Tailscale Setup Instructions: MacOS RoonServer

Tailscale Setup Instructions: MacOS RoonServer

This document outlines how to install Tailscale on a MacOS-based Roon Server machine and configure it for accessing ARC on a phone outside the home network.

STEP ONE

Install Tailscale on Mac

If you’re new to Tailscale, you’ll first need to create a free Tailscale account.

On your Mac machine running Roon Server, go to the Tailscale website and download the DMG installer for MacOS.

STEP TWO

Install Tailscale on iOS/Android

On your phone, download the Tailscale app and install it.

      iOS: https://tailscale.com/download/ios

      Android: https://tailscale.com/download/android

STEP THREE

Test Tailscale

  1. Restart RoonServer and ARC on your MacOS machine and your phone.

    1. Turn off WIFi, leaving only the cellular data connection. Open the settings page in ARC and look for “Connected” to see if ARC is working.

  2. If not connected, go into Roon and disable port forwarding. Go to → Settings → Roon ARC and enter “0” in the box for “Port”. If successfully disabled, you should see “Not Ready”



    1. Some networks have port ranges reserved. If 0 or another number is not accepted as input in the “Port” box, try a few different numbers until the “Not Ready” status displays. 


Note: If you haven’t performed your initial library sync with ARC, we recommend syncing for the first time using a WiFi connection. Next, turn on cellular data only (disable WiFi) and test the Tailscale connection.

STEP FOUR: FURTHER RESOURCES 

If you’re still having difficulty using ARC with Tailscale, please post on Roon Community in the #tinkering category, where users are accumulating Tailscale/ARC expertise. 

We recommend engaging Tailscale support directly - they offer robust and responsive support and are better equipped to troubleshoot within the Tailscale app itself than Roon support. Please see their Support page here to reach their team. 



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