I wanted to post a few clarifications regarding SONOS and Spanning Tree Protocol that have been raised in this thread.
SONOS ZonePlayers use 802.1D Spanning Tree (STP) for loop prevention between wired ZonePlayers and the wireless SonosNet Mesh Network. The Spanning Tree running on ZonePlayers is compliant with IEEE 802.1D and can inter-operate with other IEEE 802.1D and IEEE 802.1w compliant devices. Note: IEEE 802.1w is an updated version of the Spanning Tree protocol called Rapid Spanning Tree. The two types of STP protocols are compatible and 802.1w should revert to inter-operate with 802.1D devices (such as Sonos). Therefore, 802.1w Ethernet switches will work with Sonos ZonePlayers.
SONOS ZonePlayers CAN be connected to Ethernet switches that do NOT support Spanning Tree as long as the Ethernet switches do not interfere with the STP BPDU packets transmitted between ZonePlayers. This is typically never the case and these switches pass the BPDU packets like any other packet.
If the Ethernet switches that Sonos ZonePlayers are wired to DOES support Spanning Tree, the Spanning Tree on those switches must be configured properly. Ethernet switches that support Spanning Tree typically have their STP settings disabled. This also typically means that these switches will block/discard the BPDUs coming from the ZonePlayers. When the ZonePlayers are not able to see BPDUs, they cannot detect there is a shared transmission medium between the Zones and this will typically result in loops in the network. The solution to allow the use of these switches with Sonos is to enable and configure the Spanning Tree on the Ethernet switches. The configuration settings on each switch are different and the appropriate documentation for those products should be consulted. Note: Some switches have a setting that is called Pass BPDUs or equivalent. This setting when present allows the BPDUs between the ZonePlayers to pass freely through the switch without actually enabling STP on the the switch. Typically, setting this function also works, but again please review the switches product documentation.
A good guideline for Ethernet switches is if the switch says it supports Spanning Tree, either 802.1D or 802.1w, then its configuration settings and user documentation should be examined before wiring multiple ZonePlayers to the switch. If the switch does not state it supports Spanning Tree, 802.1D, or 802.1w, it will probably work fine with Sonos.
SONOS ZonePlayers do NOT require a connection to the same Ethernet switch. Different ZonePlayers can be connected to different Ethernet switches which are in turn connected to each other. The only requirement is that Sonos ZonePlayers must be able to actively participate in 802.1D Spanning Tree and not have BPDU transmission blocked between them. There is no Sonos limitation that prevents wiring multiple ZonePlayers to multiple Ethernet switches.
IEEE 802.1D has a recommended bridge span limitation of 7 bridges. This means that the total number of connected bridges from one end of the network to the other should not exceed 7 bridges. This typically only comes into play when daisy chaining Sonos ZonePlayers together by wiring one ZonePlayer to the next. In this case, the guidelines is when daisy chaining ZonePlayers, do not exceed 7 ZonePlayers wired together. If wiring multiple ZonePlayer to a single Ethernet switch, typically the number of spans will only be 3 or 4 (I.e. much less than 7). Except in the daisy-chain configuration, this limit of 7 bridges/7 ZonePlayers, is rarely ever hit.
A number of comments have used the term router and switch interchangeably in regards to this topic. Sonos ZonePlayers in the same HouseHold MUST be connected to the same routed network. A Spanning Tree cannot span two or more routed networks. In addition all Sonos ZonePlayers and Controllers must be on the same routed IP network in order to properly communicate and function. Typically, two or more routed networks are not seen in the household environment except by accident (Example. A carrier provides a new router in a network that already had a router and the original router was not removed).
Hopefully this information has clarified a number of items and not added additional confusion.
Regards, Todd
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Deactivating the wireless on your wired Sonos players might also work, but leave it enabled on only one of them, so any wireless players can still connect.
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French Translation from Google... Hopefully it's accurate. :)
Charlie, ce qui est le modèle de commutateur de réseau que vous avez? Il y a des commutateurs non administrables qui bloquent STP, si elles ne sont pas communs.
Désactiver le sans fil sur vos lecteurs Sonos câblé pourrait également fonctionner, mais le laisser activé sur un seul d'entre eux, de sorte que tous les joueurs sans fil peuvent toujours se connecter.
Hey Mike thank's for your french !
The switch is a TL-SG108 from TP-LINK.
Actually I have the ORANGE livebox fiber modem and router. Than My NAS connected directly to the modem router, than the TL-SG108 (8 ports) to the router and another 5 ports Switch from TP link (the same as the 8 one).
my Imac connected to the router directly too.
Connected to the 8 ports I have 2 player 5, and 1 player 3 (and direct to one of the player five a Samsung connected TV in the dinnig room)
Connected to the 5 ports I have 1 connected samsung TV in the living room, 1 TV box from ORANGE, 1 sonos connect
Connected to the wifi I have a player 1 and ipad, macbook, etc....
As an example of my problem yestarday when I wanted to cast a movie from my NAS to my TV in the living room, I couldn't see the DNLA TVMOBILI that I use .
So I had to unplug the RJ45 connected to the swtich 5 ports and plug it again and it suddently found the network and the DNLA on the TV.
But this morning 0 SONOS woke me up and they are supposed to wake us up;
So I shut down the PLayer in the dinnig room and put it on again and all rooms where available again on the controler of the Ipad.
So everything is working but barely never all together. I alaways have to unpluged, reboot, plug again in order to make work the needed device.
Nothing is stable.
Merci for you help.
If you visit PARIS you are more than welcome for a drink !
Charles
Until Sonos brings their STP up to modern standards, the only thing you can really do is disable wireless on nodes connected via Ethernet. Use the network monitor to determine which of your wired nodes has the best wireless coverage to your wireless Sonos devices, and leave wireless enabled on that one device. If it ever has problems, you'll lose all your wireless Sonos devices, but you will know where to look to trouble-shoot.
(This is the approach I have had to take, since Sonos's STP doesn't play nice with the modern STP on my Cisco switches. Only my Playbar has wireless enabled to feed a Play3 that I cannot easily hardwire. The rest of my Sonos devices are connected via Ethernet and have had wireless disabled to get them to work properly.) Disabling wireless also saves a couple watts of power when the unit is 'standby' mode.
Info on disabling wireless here: https://bsteiner.info/articles/disabling-sonos-wifi
(This is the approach I have had to take, since Sonos's STP doesn't play nice with the modern STP on my Cisco switches. Only my Playbar has wireless enabled to feed a Play3 that I cannot easily hardwire. The rest of my Sonos devices are connected via Ethernet and have had wireless disabled to get them to work properly.) Disabling wireless also saves a couple watts of power when the unit is 'standby' mode.
Info on disabling wireless here: https://bsteiner.info/articles/disabling-sonos-wifi
(This is the approach I have had to take, since Sonos's STP doesn't play nice with the modern STP on my Cisco switches. Only my Playbar has wireless enabled to feed a Play3 that I cannot easily hardwire. The rest of my Sonos devices are connected via Ethernet and have had wireless disabled to get them to work properly.) Disabling wireless also saves a couple watts of power when the unit is 'standby' mode.
Info on disabling wireless here: https://bsteiner.info/articles/disabling-sonos-wifi
Thks but I have only 1 zone with no ethernet so can I let only this Player with wifi and the others disabled ? Would I still be able to manage all the players with the IPAD ?
I am pretty sure that my only player connected to the wifi is connected direclty to the router it is quite close enough
What do you think ?
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