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Alonzo Mosley
Alonzo Mosley
Headliner I
July 31, 2023

Music Library Not Doing Its One Job

Trying to play music from Library.

Song will play about five seconds - through some, not all, of the selected speakers. Then it will skip to the next and do the same. Sometimes for four songs, sometimes for five.

Then it will stop and return one of two messages:

  1. Unable to find file (and provide an address that is absolutely findable on all other networked devices)
  2. WiFi connection “unstable”

I spent about a grand last October upgrading every part of my network to avoid this problem, and it has returned.

I am playing the files through a Synology NAS DiskStation, that is wired into my router.

I have a Play 3 wired into my router, and in the same room - with direct line of sight, less than twelve feet away - another Play 3 and a Connect. I have four Play 1’s scattered throughout my one bedroom, 1300 square foot apartment. WiFi “instability” is not a correct diagnosis.

Yes I have changed channels of both router and Sonos. Router is on 4, Sonos on 11. Both are mega-green-starred channels on my WiFi analyzer. (1 is not as good).

Music Library is updated. Firmware on router and NAS is updated.

I have typed this while sitting on hold with support, and it is still a 15 minute hold time and I am late for another call.

@Wits’ end.

Any suggestions, other than setting on hold for a tech?

Diagnostic 1925358464

 

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27 replies

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Alonzo Mosley
Alonzo MosleyAuthor
Headliner I
August 1, 2023

That graph helped, thanks.

Wouldn’t it still be a problem if the neighbors were on 6 as well?

Dan: You're gonna need to get someone to fix my computer. Kim: What's wrong with it? Dan: It's in several pieces on my floor.
ratty
ratty
August 1, 2023

That graph helped, thanks.

Wouldn’t it still be a problem if the neighbors were on 6 as well?

Only if they were heavy users. The channel bandwidth would be shared, cooperatively. 

It’s when there’s a partial overlap, between two different channels, that nasty interference arises on both sides. Sharing the same channel doesn’t cause such problems.

    buzz
    buzz
    Grand Maestro
    August 1, 2023

    That graph helped, thanks.

    Wouldn’t it still be a problem if the neighbors were on 6 as well?

    Think of it as sharing the conference room floor using parliamentary procedures vs opening a window and having construction noise or an angry crowd leak in.

    Alonzo Mosley
    Alonzo MosleyAuthor
    Headliner I
    August 1, 2023

    I read that as “paramilitary procedures”

    Dan: You're gonna need to get someone to fix my computer. Kim: What's wrong with it? Dan: It's in several pieces on my floor.
    Alonzo Mosley
    Alonzo MosleyAuthor
    Headliner I
    August 3, 2023

    Made the changes. Still sporadically acting up. e.g., some albums play just fine, and at other times I’m still getting a few seconds before it jumps to the next. Sometimes the Android app gives me the “Wi Fi Unstable” message.

    Again, to beat a dead record, the router is 10 months old, with the NAS (two weeks newer) and one of two Play 3’s both connected via RJ45 (and the other Play 3 with direct line of sight, 12 feet away).

    I did put Sonos on 11 and the router on 6. After a day, this is what my “Wi Fi Analyzer” told me about Channel 6:
     

     

    Looks pretty bad, but the only two things I can find on Channel 6 are my router (sending two signals, the “Guest” and the “Main” (i.e., RJB-NW5G)) and this other random one (“FRTRow Rugby”). Tonight I will turn off the Guest and see if that improves. It also looks like nothing nearby is on Channel 1.

     

     

    Dan: You're gonna need to get someone to fix my computer. Kim: What's wrong with it? Dan: It's in several pieces on my floor.
    ratty
    ratty
    August 3, 2023

    It looks like a messy picture, with multiple 40MHz channels in use. ‘Ryan&David’ is only down at -60dB and could well be making life difficult for Sonos on ch 11.

    Try Sonos on ch 1. If that doesn’t work put the WiFi credentials into Sonos and disconnect the Ethernet from the Play:3. It may fare better on the WiFi. Even better if it could be moved to 5GHz, away from the ill-behaved neighbours’ signals. 

    See here: https://support.sonos.com/article/switch-sonos-between-a-wireless-and-wired-setup

    Alonzo Mosley
    Alonzo MosleyAuthor
    Headliner I
    August 3, 2023

    They also had large, loud parties during the pandemic.

    I had Sonos on Ch 1 before, but will try that again...

    I thought being plugged in was the gold standard? Was talked into buying a Boost a few years ago (and later talked into disconnecting it; it’s sitting idle on the shelf).

    Will also take a look-see at the 5GHz picture tonight.

     

    ETA: I have been having sporadic issues where the plugged-in Play 3 is silent, even though the controllers say it’s A-OK. Have to unpair and re-pair it to its partner, twice, to fix it. But figured I’d treat that as a separate issue once this is done and dusted.

    Dan: You're gonna need to get someone to fix my computer. Kim: What's wrong with it? Dan: It's in several pieces on my floor.
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