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Help on improving my home setup - (Omada wifi / another boost?)

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J

Does wiring just one Sonos device create loops?  

 

W
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Does wiring just one Sonos device create loops?  

 

As well as the boost or the boost only?

 

Current setup:

 

Lounge / Nursery - wired, wifi (sonosnet) off

Boost - wired

Dining Room (Roam) - Wifi (not sonosnet)

Others - sonosnet

 

 

 

ratty

Like many such home solutions Sonos depends on there being a single flat broadcast subnet. No subnetting, no L2 client isolation and no blocks on device discovery. It’s not unusual to run into problems on enterprise grade networks, whether at home or in the workplace.

If re-enabling the radios causes loops then the switch(es) on the paths between the wired units are most probably just blocking STP BPDUs. 

With only Boost wired, what does the matrix look like?

As for alternative WiFi meshes, most home grade systems should be fine at least with the Sonos system in SonosNet mode as all the WiFi needs to do is carry controller traffic. Attempting to operate the entire system in WiFi-only (“wireless”) mode, i.e. without Boost and without any wired nodes at all, could have mixed results. It’s worth a try, if the Omada first gets swapped out for something more friendly, such as Deco, Orbi, Velop, etc.

W
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So, after a couple of months with no changes to anything internally, we have started to notice the issues creeping back in.

These are:

1: Local files not playing, Sonos reports \\NASIP\Music not found when playing and attempts to play track

  1. Spotify or Amazon Music drops out and skips tracks or doesn’t start

I am back to where I was before seeing if using Omada would improve anything.

 

 

Any suggestions on what to try next? Unfortunately the wifi coverage in our house has never brilliant hence the need for a system like BT Whole Home or Omada. I have even tried Deco with similar results

Ken_Griffiths

@wolvesphil,

Here’s one suggestion to maybe consider…

Maybe try just wiring the Boost only to the Omada router and leave every other Sonos Product wireless (with its WiFi adapter enabled obviously) so all then run on their own SonosNet wireless connection and leave your Omada setup to just do its own thing.

Remove the Omada WiFi credentials in the Sonos App network settings (they’re not needed when running all on SonosNet) and try to set a SonosNet channel that is not in use by the Omada network.

You need to check that multicast broadcasts for ‘device discovery’ by the controller App can see the Sonos system when the controller device is connected to any of the Omada access points… sometimes this is where issues can sometimes occur with various mesh systems.

Do not wire any Sonos device to an Omada satellite hub and just see if that perhaps may work better for you.

ratty

Any suggestions on what to try next? 

Figure out what’s making the Boost’s life so difficult. It’s a key component and is clearly being hammered by interference from somewhere. To start with it needs to be at least 0.5m -- ideally 1m -- away from any other wireless component.

W
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Like many such home solutions Sonos depends on there being a single flat broadcast subnet. No subnetting, no L2 client isolation and no blocks on device discovery. It’s not unusual to run into problems on enterprise grade networks, whether at home or in the workplace.

If re-enabling the radios causes loops then the switch(es) on the paths between the wired units are most probably just blocking STP BPDUs. 

With only Boost wired, what does the matrix look like?

As for alternative WiFi meshes, most home grade systems should be fine at least with the Sonos system in SonosNet mode as all the WiFi needs to do is carry controller traffic. Attempting to operate the entire system in WiFi-only (“wireless”) mode, i.e. without Boost and without any wired nodes at all, could have mixed results. It’s worth a try, if the Omada first gets swapped out for something more friendly, such as Deco, Orbi, etc.

 

If I change setup, Deco is the one I am contemplating most. I like with Omada that I can see more info but I guess I don’t really need to see granular detail if everything just works! And my family would be much happier!

 

I have now set it so only my Boost is wired, tested the wireless devices and they are working well. I have set STP globally on my switches for now rather than on each port, with a lower priority that the Sonos default and things seem happier… Time will tell!

 

The latest matrix is:

 

 

I think moving the Boost may be the next step to improve things.

Ken_Griffiths

Remove the Omada WiFi credentials in the Sonos App network settings (they’re not needed when running all on SonosNet) and try to set a SonosNet channel that is not in use by the Omada network.

There appears to be a Roam.

Oh yes, missed that (Thanks @ratty) - in that case the WiFi credentials will need to remain in the Sonos App’s network settings.

