Static IP question

S
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Hi all. I’ve been reading these threads forever, thought I’d finally post my own questions 🙂 I’ve gained a lot of insight from all of you contributing to the forums and I’d like to thank you. This particular question of mine has to do with static IP addresses.

First of, I’m very novice at this and trying to better my system as I gain some knowledge from my readings. I’ve read several times that, if you create static IPs for your Sonos devices, it’s important to configure them outside of the DHCP range. Can someone please elaborate a bit on this? I’ve posted some screenshots below of what I’ve done. I was able to select all of my Sonos products from the client list and give them static IP assignments, but I don’t think they’re outside of my DHCP? One screenshot is of my assignment list, and the other is what I think my DHCP range is - is it 100-200? So would I want to assign the suffixes, or last three digits, at something under 100 or over 200? If so, why have an assignment list in the first place? Thank you all again and looking forward to your insight.

 

 

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30 replies

R
Userlevel 5
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You are correct your dhcp range is 100 to 200 and yes you have assigned your speakers to be within the dhcp range. In effect you have asked the router to do contradictory  things - when a device connects please give it a number in this range, when this specific device connects give it this number but what to do if another device has already got that number.

So move your sonos kit to be outside the dhcp  range, maybe start at 090 and work downwards.

The static assignment is to avoid problems like having duplicate ipaddresses on your network. It shouldn't  happen but there are a number of scenarios where routers lose track and end up assigning duplicate addresses. Devices  rebooting  is one such scenario which is why there are a number of posts here complaining that sonos stopped working after an upgrade when it is the router at fault.

 

 

 

Belly M
Badge +20

The confusion arises due to mixed use of terminology within the routers interface.

Fixed or static IP is configured at the client which you cannot do on Sonos equipment as it only uses DHCP. You can however reserve an IP within the DHCP pool on the router which makes Sonos devices use the same IP. Some routers let you reserve outside the DHCP scope.

 

ratty

Some routers insist that IP reservations are outside the DHCP pool, some that they’re inside the pool, and some don’t care.

Belly M
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Some routers insist that IP reservations are outside the DHCP pool, some that they’re inside the pool, and some don’t care.

THIS  ^^^^^ very confusing for users, especially as the reservations outside the pool must be issued by DHCP for the client or get its IP if it does not support a static IP.

S
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Thanks all. I’ll try going outside of the pool and report back. After reassigning I assume I have to reboot router and all devices?

Belly M
Badge +20

No need for a reboot.

S
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Done. Started at 201 and worked up. Did not reboot anything. 

 

S
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And I must say, significant matrix improvement. I’ve posted before and after matrix screenshots. Wow.

 

 

 

Belly M
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That’s just a coincidence, reserved IPs won’t help your matrix, but choosing a different channel on your router may.

ratty

The matrix shows what’s happening at the SonosNet PHY and data link layers. IP runs at the network layer, over the top of anything and everything.

S
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Got it. I’ve been struggling with 2 additional wireless boosts to negate the red. Placing them all over the house and re-running matrix. This is the first time I’ve seen it down to 2 so got a little excited lol Already switched WiFi channel to 11.

ratty

The colours in the left column are immaterial if your system’s performing correctly, as it most probably should with the (green) signal strengths indicated. They merely show where the wireless chipsets are doing their job in rejecting interference.

BTW at those signal strengths the wireless Boosts will always be ignored. They’re just warming the room.

S
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I see, thanks ratty. So in your opinion, the matrix is good? System is working great. Only issues I get is cut out when I select everything (“play everywhere”). It eventually falls into place but isn’t an immediate cycle as I’d like it to be. I’m wasting time by running around the house with Boosts?

ratty

You’re wasting your time with the extra Boosts. 

With that number of rooms “play everywhere” could put a bit of strain on the wireless depending on the audio content bandwidth. For example lossless FLAC would be much more onerous than, say, a typical internet radio station. 

Also understand that the first room, from which you “play everywhere”, is the Group Coordinator. This does the heavy lifting, fetching the stream and sending it to the other group members. If it’s on a weaker wireless connection -- or happens to be being hit with interference -- it could struggle. Ideally pick a wired device, or at least one close to the root Boost, to start from. 

S
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Understood. Great information, thanks again ratty!

Smilja

There’s a second thread on the subject.

 

 

»And the world is like an apple whirling silently in space, Like the circles that you find in the windmills of your mind.« (›Windmills Of Your Mind‹ [1967]. Music by Michel Legrand ; English lyrics written by Alan & Marilyn Bergman)
S
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That is also mine. I created one for the static IP question and one for the matrix question. The IP subject here ended up on the matrix topic.

S
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Is it normal that my products are still showing up in the discovered clients list with IP addresses within the DHCP pool even though I’ve assigned new IPs away from the pool? So Master Bedroom, for example, shows up under discovered clients at 192.68.5.109 and also under Static Assignments as 192.168.5.201. Weird?

 

 

Belly M
Badge +20

The IPs are leased for a certain amount of time, when they “expire” the Sonos devices will get the new IP from your router.

 

if you power cycle one speaker it will get the new IP that you reserved.

However you may have to reserve IP in the DHCP scope, quicker just to enlarge it to cover the IPs you used.

S
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So I can either run around power cycling everything or wait until each product cycles on its own? I would prefer the latter.  Is there benefit to either?

S
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However you may have to reserve IP in the DHCP scope, quicker just to enlarge it to cover the IPs you used.

Sorry Belly, not understanding this one. My pool is set to 100-200. I created IPs outside of the pool. If I increase the pool isn’t that counterintuitive? I thought the point was to go outside of the pool. 

ratty

If the router accepted the reservation then the DHCP server should assign that IP the next time the relevant MAC address requests a lease.

Belly M
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Just power cycle one and see what IP it picks up

S
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Power cycled the kitchen and bathroom. Still showing up under old IP in discovered clients table and new Static Lease IP I assigned outside of the pool. Work fine. That is what’s showing up in the router. However, in the Sonos ap they are showing the new IPs, the ones I assigned outside of the pool. All of the products are, not just the ones I power cycled.

Belly M
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At least the assigned IPs are showing correctly in Sonos.
 

The discovered client list may or may not refresh... eventually, a reboot if the router should flush it.

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