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My sub continues to disconnect. I can add the sub, it connects, and then 5 seconds after I start streaming music it disconnects. This happens continuously.

 

Here’s my setup.

  • I have 8 Sonos amps
  • I have 1 sub
  • The sub is connected to one of the amps
  • none of my Sonos devices are ethernet wired, they are all running on wifi

Network setup

  • I have 1 router (Netgear PR60X)
  • and 3 wifi access points (WAX630E)

Sonos support response

They keep telling me that the issue is that the sub and amp need to be 15 feet from each other to work implying the devices are speaking directly to each other which I assume is not correct. My hypothesis is that their suggested close proximity is to mitigate the risk of the devices perhaps connecting through different access points. I think this is just a networking configuration issue but Sonos support doesn’t seem to understand the technical details of “why” the devices need to be close to each other so I blocked by their lack of knowledge on the underlying technical issue.

Its also worth noting that my amps are in a rack with my router and network switches and I could hard wire them into the network if needed, just havent got around to it.

I’m hoping somewhere here might have some info on how to resolve this.

@Ken_Griffiths would you mind looking at this. You seem to have some great knowledge on this topic.

 

The sub receives it’s audio from the device that it is bonded to.  In your case the Amp creates it’s own 5Ghz Wi-Fi signal that the Sub connects to, hence the advice from Sonos Support.  I suspect that either the devices are too far apart or there is some form of Wi-Fi interference.

@Ken_Griffiths would you mind looking at this. You seem to have some great knowledge on this topic.

It’s correct what Sonos Staff have told you, the ‘bonded’ Sub communicates directly with the Amp over a 5Ghz ad-hoc wireless connection. They need to be in connection with each other, ideally in the same room. If that’s not possible (clearly it’s not in your case) then you are best to wire both Sub and Amp back to the router, or same switch. 

Admittedly I would like the option to make both bonded products use the local 5Ghz WiFi mesh signal instead, but I guess there are technical reasons that Sonos do not do this. I suspect it can perhaps introduce latency and sync issues, as mentioned below.

Your only option here is to wire both - By the way do not wire them to different WiFi access points in your network as you may introduce some latency and once they go out of sync it’s sometimes a case of having to reboot the devices - so just wire both direct to the same switch/router.

Yikes, that's such a bummer. I don't have an Ethernet plug near my sub but I would have installed one in the wall (new construction) had these requirements been more clear from Sonos. I appreciate the info.

Yikes, that's such a bummer. I don't have an Ethernet plug near my sub but I would have installed one in the wall (new construction) had these requirements been more clear from Sonos. I appreciate the info.

If this is for music audio only, add a speaker to the room (linked over WiFi) and bond the Sub to that instead and group that room with your Amp - that’s one way around this, perhaps?

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