Question

Static IP address

  • 24 August 2012
  • 38 replies
  • 35591 views

Userlevel 3
Can I set a static IP address on my Sonos components ?

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38 replies

The architecture is based on the UPnP standard, for which device discovery with SSDP relies on local subnet broadcast. (That said, some have managed to implement SSDP forwarding between subnets.)

Crippling setback? The sales don't exactly suggest that. Sonos is designed for a home/SOHO environment. Indeed it calls itself the "wireless home sound system". The vast majority of such networks are flat, or if they're not it's usually because of an accidental double NAT.
Userlevel 5
Badge +11
Crippling setback?
Erm...plug in...tap controller...press button...erm....erm....erm...

What's crippling.
Crippling setback?
Erm...plug in...tap controller...press button...erm....erm....erm...

What's crippling.


Agreed. I'm already hitting a wall of ultra fanboyism - understand that critical evaluation can sometimes actually be a good thing, and that your wall of "can't" or "par" is only temporary. The product plug in, controller tap, button press didn't work on our network, and I spent a few hours on the line with support to try and get things working. They had noted that one of their Tier 2 engineers would be able to help me hack something together, but that the configuration wouldn't be supported going forward.

The Sonos product will evolve over time if it wants to be successful. If their current customer networks are SOHO networks, so be it. The unit still needs some work on the interface side. That being said, I'm completely comfortable behind a terminal, and don't mind jumping through hoops to make shit work. It's what I do every day.

My point is that, in an enterprise environment where multiple subnets are in place, and subnet broadcasts/packet forwarding is easily implemented, I was told in a phone call with support said that they wouldn't support their own device on our network because of how our network was designed. Mind you, we're not a huge enterprise, and have a fairly simple network as-is. Their unwillingness to work with customers in the same situation as us immediately carves out a part of the market that their product isn't available to, and currently they're OK with this. I'd imagine that complacency won't last forever.

Again, sure, maybe the device wasn't "designed" to do the simple task that many other devices on our network are capable of. A better, easier to use, competitively placed product will inevitably come along and require that Sonos evolve their product to meet market requirements in order to remain successful. The fact that I had to type in direct HTML URI's in order to troubleshoot the unit brought me back to the days of NT - even then, many home network appliances had better interfaces than what the Sonos product has to offer today. The product already has a built-in web server. Why not make it look nice, and make it easy to access all of the troubleshooting tools from one interface, or easily found on one interface?

I'm not bashing the product to just put it down. I'm hoping that Sonos matures its offerings with critical feedback received from its customers. The backlash from this community will make it pretty hard to elicit good feedback from customers that are ready and willing to pay for your product, while also offering feedback to help the product grow. 😳
Once again, a person with a unique configuration that doesn't apply to 99.99% of Sonos installations comes on here to complain, proceeds to hyperbolically equate not catering to their unique situation as a fatal flaw (oh sorry, make that a "crippling setback") and somehow those who explain the uniqueness of the situation are nothing but "ultra fanboys"?

And you expect us to take you seriously? You might have done better if you canned the insults and started with paragraph 2. We would have taken you more seriously. Because as of paragraph 1, most have written you off as just another case of "It's easier to fire the customer!" and your ideas, as perfect or flawed as they may be, are already brushed off as tl;dr. :8
Userlevel 4
Badge +14

The problem is their architecture doesn't work well on a network that isn't flat. In my case, trying to configure/setup/update/use the SONOS Connect player, regardless of the fact that its primary ethernet interface and its WLAN interface both picked up IP addresses in their respective VLANs, the device's multicast comms couldn't jump from subnet to subnet.


You are wrong. Their multicast traverse at least one router jump, if your router allows it. I have personally gotten Sonos to work in a multi-layered, VLAN separated environment. It's not easy, but if you have that setup, you should be able to figure it out. Sonos cannot traverse VLANs (subnets) unless your equipment allows it. Most don't, by default.

And why would the WLAN interface and the ethernet be active at the same time, on different VLANs? In SonosNet mode, the WLAN interface is only a Sonos exclusive mesh network. In WiFi mode, the ethernet connection should not be used, or be used on the same VLAN as the WiFi, otherwise you get the issue you are referring to (which isn't surprising, at all). Just connect it properly instead.
Hello.

