2. digital
  3. 189377-160439

Please help with Roon server/core issue

Hi AGers, 

So long story short: I only stream music (do not own any). I have Tidal and Qobuz streaming through Roon. And that is my problem. I started out using a M1 Mac Mini to stream but I often lost connection to Roon. So I bought a Small Green Computer i5 Sonictransporter and LPS. SQ improved but not the Roon problem. 

We have fiber optic to the house, a fully wired network and I have Silent Angel N8 switch feeding the SGC Roon server and my Lumin T2. No wifi anywhere. 

Finally after a couple of years, the problems increased to the point that 192/24 files crackle and pop. So I wrote to the Roon Community Forum under the Support section.

The Roon support person wrote back that:

*****We’ve activated diagnostics for your account and RoonServer and here’s what we can confirm:

  1. Track downloads from Tidal and Qobuz’s servers are timing out with 24/192 FLAC files, and the prebuffer is barely ahead of playback. At times, it’s dropping out.
  2. There are sample dropouts reported with by RoonServer on T2 Zone. These at times accumulate sufficiently to cause unnatural interruptions on the stream.
  3. RoonServer constantly loses connection to upstream internet services due to network reachability changes in logs.

Your RoonServer’s intranet and internet connection appear to be struggling. How are you connecting your RoonServer machine to the internet?*****

Peter Lie from Lumin kindly wrote back and suggested I try changing my DNS to 8.8.8.8 - which I did. That did help a lot with SQ and speed but did not fully resolve the crackle and pop issue with 192/24 files. 

I would welcome any suggestions. 

Thanks, Nadine

128x128atanarjuat99
erik_squires
15,714 posts
 

Well, Roon community forums are probably better places for such a specific question, but here goes.

DNS settings only help with initial stream starting.  Once a stream has started there should be no DNS requests again, unless the connection fails.

This sounds like a pretty basic internal network issue, which can happen from a lot of things.  You can put a PC/laptop at the same Ethernet location as your playback device and then run ping and download speed tests. 

The problem can be internal or it could be from your provider.  Usually if it's a provider issue you'll also have problems streaming Netflix, and other such services all around the home.

fastfreight
677 posts
 

Yes +1 Erik. Run speed test many times in same location.

that being said I had issues with an Aries G2 dropping roon and then being a b**** to restart.   Many Roon support queries always ended in ‘a network issue’. I replaced the Aries with a Grimm MU1 and it has never dropped Roon.

I am not saying that one streamer is bad, but perhaps some streamers just don’t like some networks :)

erik_squires
15,714 posts
 

OP:

Also be aware that Ethernet cables do get misinstalled, and the ports on the routers do go bad individually sometimes.  Don't assume it must be a good port or switch.  If you have a port going to a PC which is known good you might want to swap it with the one going to your Roon as a test.

fastfreight
677 posts
 

Yes.  And beware of wall plates, which use very cheap couplers.

I run my cables through the wall at both ends, and use JCAT Ethernet couplers where required.

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