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Sonos Net on new app (July 2024), how do I switch? Please chime in with solutions, geeks et al.

Hi

In a fiber-optic 300 mbps speeds home (2 adults audio stream constant, tv stream night, no need for fa$ter) with 10 Sonos speakers (beam 1 and 2, sonos play 1, sonos 1, move 1, two boosts, etc) I have a couple that drop often. 

Currently one beam 1st gen is ethernet-plugged to gateway (router) as Boost stop being recognized since the (controversial) launch of the new app. I’d like to put the Boost back to work and to assure that I am on Sonos Net. 

There is an old post related to the topic but everything seems new since new app (controller) started messing up (macOS -no search! and black background only, iOS don’t even ask me gotta update my phone just to make this work semi-right, ipadOS.. I was saving old app but was force-updated, darn, etc.)  Would you please explain how to switch to SonosNet in this Sonos’ app new world?

With 30 minute holds for tech support and no refreshed tutorial on forum or YouTube using logical keywords to no avail. Feel free to detail here, where we can all learn. I have no doubt I am not the only one trying to switch to Sonos Net ...hoping it’s still doable ...or else the Boosts are virtually bricked-like (and consumers remember Sonos).

10 replies

Airgetlam

To ‘switch’ to SonosNet (for those speakers that are capable, newer devices are not), you merely have to wire a Sonos device such as the BOOST to your router. Sometimes in the past, speakers that may have been recalcitrant in recognizing the change in potential signal sources have required a power cycle, but that is fairly rare. 

For what it is worth, the speed of your internet connection to the outside world has little effect on your Sonos, they’re much more concerned about your WiFi network (internal, not external) connection.

But your Beam being wired would be creating the SonosNet signal, as long as the radio/wifi has not been turned off on it (or any other device you want to connect with). The BOOST is not necessary, unless keeping the Beam wired is troublesome for you. As near as I can tell from your post, you should still be using SonosNet. You could change the Ethernet cable from your Beam to your BOOST, if that’s desirable for you.

For the record, there is no Sonos 1 speaker. I’m working on the assumption you mean a Sonos One.

Finally, even when using SonosNet, your speakers are relying on an IP address handed out by your router. My guess, if you’re not having interference issues, is that you’re experiencing duplicate IP address issues, exposed by the fact that Sonos does a soft reboot when the software is updated, and requests a new IP assignment from your router. 

As a test, I’d certainly suggest powering off all Sonos devices, and while they are off, rebooting your router. Give the router a couple of minutes to reboot, then plug back in /power up your Sonos devices. This will force a reload of the firmware on both the router and all Sonos devices, as well as have the Sonos request new IPs from the refreshed router. It may solve your issues, it certainly would not hurt. 

Bruce
Multiculti
Badge +3

Hi Bruce ( @Airgetlam ) and thanks much for taking the time.

Having bookmarked this post I will certainly give your guidance a shot. I certainly meant Sonos One in fast-typing mode ;)


A Move One (stationed in kitchen unless we are in the backyard) is mostly what I am having trouble with, but then also a Sonos One (based in a centrally located bathroom). It is an old one level house so for the most not an open space, yet straight lines three halls without other obstructions than walls. 


If SonosNet does not improve connectivity for those two after the suggested reboot, I may switch Sonos system from AT&T fiber-optic wi-fi to an Eero mesh wi-fi, Eero riding on AT&T obviously ...for the wi-fi mesh extenders spread throughout the property.

Just FYI, speed tests at 2.15 pm

  • from distant corner to gateway: 202 dl, 74.2 ul
  • in room where gateway is: 367 dl, 373 ul
  • in bathroom (sonos one): 212 dl, 117 ul
  • in kitchen (sonos move 1st gent, stationed): *350 dl, 252 ul 
  • in backyard (sonos move 1st gent, sample distant point): *117 dl, 18.5 ul
    • * signal drops at both points, more so at distant point.

       
Airgetlam

The Move won’t ever connect to SonosNet, it isn’t built to do so. It will only connect to your standard WiFi signal, so I’d definitely be looking at a duplicate IP issue resolving by that powering off / rebooting the router process.

In the past, I’ve not been pleased with the DSL modem/router combo that AT&T provided, I ended up using it as just the modem, and attached my own router to it. That was years ago, but I’ve had similar issues with Spectrum supplied devices. I guess I’m always a bit nervous about the bean counters cutting to the bone in these devices to save a penny on each, I tend to prefer my own WiFi device that I’ve sourced. Your mileage may vary, I can’t speak to AT&T’s current equipment. 

