Sonos Boost trouble shooting

  • 10 January 2017
  • 11 replies
  • 684 views

I have a new Sonos Play 5, which is in the gym extension. My wifi does not go to that area too well, so added a Sonos boost closer to the gym. However, after setting it all up, whenever i go into the gym, the Sonos app defaults to 'You need to be connected to a wifi network' message.

How do I test the Boost signal, or see it I am connecting to my network, through it, or if the PLay 5 is connecting to the boost??? This is really frustrating. I am using an iPhone 7+. When i do a WiFi sarch, it just sees my hub, not the boost?

I thought Sonos was suposed to 'just work'!!

Please help.

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11 replies

Userlevel 6
Badge +3
Hello and Welcome to the Sonos community

Can you please tell us more about your system?
How many Sonos products do you have?
The new Boost is it hardwired to the router or do you have another Sonos product hard wired to the router?
What do you see when you go to about my Sonos system in the app?
Badge +20
Please note, assuming you are using Sonosnet (one Sonos device is hardwired) then the Boost will help Sonos devices, it however will NOT help the wifi signal to your iPhone.
So, the Play 5 will be connected by the boost.....but the extra wifi signal cannot be picked up by the phone?? Thats ridiculous!

Surely, a regular wifi booster would do the same job, but for both the Play and the phone, in that area??
The BOOST doesn't emit WiFi. It sets up SonosNet, Sonos' own dedicated wireless mesh. To do so it needs to be wired. This puts the system into 'BOOST Setup'.

A regular WiFi extender may work. It would leave the PLAY:5 in 'Standard Setup'. However extenders aren't officially supported.

It's worth pointing out that Android devices can attach to a BOOST (or any other Sonos device) using SonosNet. iDevices can't, owing to operating system restrictions.
So, if i atatch a second router to my Hub, to extend the regular wifi signal to the phone, and leave the boost to connect the Play 5, then that should solve the signal problems to both devices?

Thanks for your suggestions, guys.
By 'Hub' I take it you mean router.

If you use a second router to extend a WiFi signal it can't be configured as an actual router. This would break the network in two. It needs to be configured as an access point or extender.
No idea how to do that!!! Is it easy? Sorry......Not as tech savvy as i though i was....
Post the router make and model and we can tell you how to do it.
https://www.cnet.com/uk/how-to/how-to-turn-an-old-wi-fi-router-into-an-access-point/
TP-Link N600 Model No TD-W9980
See this link for how to configure a TP-Link router as a wireless bridge/extender:

http://www.tp-link.com/us/faq-440.html