That is definitely a plus if that is extremely important. No doubt.
Thing is, I have the pleasure of working from home. So when I need to grab for my mobile setup it usually means I am somewhere where I like things to be offline. So have copied my tips to my tablet to use with my Chord Mojo2. In these cases I am usually looking more at the scenery where I am sitting than the play count. YMMV hehe.
Both and more. You have access to files on your Core, your streaming services are integrated into the ARC app and stream directly (not via the Core), and you can download (though only files you have on the Core, not from streaming services). And for local LAN as well (for the “poor wifi in garden” use case as discussed in the other posts)
Open the port on the router (or let UPnP do it), there is nothing more to it. It is all pretty well documented in the help articles. And there will be (or are already?) individual articles for specific ISPs and router models.
Sure, different strokes and all that. Roon has so many features and ways to use it, not every improvement or feature can appeal to everyone. Though in any case, this was one of the top feature requests and if it strengthens Roon as a whole we all benefit.
From GRC research website
Here’s what you need to know about Universal Plug n’ Play (UPnP):
• UPnP has been provided and enabled by default in consumer Internet routers since 2002 or 2003.
• Today, any home appliance — TV’s, DVD players, game consoles, IP cameras, printers, fax machines, and you-name-it, includes support for UPnP.
• UPnP is a “zero-authentication” (no passwords required) system for allowing networked devices to discover and easily connect with each other on a private local network.
• Additionally, software such as Skype and BitTorrent, and gaming consoles, which wish to be “seen” on the Internet, are able to use UPnP to open “holes” through the protection normally provided by routers in order to allow “unsolicited” traffic to enter.
• THE HUGE MISTAKE IS: No part of UPnP was EVER MEANT to be exposed to the EXTERNAL public Internet. It was only ever meant for private local control of devices and routers. Its exposure gives malicious hackers direct access to the inside of any exposed private network. It was a huge mistake for it ever to be exposed. Router manufacturers are at fault, but all they can do now is offer updated router firmware. Now that the mistake has been made, responsibility rests upon router owners to somehow eliminate that exposure.
I think opening the port is one thing, but ideally you should not have UPnP enable on your router and certainly shouldnt turn it on for this purpose, manually open the port if you can.
Oh definitely. Just cause it does not add much for me does not make it bad. I was just looking forward to also something new and shiny in the indoors way of Roon, I guess.
@Mike_S The solution requires port forwarding which opens a small hole into your network. Many people avoid port forwarding due to increased risk of compromise. The actual risk is difficult to quantify without understanding both all the Roon processes around the app and also your local network and associated controls and indeed your own knowledge and understanding of networking.
As Suedlkez mentioned it’s worth having a look at the Roon forum if you want to learn more and get a better understanding.
This is a completely different case. They are talking of allowing UPnP access from the outside. And the automatic test on the GRC website is precisely about whether the IP responds to an UPnP request from the internet
This is not at all what we are dealing with here.
The Roon use case is about allowing UPnP inside the LAN (i.e. the Roon app) to open a port. Like any game console does, for instance. Decent routers may even be able to limit this to individual devices (my Fritzbox can).
This is this part on the GRC website:
It was only ever meant for private local control of devices and routers
If you have rogue software inside the LAN that uses UPnP to open ports against your will, you have a bigger problem already. Rogue software with this kind of access to your LAN does not even need UPnP to interact with the outside.
Testing it out right now and Roon 2.0 and ARC work flawless. Very happy with ARC since I can now use my library in my car
Yes, you basically get access to your Roon library, including locally stored and Tidal/Qobuz. The only setting I had to change to get this working was to enable UPnP on my router which just took a few seconds. Seems to work pretty well.
You have the option to load music onto your phone for offline listening (or to reduce data usage) if you want.
Thanks for that, I am reading through the thread now.
I am still more comfortable opening the ports manually.
Sure, that’s completely fine as well, and not difficult either in most router interfaces.
Yes, UPnP is a known risk though likely only if the devices exposing themselves to the outside world are compromised by a security vulnerability.
The security considerations are tricky but I don’t fancy enabling UPnP if I can manually configure the port forwarding - I’d just rather not have to!
Even scarier.
The solution is always not to have any untrusted devices on the LAN. What this means is different to everyone, but every time we open a web page we accept some level of risk.
The security of this … you are opening a hole to Roon Core in your internal network and rely on the security of Roon Core. I would have at least have expected the name of a well-known security company that validated this setup. I may have missed it.
They should at least have used a transaction queue in a cloud, or any other simple solution to avoid opening up the home-network.
It would be interesting to see what functions are available via this port.
Compare this to Apple Music that allow you to externally access locally stored music by just enabling and setting up the iCloud Music Library. No messing about with the security of your router. You don’t even need some extra server software running.
Oh well, I am still a bit irritated on myself buying that lifetime license I still have no use for.
Yes, unfortunately though even trusted devices might have some exploitable software vulnerabilities we are not aware of until they are publicised and patched by which time it might be too late.
Roon is a mixed bag for me, I like it but really haven’t missed it having pretty much decommisioned the old computer running as the core four months ago.
There are also odd things - for example I used to like being able to see my list of Qobuz purchases, this feature was removed as apparently it confused those with files downloaded locally as both were automatically added to the library. Surely they just need an option not to inlcude/merge the list of Qobuz purchases with your library - it really cannot be tricky to give options for things like this rather than the plethora of options I never use.
I tried to create a ‘clean’ local library but typically my Qobuz favourites were automatically added to the ‘Library’ - I really don’t want that - why can’t it be an option as it’s really no different to automatically merging purchases when you have the files downloaded locally - a purchase can still be a favourite after all!
I think I wish I’d gone for lifetime rather than annual several years ago when lifetime was cheaper, but I would not do so now after the ‘break even point’.
Roon is simply not essential for me, I know others will feel differently.
This is it for me as well.
I am sure that Roon has some very clever network people walking around considering what they do and how smoothly that goes. And hey, I even went to look at the security thread(s) on the Roon forum.
So firstly a disclaimer: There is no evidence to support any claim that Roon ARC is insecure. It may very well be just fine.
BUT that said, the security thread was not a concise explanation but a long page of questions and refutations. This means I should have expert security knowledge to vet the thread which makes it useless to me. And the Roon documentation and FAQ does not say much about security beyond that ARC uses your Roon credentials to login and create a secure transport.
Therefore my network becomes as secure as my Roon credentials. If a hacker cracks my password (unlikely considering the password manager I use) or compromises Roon itself they can potentially gain direct access to my network. Not only steal online information in a database but get control of mynetwork through the antivirus software I use as I would have granted them permission to bypass that layer of security.
The response on the thread on the forum to this was that Roon has not been compromised in seven years. There I would rather have read info about a well known security company as @jan suggests above.
And then their new built-from-the-ground up app is again screen reader inaccessible. Which makes me beg the question that if you do not understand the requirements of where the online world is going in terms of making things accessible for users, can I trust you to not leave your security to anyone but security experts? (I know it is a reach but accessibility and security are often treated exactly the same in projects in my experience.)
[Edit]: Why is there no 2FA on something like this?
Just read that you must have an active Internet connection for Roon 2.0 to work. It won’t work at all if your Internet connection is down. Version 1.8 will continue to work without an active Internet connection.
I guess that’s the way things are going generally but makes a backup streaming solution more beneficial if migrating to Roon 2.0. Having said that can’t remember last time my Internet connection went down.
Hardly surprising given that Roon Arc, Tidal, Qobuz, metadata updates and a bunch of other stuff won’t work without an internet connection.