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Sonos sound drops out when routing various music services via a Sonos Connect device (S1)

My Sonos system is version S1 and comprises: Controller, Connect, and Play 5.

Connections: Play 5 is a wired connection to Virgin Media router. Connect has a wireless connection to my home network and has a wired connection to my audio amplifier. My network has a Virgin Media Wi Fi Pod to improve network performance.

What I know …..

I previously had difficulties accessing the Sonos Controller in our main living area and this has been resolved by adding a Virgin Media Wi Fi Pod to strengthen the network signal (now showing 28 Mbps download speed).

However, the audio feed through the Sonos Connect device is falling out at regular intervals (it’s off more than it’s on). This issue started before I fitted the Wi Fi Pod.

My system previously included a Sonos Bridge, but the Sonos Community advised removing this when I contacted them at least a year ago. This improved the performance at the time.

The Sonos Controller is showing the audio feed is active from multiple sources, but it’s struggling to provide a stable sound through the Sonos Connect device attached to my audio amplifier.

The Play 5 speaker, with its wired connection to the Virgin Media router in another living area, can play the same audio feeds without issue.

I’ve tried moving the Wi Fi Pod to different locations within our main living area , but the problem persists. This includes plugging in the Wi Fi Pod to a power outlet within one meter of the Sonos Connect.

If I attach the Wi Fi Pod directly to the Sonos Connect by ethernet cable, then this marginally improves the service,  but there are still regular drop outs.

I tried connecting the Sonos Connect directly to the Virgin Media router in another room and this provides a good uninterrupted performance through the different services. This also works if I connect the Sonos Connect directly to the Play 5.

In summary, the issue I’m having seems to be with the Sonos Connect and/or network. I’d like to upgrade and possibly extend the Sonos system to version S2, but need to ensure I can fix the above issues before making the commitment.

I’d be very grateful if you could help me with this issue. Thanks.

Hi @GJK 

Thanks for your post!

One very important point is that if you have not disabled WiFi on the Play:5, your Connect will not be connecting to your router or to the WiFi Pod, but to the Play:5 which is broadcasting SonosNet due to it’s ethernet connection. Therefore, it’s possible that you could see an improvement to the Connect’s performance if you disconnect the Play:5’s ethernet cable (or disable it’s WiFi - Settings » System » groom name] » Play:5 » Disable WiFi).

Alternatively, please ensure that neither the Play:5 or Connect are within 1m of other WiFi-enabled devices (especially the router).

If these steps do not improve matters, I recommend you get in touch with our technical support team who have tools at their disposal that will allow them to give you advice specific to your Sonos system and what it reports. Or, you could submit a support diagnostic and post the given number here and I’ll take a look for you, but please be aware that contacting technical support is generally the quickest route to a resolution.

Incidentally, the Virgin WiFi Pod sounds suspiciously like a WiFi Extender, which are not supported by Sonos (but that doesn’t mean it won’t work).

I hope this helps.

 

Hi

Thanks for the previous advice. I checked the wireless connections for both my Play 5 and Connect devices and neither seemed to quite right, so I reconnected both of them. This has made some improvements with both devices now displaying on the app.  However, the sound drop out issue still persists. The Play 5 now works wirelessly, but the Connect still has the original issue. I’ve now experimented by unplugging the the Connect and plugging in the Play 5 to the same power socket. The Play 5 now performs faultlessly in the same room as the Connect. Does this suggest the issue is with the Connect box?

One other issue is that the Sonos app on my iPhone has difficulty in playing music stored on my desktop. I have the Sonos Controller running on the same desktop and this works fine. However, the iPhone app seems to work only when the music is already playing.  Any thoughts on this?

Thanks for the link to your technical support team. I’ll contact them shortly to see they can assist further.

 

Thanks for your help with this.

Hi @GJK 

I’ve now experimented by unplugging the the Connect and plugging in the Play 5 to the same power socket. The Play 5 now performs faultlessly in the same room as the Connect. Does this suggest the issue is with the Connect box?

That’s entirely possible, yes. The technical support team will let you know.

One other issue is that the Sonos app on my iPhone has difficulty in playing music stored on my desktop. I have the Sonos Controller running on the same desktop and this works fine. However, the iPhone app seems to work only when the music is already playing.  Any thoughts on this?

This is a bit weird. It’s not the Desktop Controller or the iPhone Controller that gets the music - it’s a speaker that does it, after receiving instruction to from a Controller. It shouldn’t make the slightest bit of difference which controller you use to provide the instruction.

Thanks for the link to your technical support team. I’ll contact them shortly to see they can assist further.

Thanks for your help with this.

They should be able to (or at least tell you what’s going on if it is the Connect). And, you are very welcome!

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