I have 12 Sonos speakers around my home. Four are hardwired, eight others are wireless. I also have a Boost.
I have no problems with Wifi coverage in my home.
So the question is: Am I improving or degrading my overall wireless situation with the Boost in place? There doesn’t seem to be any difference whether I use it or not.
With the Boost in place, does that mean some of my Sonos devices will connect to the Boost instead of my home Wifi? Does the Boost use the same wireless spectrum as Wifi? If I remove the Boost, does that mean I’ll have more wireless usage on my regular Wifi network?
Its not clear to me how the Boost actually works compared to regular 802.11 Wifi. If it were standard Wifi, my Network Analysis software would pick it up, but it doesn’t.
Thoughts?
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In your case, the BOOST might be a potential source of Wi-Fi interference. If any unit is wired to your router, it would be creating a SonosNet channel of radio, which I’ve always thought of as a side and to a standard Wi-Fi signal. You can’t ‘see’ it normally speaking, but since input is also RF, it has the potential of interfering with your own Wi-Fi. Which is why, if you’re running it, the controller gives you the option of which ‘channel’ to run it on, so you can separate it from your standard Wi-Fi channel.
In your particular case, since you already have four devices hardwired, they should be creating a SonosNet signal (which is good, given the number of speakers you have), which the BOOST would be receiving and passing on, as any mesh network device would do. All Sonos speakers would be doing the same thing, assuming they’re connected to the SonosNet, and not your Wi-Fi channel. Since you have several devices hard wired, I’d recommend double checking that you don’t have your Wi-Fi information in the controller, it’s better not to have the system constantly checking both connection methods to see where the shortest ‘path’ is.
It’s possible, depending on your environment, the BOOST isn’t really doing anything, and the signal coming from the mesh created by the speakers is enough, I’d try unplugging the BOOST, and give it a few minutes to settle down before testing. If you start getting cut outs, then plug back in the BOOST.
This is, of course, predicated on the fact that none of the wired speakers have had their radios turned off in the controller, and equally none of them are bonded to another Sonos device, as a Surround speaker or a Sub is.
Edit: 2001 SE ;)
If Wi-Fi coverage is good in your house, why are you using a boost? Is there a specific purpose that you’re using it for? Also, look in the about my system section of the app to see which speakers are using wireless mesh. WM=0 is Ethernet. WM=1 is wireless.
-JR
There are two reasons, for me. First, I don’t have a speaker close enough to my router to wire with an Ethernet cable, so a BOOST is a good solution. Second, I prefer to separate the bandwidth used by Sonos so it doesn’t impact my other Wi-Fi bandwidth. It’s still through my router, of course, but being on a different bandwidth source, it doesn’t affect other devices for Wi-Fi bandwidth.
And it’s my understanding, the more speakers you have, the better off you are in using SonosNet. I’d imagine it being a mesh network system has a bit to do with that. I’ve got 19 speakers.
The reason I have a Boost in my network is historical. Before I wired my home, I was unable to hardwire any Sonos devices.
Sounds like I may not need the Boost. I’ll try with and without to see what happens to the Network Matrix.
So my Network Matrix looks good with the Boost out of the picture. No better, no worse. So there’s really no point to leaving it in place.
One question: looking at the matrix, it appears that the path seems to prefer less hops vs. stronger signal.
Also, I find it interesting that my Playbar shows in Orange even though its connected via Ethernet. I assume that’s due to the bonded rear channels and sub?
The color in the left bar is RF noise at that location, not signal strength.
I’ve found with my wired speakers the Boost makes little difference, couple devices switch to it over a nearby wired speaker, but no audible change.
Why is the Workout studio Beam showing in white? With the Boost out of the picture, the Beam became the Root.
Whoa! How did you get that matrix? Is that just something you made in Excel?
-JR
Replace my IP with yours and open in your browser:
