Hi
Security for your network is very important. That’s why it’s recommended to have strong network encryption. To the majority that means a password that is not easily guessed. The link below gives a list of Do’s and Don’ts for password creation.
Some even suggest changing your password every ninety (90) days. Doing so is a good idea; but can be problematic if you’re not the only network administrator or subject to memory lapses. 😊
The preceding may be Networking 101 to the majority. However if you are experiencing network issues with your Sonos the next section may be of interest.
Going back to the beginning I mentioned “have strong encryption” which really refers to the Authentication and Encryption used by your router. You have most likely heard of and/or seen the abbreviation “WPA” which stands for Wi-Fi Protected Access.
The protocols have advanced through the following levels:
- WEP (Wi-Fi Equivalent Privacy)
- WPA
- WPA2
- WPA3
No one should be using WEP or WPA as your network is open to a greater degree of vulnerability. The link below goes into more detail about each.
Most will probably assume that if available use WPA3 for the best network protection. However, WPA3 can be problematic for older devices including some Sonos products causing connection issues. The link below shows which Sonos products are WPA3 compatible:
If you are running Sonos products that are not WPA3 compatible you may be experiencing drops for those products that could be the result of using WPA3 Personal network encryption. To keep all your Wi-Fi capable hardware happy including Sonos products that aren’t WPA3 compatible there is the following variant:
- WPA2/WPA3 Transitional
Most routers today give you the option to use WPA2/WPA3 Transitional. Using it is not a “silver bullet” for all your network issues; but it’s another tool to use for network stability and protection. Below is a brief explanation of how WPA2/WPA3 may be of benefit: *
- Set to WPA3 Personal for better security
- Set to WPA2/WPA3 Transitional for compatibility with older devices
The security setting defines the type of authentication and encryption used by your router, and the level of privacy protection for data transmitted over its network. Whichever setting you choose, always set a strong password for joining the network.
- WPA3 Personal is the newest, most secure protocol currently available for Wi-Fi devices. It works with all devices that support Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), and some older devices.
- WPA2/WPA3 Transitional is a mixed mode that uses WPA3 Personal with devices that support that protocol, while allowing older devices to use WPA2 Personal (AES) instead.
- WPA2 Personal (AES) is appropriate when you can't use one of the more secure modes. In that case, also choose AES as the encryption or cipher type, if available.
I hope you found this information useful.
Enjoy your Sonos!
* Copied from Apple Support @ https://support.apple.com/en-is/HT202068