W
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Remove the Omada WiFi credentials in the Sonos App network settings (they’re not needed when running all on SonosNet) and try to set a SonosNet channel that is not in use by the Omada network.

There appears to be a Roam.

There is a roam

Ken_Griffiths
 

 

I think moving the Boost may be the next step to improve things.

There is still a lot of interference, not only around the Boost, but also surrounding the other devices shown as red on left hand column of the matrix, but I would certainly let things settle for at least 20-30 minutes and keep any Sonos devices at least a metre away from other wireless (and Bluetooth) devices - then perhaps look at changing the SonosNet channel - but always allow time for things to settle down before making any change.

This image may assist you too, as it shows the zigbee channels that can sometimes interfere with 2.4Ghz non-overlapping WiFi channels:

 

 

W
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I think moving the Boost may be the next step to improve things.

There is still a lot of interference, not only around the Boost, but also surrounding the other devices shown as red on left hand column of the matrix, but I would certainly let things settle for at least 20-30 minutes and keep any Sonos devices at least a metre away from other wireless (and Bluetooth) devices - then perhaps look at changing the SonosNet channel - but always allow time for things to settle down before making any change.

This image may assist you too, as it shows the zigbee channels that can sometimes interfere with 2.4Ghz channels:

 

 

That graphic is useful, and something I wasn’t aware of! I have changed the settings of my Zigbee Hub and Sonosnet and will see if this makes any difference (when my Sonos speakers are back online as they have since disappeared...)

ratty

 they have since disappeared...)

See my post.

J

Have you refreshed the matrix?  It won’t update unless you come out and go in again (ie re-click the Network Matrix link).  Nursery was originally wired but you have said it no longer is, so I wonder if this is really the current position?

W
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Now only the boost is wired…

What does Office being green mean? Does this mean connected to Boost but nothing else connected via it?

 

Ken_Griffiths

@wolvesphil,

After some system changes, I sometimes find power-cycling the Sonos products may often help, starting with switching off all, then bringing them back online, one at a time, starting with the Wired Boost then the next nearest (wireless) device (as the crow flies) and the next and so on and so forth. I then wait half an hour.. it’s sometimes a case of being patient and letting things settle.

Reserving their IP addresses in the routers DHCP reservation table is also a very worthwhile thing to do too, (if not done already?).

J

Now only the boost is wired…

What does Office being green mean? Does this mean connected to Boost but nothing else connected via it?

 

It means it is somehow escaping the wireless interference affecting the rest of your speakers, indicated by the red

Edit: @ratty’s suggestion that it has jumped onto 5GHz is a very plausible explanation.

W
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@wolvesphil,

Reserving their IP addresses in the routers DHCP reservation table is also a very worthwhile thing to do too, (if not done already?).

 

Already done this, I will try a staged reboot, when my son wakes up! He is due his nap soon and the “Nursery” one is used to play white noise…

Office has jumped onto the WiFi (WM:1 in the controller’s About), quite possible on 5GHz. 

Thanks for the explanation, will see Ken’s suggestion of turning all off and then back on bit by bit helps….

J

Do you have a baby monitoring wireless system?

ratty

Or a high powered Bluetooth? Something non-WiFi is really aggressive. I kind of doubt it’s the Zigbee.

W
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Do you have a baby monitoring wireless system?

Yes, I know these cause issues! Would be a good test to turn it off next time I am working at home and he is at nursery…

 

Thinking back, this was the reason we initially wired the nursery speaker in, as when the Sonos started playing the white noise the monitor would beep as it lost signal.

ratty

Do you have a baby monitoring wireless system?

Yes, I know these cause issues!

Some cause horrendous issues. 

Airgetlam

Networks are not static. There’s a lot of outside influences that also affect internal to the network things.

From my untrained eye (which anyone feel free to correct), there’s a bunch of interference around your BRIDGE and Office. I’d certainly be double checking the wifi interference FAQ for possible solutions, and likely try changing the SonosNet channel in use. It could be impacted by other sources outside of your control, such as neighbors (this happened to me before!) or even worse, sunspots, electrical devices going out of spec, etc. 

Bruce
J

When you can, turn the whole baby alarm system off for a few minutes and refresh the matrix.

Edit: just seen your question about this!

J

You could also experiment with the Sonos channel although I am not optimistic that will make much difference.

W
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I’ll try it this afternoon, as I am pretty intrigued now!

 

Thanks everyone for your input on this so far, been scratching my head for a while on this!

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