything about client isolation. It just looks like a transparent bridge (though the access point will pick up its own IP address, which is necessary so you can configure it via a web browser).
I hope I’m not wrong here but I’ve done things like this in the past and I don’t see anything worrisome.
Yes that is the link on how to set up client mode and how I will attempt to do that as well. In my mind I agree that it appears to be just a way to get wired devices on the same WIfi network as everything else and should work. I find with my luck it usually is never that easy I guess I am hoping someone who has done this can confirm it works. the TP link will be here late next week. The NUC is loaded with ROCK and the missing codecs have been added. The switch is here so I should know by next Saturday if it will work. Fingers crossed it does.
I’ll keep my fingers crossed that someone around here chimes in with “I bought exactly that device and did exactly what you’re going to do and it worked great!”
I don’t know that device but I know networks. Done many similar things over many years. I think you’re going to be ok. If this strategy doesn’t work out, come back here and someone here, maybe me, can offer up alternatives. An example of an alternative approach is eero. Eero is a mesh networking strategy and the individual devices each have a couple of ethernet ports. Point here is that you aren’t stepping off a cliff without a parachute. The thing you bought is probably going to work. Worst case, there are alternatives.
I bet you’ve got this covered but just in case…you do plan to restore from a backup, right? You didn’t mention that in your original post but you’re experienced and I assume you’ve got that covered. Thought I’d mention it in case you somehow missed it.
Yes Greg, I regularly back up my data base and will restore from that. I move it several times per year from windows 11 to ubuntu 22.04 just for to compare sound differences and up sampling abilities.
Just to update after everything is setup, my remotes had no issue seeing the new core on an intel NUC with ROCK installed.
My chain now is
Tmo 5g router/modem to internet (this talks to TP Link via wifi)
TP Link WA1201 access point set up in client mode
ethernet from WA1201 to small netgear unmanaged switch (5 ports)
ethernet from switch to new NUC w ROCK and roonserver (core)
ethernet from switch to to HQP PC w 12900KS CPU and 3090 GPU
And I have room to add an NAA should I desire in the future.
Once I restored my database to the new ROCK machine. I pointed Roon at the ip address of my HQP PC. I then disabled roon server on my HQP PC (my old core). I opened a remote picked a song hit play and viola music. Overall this was a pretty easy project and everything went smoothly. Tomorrow I will remove roonserver from my HQP PC as I know the new setup works.
I guess I am hoping someone who has done this can confirm it works. the TP link will be here late next week. The NUC is loaded with ROCK and the missing codecs have been added. The switch is here so I should know by next Saturday if it will work. Fingers crossed it does.
