I have echo dots and echo show's sprinkled around my home. My Echo Dots / Echo Shows have names that are concise to make it easy to use Alexa commands like "Alexa, drop in on the Kitchen", or "Alexa, call the Master Bedroom".
However, I also have similarly named Sonos Connect Amps tied to the built-in speakers in each room. For example, in Sonos, my Sonos Connect Amp that drives my master bedroom is simply called "Master Bedroom".
I also have rooms that have in-ceiling speakers powered by a Sonos Connect amp that does not share the name of the Echo Dot/Show. "Dining Room" and "Piano Room" all have speakers/connect amp but no corresponding Echo Dot/Show.
This has resulted in Amazon Alexa app recognizing the Sonos Connect Amps that have names that do not conflict with existing Echo Dot/Show devices. If there is a name conflict (e.g. Echo Dot named 'Master Bedroom' and Sonos Connect Amp named 'Master Bedroom') then the Sonos Connect Amp is not detected nor displayed in the list of Alexa Devices. Conversely, if there is no name conflict (e.g. Sonos Connect Amp named 'Piano Room' but no Echo Dot/Show devices with that exact same name) then that Sonos Connect Amp shows up under the Alexa Device List within the Alexa App.
It seems to me that Alexa needs to have rooming features similar to that of Samsung SmartThings where you can group devices together into a logical 'Room' construct and control those items as a group. For example, if I have a room called "Master Bedroom" and an Echo Dot named "Master Bedroom Dot" and a Sonos Connect Amp called "Master Bedroom Speakers" and I have the Master Bedroom Dot and the Master Bedroom Speakers linked to the "Master Bedroom" room object then I should be able to use commands like "Alexa, call the master bedroom" and Alexa should know that the command should target the Echo Dot in the "Master Bedroom". Likewise, if I use commands like "Alexa, Play the Beatles in the Master Bedroom" then it should target the "Master Bedroom Speakers" device.
I was thinking that Sonos would achieve this type of integration by allowing their speakers/devices (i.e. Sonos Connect/Connect Amps) to be detected as speakers within Alexa rather than 'Alexa Devices'. Thus allowing Sonos devices to appear in the "Mutli-Room Audio" settings of the Alexa app and thus allowing Sonos and Echo devices to be grouped similarly as to what is possible with the Sonos app. However, none of my Sonos devices (name conflict or not) appear in the multi-room audio settings--only Amazon Echo devices. This is unfortunate.
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We got a similar setup here. Living room, dining room and kitchen all all equipped with Hue lights as well as SONOS speakers and they all share identical names.
Having hard time thinking of unique names for each device as it needs to remain intuitive for all residents.
Having hard time thinking of unique names for each device as it needs to remain intuitive for all residents.
We shouldn't have to do this. We should be able to link objects to an intuitively name room object then uniquely name objects should react to commands associated with their function (e.g. Speakers respond to audio commands, intercom devices like echo dot respond to calls or drop ins, etc.)
this apparently will get better with some new Alexa updates where the "Sonos" speaker will be context sensitive, but for the moment I have renamed my Sonos zones to things like "Bedroom Speaker" and "Kitchen Speaker". Its not as simple as I would like, but it works for now until this improves
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