Is it worth picking a fixed 5ghz channel?

SarahN
Userlevel 6
Badge +14

Hi,

I have a BT Smart Hub 2 and I’m in the UK. I downloaded the Wi-Fi analyzer Android app to check for the best 2.4ghz channel to set my router to. I have noticed on it though, that under the 5ghz tab, myself and pretty much everyone around me is set to channel 36 (my Router has this one set under it’s auto smart setting unlike the 2.4 where it had a manual channel selected).

When I then do diagnostic on the app it tells me everything is fine apart from the 5ghz channel where it is reporting interference : 90% and recommends another channel - 38 through to 44. I know I would have to turn off the smart function to set this in my router otherwise it will just revert back to channel 36.

Is there a reason BT would have set the Hub in that way for the 5ghz channel and should I leave it alone? Or would picking a fixed one that isn’t used nearby be a good thing to do?

Can you have too many Sonos speakers? 🤔 😆

32 replies

Mr. T
Userlevel 7

I have my rooms names with the speaker name, then - ‘the room’

For example my Beam room is called SONOS Beam - Lounge, and the Fives room is called SONOS Five - Lounge 😄

And my other speakers have similar names lol

I did have to play around with the Sonos voice to make him understand if I wanted him to play music on the Fives, using the Beams mic 

Did you ever try just saying ‘hey Sonos, play on my five’

And I’m glad you don’t have to use your Boost name with SVC 😂

SarahN
Userlevel 6
Badge +14

Maybe 😂

Can you have too many Sonos speakers? 🤔 😆
ratty

Isn’t the word “SONOS” in the room name a tad redundant?

SarahN
Userlevel 6
Badge +14

Yeah my names are a little confusing 🤣

I like having the speaker name as part of the room name

Can you have too many Sonos speakers? 🤔 😆
J

Ah OK.  I was missing the fact that the ‘Five’ etc was part of your label, not standard into on the matrix - that should have been obvious to me by now.

SarahN
Userlevel 6
Badge +14

I have my rooms names with the speaker name, then - ‘the room’

For example my Beam room is called SONOS Beam - Lounge, and the Fives room is called SONOS Five - Lounge 😄

And my other speakers have similar names lol

I did have to play around with the Sonos voice to make him understand if I wanted him to play music on the Fives, using the Beams mic 

Can you have too many Sonos speakers? 🤔 😆
J

Just out of curiosity, have you named both Sonos ‘rooms’ in your (physical) Lounge as ‘Lounge’?  If so, i don’t think it will confuse Sonos, but I think it would confuse me!

ratty

I will submit a diagnostic if it happens again.

They were just playing as a pair. They are in my lounge with my home theatre set up but that should not affect them should it?

The other Sonos kit shouldn’t affect them, but something else maybe is. The matrix doesn’t reveal the ambient RF conditions for the later models, such as Five. For that Sonos Support needs to refer to the full diagnostic.

J

@ratty

My Fives currently say ‘Lounge (L+R) - does that mean I started from the left one (which is the one that drops) before?

 

No it always says (L+R).  I think you could just play with the balance to check if the speaker that you have placed as the left speaker is the one Sonos believes is the left of the pair, and therefore uses as the co-ordinator of the pair.

SarahN
Userlevel 6
Badge +14

I will submit a diagnostic if it happens again.

They were just playing as a pair. They are in my lounge with my home theatre set up but that should not affect them should it?

Can you have too many Sonos speakers? 🤔 😆
ratty

I’d suggest you submit a full diagnostic within 10 mins of a dropout. Post the number and hopefully someone can take a peek. 

By the way, were the Fives just playing as a pair or were they grouped with another room?

SarahN
Userlevel 6
Badge +14

Thanks @ratty 

I guess I will just have to see how the Fives behave. Maybe it’s just one of those things that cannot be tracked down regarding random interference at that particular time.

Can you have too many Sonos speakers? 🤔 😆
ratty

Nothing amiss that I can see about the matrix, so you can ignore my earlier suggestion. 

SarahN
Userlevel 6
Badge +14

Sorted it with the snip tool in 3 bits 😊

And the Boost (on the left side) is green for a change!

Can you have too many Sonos speakers? 🤔 😆
J

@ratty

My Fives currently say ‘Lounge (L+R) - does that mean I started from the left one (which is the one that drops) before?

@John B - I do know yes although not sure how to capture it all in a snip on this computer lol. 

As it is all green it might not tell us much.  Just for general info, if it is a Windows 10 computer, you can just type snip in the search field and select the Snip app,  Alternatively, if you have MS Word it’s Insert, Screenshot, Screen Clipping.   Then when the image is in Word right-click the image and ‘Save as picture’.

SarahN
Userlevel 6
Badge +14

That is it done in 3 bits. There was more to the right but that was just my Roams and Move

Can you have too many Sonos speakers? 🤔 😆
SarahN
Userlevel 6
Badge +14

 

Can you have too many Sonos speakers? 🤔 😆
SarahN
Userlevel 6
Badge +14

 

Can you have too many Sonos speakers? 🤔 😆
SarahN
Userlevel 6
Badge +14

 

Can you have too many Sonos speakers? 🤔 😆
SarahN
Userlevel 6
Badge +14

@ratty 

My Fives currently say ‘Lounge (L+R) - does that mean I started from the left one (which is the one that drops) before?

@John B - I do know yes although not sure how to capture it all in a snip on this computer lol. 

Can you have too many Sonos speakers? 🤔 😆
J

If there is a lot of electrical stuff in there it might have an effect.  Speed an signal strength aren’t the same thing, and your wifi speed isn’t really relevant to the issue with the Five pair, as they are connecting to the Boost - but I take your point that the physical barrier of the door doesn’t seem to be a big issue.

Maybe we could look at the network matrix?  Do you know how to run that?

Edit - sorry our posts crossed re matrix

SarahN
Userlevel 6
Badge +14

@ratty - I will try that

I cannot remember which one I used as the main unit to pair them first time. Does it matter that it is always the left speaker (as I look at them), that drops out?

Can you have too many Sonos speakers? 🤔 😆
ratty

One thing to try with the Five pair is to reverse the pairing process:

Unpair them, then starting from the settings for the right-hand unit/room pair them together again. You should be offered the left unit/room in the pop-up. You’d then get to nominate which is which for stereo purposes.

In the room settings for the combined pair you should then see the products listed as Five (Right) followed by Five (Left). This means the Group Coordinator for the pair is the right unit.

(If you did all this the first time round, then instead pair starting from the left-hand unit.)

SarahN
Userlevel 6
Badge +14

Oh and if I do that matrix thingy, all the boxes in the main bit are all green so that’s all ok too

Can you have too many Sonos speakers? 🤔 😆
SarahN
Userlevel 6
Badge +14

The Boost is about a meter from the Router as I knew that was the best thing to do. I do have a bit of an odd set up at home mind you. It’s a newish house (5 years old) with fiber to the property fitted when it was built. The engineers/builders put the bits and bobs in the under stairs cupboard so the router has to live there and the boost is wall mounted a meter from it. I just sometimes wonder if all the stuff in that cupboard could cause it’s own issues?

I do get good speeds though and if I stand with the door open, and do a speed test on my phone, it does not give any faster speeds than if I’m away from the cupboard with it’s door closed.

Can you have too many Sonos speakers? 🤔 😆

Reply


Terms & ConditionsCookie settings