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Answered

MUST an Alexa-enabled Sonos One pair use only a WiFi connection?

  • January 20, 2020
  • 10 replies
  • 585 views
B

Hi folks,

I’d like to switch my stereo-paired Sonos One speakers OFF of the Wi-Fi connection and onto a wired ethernet connection.  I have read the helpful posts here on HOW to do that, but the WiFi connection is always “in use” and therefore cannot be removed.

But I’ve come to believe that maybe it is always in use, because (perhaps?) the Alexa feature REQUIRES only WiFi connections….can anyone confirm that?  Or has anyone successfully set up an Alexa-enabled steros pair of Sonos Ones directly over ethernet?

[PS: I realize that an ethernet connection just sets up a hidden/dedicated WiFi network just for SONOS.]  Thanks, -Bill-

Best answer by Ken_Griffiths

Wow...thanks for all of the responses.  After some considerations and reflections on what I’ve been asked to clarify, I think the most pertinent thing I can do is explain that that a music source (windows media player) seems to have a song playing/paused and I don’t know how to get rid of it...and THAT may be why when I go to System | Network |  Networks to highlight and remove the wireless system, it won’t let me, because it shows as being “In Use”.

You can’t remove a WiFi network from Sonos in this area of the Sonos App, it is simply telling you that you have that WiFi connection installed for use with your Sonos Household. In fact the credentials are installed on all your Sonos devices. If you also have one Sonos device wired to you router, then your System is setup for ‘mixed mode’ as @ratty mentions. So your devices may all still be running on SonosNet WM:0, but they could ‘potentially’ switch to your WiFi from time to time depending on the available wireless signal strength etc.

Most here recommend removing ‘mixed mode’ providing you are not using the 2.4ghz WiFi band to run a Sonos “Move” device. To do that you need to go back into the Network settings and go to “Wireless Setup” and go from the 'reset’ button to remove the WiFi credentials from all speakers and ‘force’ them to only connect via their in-built SonosNet wireless mesh/lan connection instead.

I think that is hopefully what you are seeking to do here? However your posts are not too clear. 

I’ll try cycling the power, etc., without the ethernet cable plugged in….that might “clear” everything, so I can then plug the ethernet cable back in and go remove the WiFi.

BTW, just thought I’d get better access to music sources on my ethernet desktop computers if the SONOS Ones were set up via ethernet….but perhaps it doesn’t really make any difference.

If you are looking to actually switch off the Wireless/WiFi card hardware within all your speakers, then whilst that is possible to do in a different area of the Sonos App, it is not recommended that you do that, even if you do wish to cable All your speakers to the LAN. It is usually best to leave the internal WiFi hardware enabled. If your speakers are working, then I would “let sleeping dogs lie” and leave those things as they are.

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10 replies

J
  • John B
  • January 20, 2020

Hi. Whether a speaker is connected wirelessly or wired is completely irrelevant to Alexa.

Not sure what you mean by 'the WiFi connection is akways in use and cannot be removed'???

Airgetlam
  • Airgetlam
  • January 20, 2020

If you turn off the Wi-Fi connection on the Sonos Ones, then they won’t create SonosNet, but as you would still have them connected to the LAN via Ethernet cable, then the voice assistants should still work. 

Unless you’re an installer, there’s usually not much of a need to turn off the Wi-Fi on a Sonos, though. I certainly don’t recommend it. 

Edit: John B beat me to it. 

Bruce
J
  • John B
  • January 20, 2020

On further thought and prompted by Bruce's comments, I am not sure if you are saying you want to switch to a SonosNet setup, or connect these particular speakers using Ethernet?

Airgetlam
melvimbe
  • melvimbe
  • January 20, 2020

I believe that instead of the wifi radio on the Sonos Ones entirely, once you have it connected to ethernet directly, you can go into the configuration and remove the WiFi credentials.  Sonosnet will still work to connect with other Sonos speakers you may have in the house (that aren’t wired).

 

But as stated above, none of this has anything to do with Alexa.  Not confuse the issue, but I’m wondering if you read information about Amazon Echo’s which don’t have an ethernet connection and thus must connect by an always on WiFi connection as you’re describing.

Danny
Airgetlam
Airgetlam
  • Airgetlam
  • January 20, 2020

We’re all interpreting what you mean… :)

Bruce
melvimbe
AjTrek1
  • AjTrek1
  • January 20, 2020

@BCreen 

Everyone has given you a good answer. My question(s)…

What prompted you to want to move over to a wired connection for your Sonos? Typically, it means a person ids having problems with their Wi-Fi….is that the case? If so, what are the symptoms?