Note that SonosNet is a relatively ‘slow’ 2.4Ghz signal, there just isn’t that much bandwidth necessary to support streaming music. And you’d need several rooms of high def playing simultaneously to flood it. And Sonos is moving away from SonosNet, as modern routers are much more capable of handling the signal in general, than when the BRIDGE/ BOOST were originally released. 

In any case, I suspect you have the info you need to move forward, but remember, you can always call Sonos Support directly to discuss any further issues. All of the reps I’ve dealt with have been knowledgeable and responsive, although they might have been challenged by my issues if they ran into me on day one. I just remember that not everyone has the same experience I do, and figure things out as needed. 

Bruce
Multiculti
Badge +3

Thanks again @Airgetlam 


I sure have a useful reference with your input and as you indicate, there is also Sonos tech support; I just hear that current waits are 30 min +. Alos, the last time I talked to them I was told to discard my -back then- recently acquired T-Mobile Wireless 5G gateway, which was upsetting, yet AT&T fiber optic got a new and happier client. 

Adding to your point, the gateway (modem/router) supplied by AT&T almost two years ago is:
https://www.att.com/support/article/u-verse-high-speed-internet/000092497

https://www.manualslib.com/manual/3154842/Nokia-Ont-Bgw320-505.html

In my house it has worked fine 95%+ of the time so far. I do run a soft reboot from SmartHome app-just about-once a week/end. 

As you can see, others do -as you did- disable router and plug in their own, for, where there is a video tutorial there is an audience.  

 

Additional insight request: I may disconnect one beam from router and go ‘all wi-fi’ as soon as I update an Eero mesh system (while running both wi-fi networks, as that has not caused trouble so far). I do wonder, if I was to keep the beam plugged to router, if before recycling our two boosts, I could use them connecting a seldom-used old laptop that finds it difficult to jump on our wi-fi 🙃 to one of their ethernet ports ...I know it is not intended to be used that way, but it’s a two-adult household so other than one TV stream and one audio stream, plus mobiles, there’s not much competition for wi-fi internally. Sad to recycle those “as new”-old-boosts without giving them further use
...it puts a little stain on the $ono$ brand personally, and I have been a fan and organic brand ambassador for long.

Airgetlam

The challenge that you may run in to if using a Sonos Ethernet port for any thing other than Sonos is that it is a 10/100 port, and not a gigabit port. So extremely slow.

The Sonos BOOSTs are not designed as a network extender. You could (very likely, I’d expect) see difficulties in use as such. I’d much rather get a real Ethernet cable to use, and extend that back to either a mesh puck, or the router device itself. 

Bruce
Multiculti
Badge +3

Good reasoning @Airgetlam . Sold! 


Actually, we have an extra old Eero unit for that, thanks for ‘unstucking’ my mind on that task. 


Those boosts look brand new I hate having to recycle them, however, most of the current discourse in this community points at that. Sonos could throw in a lil’ gift certificate or additional upgrade discount for recycled boosts. 

Airgetlam

Hard sell, I’d think, to the accountants / investors. A lot of the original BRIDGEs were bundled for free in the early days, and then used to get discounts on the replacement BOOST. At least I’m guessing. There just isn’t enough value in doing so, especially as many folks are still using them for their intended purpose. But who knows, I don’t make decisions for Sonos, maybe at some point they’ll change their current stance. I have a couple myself. 

Bruce
Multiculti
Badge +3

A month later.  Hi @Airgetlam 
It all works better now, using an Eero Pro 6E. I disabled wi-fi from AT&T gateway and terminated SonosNet -the two old Boosts are still looking like new and sadly at the top of the pre-recycle pile (what a waste). The worst SNR two speakers get is 49 dB (most others, 55, 79, 84 dB). 

New thoughts:

Sonos won’t work on wi-fi 6 ha?

...and no benefits to Thread and Zigbee in terms of Sonos ha? Eero Pro 6E works as a smart home hub.

Since Eero used a single SSID, I assume the only way to assure Sonos devices are getting 5 GHz instead of 2.4 GHz is placement of each speaker in the “narrower range” of 5 GHz?  

 

buzz

I had to recycle a perfectly functional older cellphone because the towers stopped supporting it.

Back in the days before consumer mesh networks became common I would use SonosNet to support devices such as wired printers and thermostats. At that time my SONOS system was small. Actual throughput was on the order of 10Mbps, sometimes a little higher. Today, even cheap, consumer grade mesh networks will perform much better than that.

Airgetlam

Most Sonos devices were designed and manufactured long before WiFi 6 was a gleam in an engineer’s eye. No, they won’t ‘work’ with WiFi 6, unless you have backwards compatibility turned on on the router.

Bruce

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