I have 6 sonos Connect:AMP. I have to work with sonos app and with a domotic KNX interface. I need static IP's in all sonos amplifiers to work with KNX. Because of this problem (sonos don't have manual ip configuration) I changed the router and now i have one that allows configuration to set a manual IP to each sonos, but it don't work.

The sonos amplifiers are all in the same place, and the connection is serial for all 6. The cable from the router arrives to the first sonos, and another cable goes from that sonos to another until all 6 sonos are connected. Only the first works with the IP that gives the new router, but for the rest of the amps is not working. I think that when a Sonos is connected directly to another the IP is set automatically before the router assigns the manual IP.

How can I solve this?
Buying another router and changing all the installation?
Or maybe buying another amps?
I have no place for a new router.
I cannot understand why is not allowed to put a manual IP as I can do with any other product. Is a very little thing that is causing a very big problem.
Please, allow manual IP or give an alternate solution.

Thanks.
Hello.

I have 6 sonos Connect:AMP. I have to work with sonos app and with a domotic KNX interface. I need static IP's in all sonos amplifiers to work with KNX. Because of this problem (sonos don't have manual ip configuration) I changed the router and now i have one that allows configuration to set a manual IP to each sonos, but it don't work.


You should just be able to reserve a specific address for each of the Sonos units in your router. So you still use DHCP, but the Sonos units always have a specific IP address.
Hello. That's not true. I assigned manual IP for the six sonos. Only the first amp, the one that goes directly to the router have the correct IP from the router. If I use another amp as first is the same thing, only the first has the correct IP. The rest have automatic IP
Can we abandon this thread please? You should not have double posted in the first place
Hello. That's not true. I assigned manual IP for the six sonos. Only the first amp, the one that goes directly to the router have the correct IP from the router. If I use another amp as first is the same thing, only the first has the correct IP. The rest have automatic IP
Then you probably haven't set it up properly - if you reserve an address under DCHP, it should simply look at the MAC address and allocate whatever you've linked it to. It doesn't matter how it's physically cabled.
Hello. That's not true. I assigned manual IP for the six sonos. Only the first amp, the one that goes directly to the router have the correct IP from the router. If I use another amp as first is the same thing, only the first has the correct IP. The rest have automatic IP
Then you probably haven't set it up properly - if you reserve an address under DCHP, it should simply look at the MAC address and allocate whatever you've linked it to. It doesn't matter how it's physically cabled.
Agreed. See also
https://en.community.sonos.com/troubleshooting-228999/sonos-manual-ip-6789500
Userlevel 6
Badge +15
Hello.

I have 6 sonos Connect:AMP. I have to work with sonos app and with a domotic KNX interface. I need static IP's in all sonos amplifiers to work with KNX. Because of this problem (sonos don't have manual ip configuration) I changed the router and now i have one that allows configuration to set a manual IP to each sonos, but it don't work.

The sonos amplifiers are all in the same place, and the connection is serial for all 6. The cable from the router arrives to the first sonos, and another cable goes from that sonos to another until all 6 sonos are connected. Only the first works with the IP that gives the new router, but for the rest of the amps is not working. I think that when a Sonos is connected directly to another the IP is set automatically before the router assigns the manual IP.

How can I solve this?
Buying another router and changing all the installation?
Or maybe buying another amps?
I have no place for a new router.
I cannot understand why is not allowed to put a manual IP as I can do with any other product. Is a very little thing that is causing a very big problem.
Please, allow manual IP or give an alternate solution.

Thanks.


I think your problem may be less related to the DHCP/Static question and is instead a spanning tree problem. If you have all of them connected to physical ethernet (daisy-chained from the sound of it) it likely they are also connected to the mesh network (usually automatic.) Try connecting *just* one to the physical network, or just a bridge/boost to the physical. Try it with only two turned on: one connected directly to physical, the other just turned on and (hopefully) connected to the mesh network.

I think your problem may be less related to the DHCP/Static question and is instead a spanning tree problem. If you have all of them connected to physical ethernet (daisy-chained from the sound of it) it likely they are also connected to the mesh network (usually automatic.) Try connecting *just* one to the physical network, or just a bridge/boost to the physical. Try it with only two turned on: one connected directly to physical, the other just turned on and (hopefully) connected to the mesh network.


Or he could turn the wireless off, so that they don't get confused...