Taking Sonos 8.3.1 offline permanently, share your experiences!

  • 10 February 2018
  • 7 replies
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Userlevel 6
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  • Enthusiast II
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Today I took half of my Sonos system offline for good. Both out of curiosity about what's going to happen in April and also to keep the system setup I like. The future plans of Sonos are both obscure and untrustworthy now considering the debacle with CR100 and the reluctance to share real information about what's going on.

I believe I've read more users are going to go this route so let's share experiences here!

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7 replies

Userlevel 6
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My installation was sucessful.
Here's what I did and the versions/models involved.

First I shut off my ordinary Wifi and all Sonos units.
Then I connected an old Airport Extreme Wifi-router to the internet, updated it's firmware and created a dedicated network for my legacy Sonos system.
Then I made a clean install of all the Sonos gear involved. Resetting them and adding them one by one to the new network. I used Sonos (version 8.3.1, current per february 10, 2018) on my ordinary Macbook to do this.
My system involves a BOOST so that's connected to the router with ethernet cable. I started with this one.
To the router I connected my music harddrive via USB. Nothing fancy, just a 2TB Samsung. Adding the library was no problem.
When all players where up and running I added the remote controls, no problem using factory reset.
Then I added an old iPhone 5 running iOS 10.3. I installed the latest Sonos and that connected fine to. I believe one iOS/Android or computer unit is needed for advanced settings, the remotes don’t do this anymore.

With all up and running I disconnected the internet from the router for good. The system worked just as well but of course I can only listen to local music, which is what I want.

Then I fired up my standard Wifi and those Sonos units I will have connected to the internet.

Then I made sure Sonos-net, Offline wifi router and Online wifi router all where on separate channels. 1, 6, 11. The offline router will only talk with the iPhone so there will be practically no traffic on it’s channel.

Here are the models and versions involved:
AirportExtreme (the older one, not the minitower)
model: A1354
ver: 7.6.9

iPhone5 med iOS 10.3.3
Sonos Controller for iPhone:
version: 8.3.1
build: 40549250

BOOST
version: 8.3
build: 40549090
firmware: 1.12.1.2-2

ZP90/CONNECT x3
version: 8.3
build: 40549090
firmware: 1.16.5.5-2

CR200
version: 7.4
build: 36443070
firmware: 1.6.0.1-1

CR100
version: 4.3.2
build: 25133280
firmware: 1.2.3.3-2

I have not listed my computer here because I will not have that connected to the offline system. I'm quite worried what would happen if I by mistake connect to the offline system once Sonos has been updated to newer versions. Although, since it is offline it won't be able to update a new Sonos version might invoke unpredictable behavior anyway. Who knows? The iPhone is never going to be updated and will never be online either so that's safe. If possibe I'll try to add a tablet or iPad also before April.

Right now I have music playing without any problems at the same time playing music on the online system (two Play 1 speakers) and it seems they don't interfer with each other. They shouldn't because they are on separate channels.
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So what will happen to my CR100 in April? Will it cease to function? If that happens, I'll be quite impressed and shocked at the same time. That would mean it has a ticking selfdestruct installed in some previous update.

Of course, here's a good place for some Sonos represantative to share for me what's going to happen or not... I will find out eventually anyway.

I just realized I've not set the clock in the offline Sonos system. I will keep out of doing that although that might not change anything. There might be some clock running anyway but since the whole system is offline not even the router will know the official time. I can't seem to find any indication the router knows the time.
So what will happen to my CR100 in April? Will it cease to function? If that happens, I'll be quite impressed and shocked at the same time. That would mean it has a ticking selfdestruct installed in some previous update.

Of course, here's a good place for some Sonos represantative to share for me what's going to happen or not... I will find out eventually anyway.

I just realized I've not set the clock in the offline Sonos system. I will keep out of doing that although that might not change anything. There might be some clock running anyway but since the whole system is offline not even the router will know the official time. I can't seem to find any indication the router knows the time.


There is no self-destruct code in the CR100. In fact the firmware in the CR100 is not going to be changed in any way. It is the Sonos players that will simply refuse to let CR100s connect to them via Sonosnet after they get updated in April.
Userlevel 6
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So what will happen to my CR100 in April? Will it cease to function? If that happens, I'll be quite impressed and shocked at the same time. That would mean it has a ticking selfdestruct installed in some previous update.

Of course, here's a good place for some Sonos represantative to share for me what's going to happen or not... I will find out eventually anyway.

I just realized I've not set the clock in the offline Sonos system. I will keep out of doing that although that might not change anything. There might be some clock running anyway but since the whole system is offline not even the router will know the official time. I can't seem to find any indication the router knows the time.


There is no self-destruct code in the CR100. In fact the firmware in the CR100 is not going to be changed in any way. It is the Sonos players that will simply refuse to let CR100s connect to them via Sonosnet after they get updated in April.


OK, so you mean that has been officially confirmed? I never got any email from Sonos so I don't know where to get such qualified information. If that's a fact then my little setup will be futureproof until a player is in need of factory reset (requiring online login which in turn probably forces an update) or the remotes die. That could be years, many years.
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Took my system offline to test. I still have to update some controller applications and maybe get a new phone with updated app.

My plan is to be all done by March.

Just in case I set my clock to 2011 but I don't think Sonos is that malicious to embed kill switch code.
Userlevel 6
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Took my system offline to test. I still have to update some controller applications and maybe get a new phone with updated app.

My plan is to be all done by March.

Just in case I set my clock to 2011 but I don't think Sonos is that malicious to embed kill switch code.


Yes, everything must be setup correctly until theat crucial Sonos update. After that no new iOS/Android Controller can be added unless it already has Sonos 8.3 installed. No players can be added or factory reset either.
Userlevel 6
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For practical reason I could not keep my setup offline and I also lost the online services so...
https://youtu.be/kPnfqzBF3fw

Here it goes.