Together Everyone Achieves More = T.E.A.M.
ratty
  • ratty
  • January 20, 2020

It looks like the OP is trying to remove the WiFi credentials, not disable the radio.

If the WiFi’s “in use” it means the system’s in ‘mixed mode’ with some devices still on WiFi despite one or more components being wired. They’ll be visible in About My System as WM:1. Powercycling them, or in extremis factory resetting them, should shift those units onto WM:0.

Note however that a Move requires WiFi at all times (other than when on Bluetooth obviously). If there’s one or more in the system then WiFi credentials cannot be removed. A Move remains on WM:1 by design.

B
  • BCreen
  • Author
  • Contributor I
  • January 21, 2020

Wow...thanks for all of the responses.  After some considerations and reflections on what I’ve been asked to clarify, I think the most pertinent thing I can do is explain that that a music source (windows media player) seems to have a song playing/paused and I don’t know how to get rid of it...and THAT may be why when I go to System | Network |  Networks to highlight and remove the wireless system, it won’t let me, because it shows as being “In Use”.

I’ll try cycling the power, etc., without the ethernet cable plugged in….that might “clear” everything, so I can then plug the ethernet cable back in and go remove the WiFi.

BTW, just thought I’d get better access to music sources on my ethernet desktop computers if the SONOS Ones were set up via ethernet….but perhaps it doesn’t really make any difference.

J
  • John B
  • January 21, 2020

This has nothing to do with WMP.  @ratty has (as usual) correctly identified what it is you were trying to do.

The ‘in use’ message is just telling you that you are trying to mess with the WiFi network while at least one Sonos speaker is connecting using that network.  If your system was working fine before you started all this, your best course of action is probably just to go back to how you were.  I don’t really know what you meant by ‘just thought I’d get better access to music sources on my ethernet desktop computers if the SONOS Ones were set up via ethernet’.  But I can’t think of any meaningful benefit that that might refer to.

If you do wire at least one speaker then any wireless speakers need to connect over SonosNet rather than WiFi.  If you wait a couple of minutes they should reconfigure to do this of their own accord.  If not then a simple power cycle of those speakers should sort it.  If you check in ‘About my System’ then all speakers should show WM:0 not WM:1.  At that point you are free to remove your home WiFi details from Sonos, choosing ‘Reset’ in ‘Wireless Setup’.  (Note, however, @ratty’s comments about the Move, if that should happen to apply to you.)

Ken_Griffiths
Ken_Griffiths

Wow...thanks for all of the responses.  After some considerations and reflections on what I’ve been asked to clarify, I think the most pertinent thing I can do is explain that that a music source (windows media player) seems to have a song playing/paused and I don’t know how to get rid of it...and THAT may be why when I go to System | Network |  Networks to highlight and remove the wireless system, it won’t let me, because it shows as being “In Use”.

You can’t remove a WiFi network from Sonos in this area of the Sonos App, it is simply telling you that you have that WiFi connection installed for use with your Sonos Household. In fact the credentials are installed on all your Sonos devices. If you also have one Sonos device wired to you router, then your System is setup for ‘mixed mode’ as @ratty mentions. So your devices may all still be running on SonosNet WM:0, but they could ‘potentially’ switch to your WiFi from time to time depending on the available wireless signal strength etc.

Most here recommend removing ‘mixed mode’ providing you are not using the 2.4ghz WiFi band to run a Sonos “Move” device. To do that you need to go back into the Network settings and go to “Wireless Setup” and go from the 'reset’ button to remove the WiFi credentials from all speakers and ‘force’ them to only connect via their in-built SonosNet wireless mesh/lan connection instead.

I think that is hopefully what you are seeking to do here? However your posts are not too clear. 

I’ll try cycling the power, etc., without the ethernet cable plugged in….that might “clear” everything, so I can then plug the ethernet cable back in and go remove the WiFi.

BTW, just thought I’d get better access to music sources on my ethernet desktop computers if the SONOS Ones were set up via ethernet….but perhaps it doesn’t really make any difference.

If you are looking to actually switch off the Wireless/WiFi card hardware within all your speakers, then whilst that is possible to do in a different area of the Sonos App, it is not recommended that you do that, even if you do wish to cable All your speakers to the LAN. It is usually best to leave the internal WiFi hardware enabled. If your speakers are working, then I would “let sleeping dogs lie” and leave those things as they are.

B
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