I am not sure if there has been an “update” or such like in the last week or so but in that time, when I seek to connect to the Sonos on my iPhone, it fades through the connection screen and comes up with the error message and “fix it”. Each time I have to go through the process and 75% of the time I have to turn the router off and back on again, hence disabling house WiFi for about 10 minutes. I would say it has happened every 2 or 3 days in the past week. Connection to my Mac remains fine in the meantime just the iPhone app. It is a pain. Before you ask, it is not a new router etc. I have also had to hard wire the Sonos via ethernet to get it to locate it. Again, only from the iPhone app and not the computer. Answers on a postcard please
It has been set up on normal Wifi, using a BT smart Hub 2 for the last 4 months. Before that and before I added the Sonos One 4 months ago, it was using the old Sonos bridge mesh network. Would it work better if I went back to using the sonos bridge in the system, providing the Sonos One and Alexa work with the bridge?
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It has been set up on normal Wifi, using a BT smart Hub 2 for the last 4 months. Before that and before I added the Sonos One 4 months ago, it was using the old Sonos bridge mesh network. Would it work better if I went back to using the sonos bridge in the system, providing the Sonos One and Alexa work with the bridge?
As your system is currently on S1, this may work. As a rule, however, we recommend not using the Bridge these days - they’re a bit outdated now. It would be a better idea to permanently ethernet-wire one of your speakers. If you do decide to try with the Bridge, you’ll need to start with factory resetting your Bridge.
On BT routers, I typically make sure to disable Extended UPnP Security. This can be found by browsing to your router’s configuration page (http://192.168.1.254) then selecting the following: Advanced Settings » Firewall » Configuration. You’ll need to log in at some point with the detail found on a sticker on your router. Please make sure that normal UPnP is turned on.
Thanks for the tips Corry.
The router UPnP change worked temporarily, like all the others I have made but the iPhone soon lost connection again. I took your second tip and hard wired one of the Play 5 speakers and after that removed all wireless settings from the App. It has been working like a dream since.
However, this is not a solution to the WiFi problem, that is obviously still there for me and others but I was lucky enough to be able to hard wire one speaker and create a Sonos Net mesh channel.
Thanks again for your help Corry.
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Thanks for the reply, I have nothing that extends the wifi, I have BT home hub2, as I stated above, twice.
I’m sorry, but you stated no such thing. One of the worst things I can do is assume something about your network - that can do nothing but lead you down the wrong path. The BT Home Hub 2 is positively antediluvian and I recommend you get in touch with BT and update it. If you meant to say the BT Smart Hub 2, that’s much newer. All free routers are somewhat substandard, however.
Nothing works for more than around 12 hours, today I worked from home so didn’t leave the house, same thing this evening. Could not find system but then found system when I turned the router on and off again.
I find it very hard to accept that this is anything to do with my wifi, my old iPhone se running OS14.4.2 works perfectly every time.
My windows laptop also works perfectly.
It is only my new model IPhoneSE running the same OS, 14.4.2 and my partners android phone that have the problem.
It’s important to make sure I understand you correctly here. When you say your old iPhone works, do you mean it gets on to the internet, or it connects to Sonos? The same question in regards to your laptop.
Getting one device to connect to the internet is a completely different task for a router to perform than getting 5 devices to communicate continuously over local networking. And it has absolutely everything to do with your router.
Right now, I see all four of your Sonos devices online. If you can’t connect to them with any devices running the Sonos app, then there is most likely a network configuration/performance issue.
If some of your apps can connect to Sonos and some can’t then that could be either the network configuration or the device’s. If those devices were connecting to a guest WiFi broadcast by your router, that would definitely cause problems with connecting to Sonos, but you’d still connect to the internet.
In either case, however, 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.
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Thanks for the tips Corry.
The router UPnP change worked temporarily, like all the others I have made but the iPhone soon lost connection again. I took your second tip and hard wired one of the Play 5 speakers and after that removed all wireless settings from the App. It has been working like a dream since.
However, this is not a solution to the WiFi problem, that is obviously still there for me and others but I was lucky enough to be able to hard wire one speaker and create a Sonos Net mesh channel.
Thanks again for your help Corry.
I’m glad to hear you got things working well - you’re very welcome! Please be sure to keep your Play:5 and router a metre (3 feet) apart to minimise cross-interference.
You may have been affected by band steering on your router - where the router mistakenly identifies Sonos speakers as devices willing to connect to 5GHz when in fact they (some) are not. This can be prevented by having separate 2.4 and 5 GHz SSIDs (broadcasted network names) and not letting Sonos know the 5GHz credentials. This issue would typically result in no controllers being able to connect, however, so perhaps something else was going on.
For those unable to permanently ethernet-wire a speaker there is the Sonos Boost which will create SonosNet near the router without the need to buy a speaker. We would only recommend this if you’ve been in touch with our technical support team and have tried every configurable option.
Edit: I just remembered that you can’t actually split the bands on a BT Smart Hub 2.
Hi. I’m not certain - and I haven’t read all of the other questions/replies on this issue - but I may have found an answer. As before, I have an iPhone 11 running iOS 14.4.2. Constant loss of the Sonos app connection to a Play 5 meaning a re-boot of the home Wi-fi to reconnect. If I go to my iPhone settings, WIFi and turn OFF the privacy setting, then the Sonos app connects and works fine. Not ideal as I’m guessing privacy settings are a good thing to have on but at least (so far and I’ve only just discovered this) it means I don’t have to reboot the Sonos connection and my Wi-fi!
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That’s great to hear - thanks for sharing.
I’ve been on the phone at length to sonos and BT this morning. It’s a known issue to sonos since the router firmware to the BT hub a few weeks back.
According to sonos the work round is:
- hard wire into a speaker to create the mesh network
- turn off 5ghz on the router
- buy a boost and connect this way.
When speaking to BT they denied it was an issue until the lady on the phone (working from home) tried her system and got the same error message : )
She did some more digging and a log has been made with their tech department to sort the issue. Until then… the above work arounds should work.
Very frustrating a firmware update has caused all this.
I have since ordered a boost - can anyone confirm their system with a boost is ok?
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I have since ordered a boost - can anyone confirm their system with a boost is ok?
A Boost wired to the network will do nothing that a wired speaker won’t do - if you have the option of wiring a speaker I recommend you do that instead and get a refund for your Boost. Boosts are for putting where you have to have your wired connection, but don’t want a speaker there (in a hallway, for example).
A replacement third-party router, although more work to install, would actually be cheaper than a Boost (though the cost varies from £25 to over £1000 - I recommend spending no less than £50-60) and would likely improve your network health, and not just for Sonos.
Regarding BT, our engineers have been in touch with them and they are investigating. They will not consider it a priority, however, unless they get significant customer contact - so please contact BT. We ask you not to mention Sonos, as the issue is not restricted to our products - just highlighted by them - and use the wording given on my reply here:
Thanks for the reply.
Unfortunately I don’t have a speaker close to my router location so the boost may be the only option for me.
Agree though for others a hard wire will resolve the issue.
I have flagged the issue to BT also. See if they act upon it any time soon.
Thanks for getting back to me Cory.
I have had a look at the BT website and can see they have some information regarding the Smart Hub2 on there regarding resetting it I will need to read it properly over the weekend.
what I still find strange is that my husband’s iPad has no trouble using the Sonos app but I will try and contact your technical support tomorrow to see what they say.
I made a thread on the same issue a couple of days ago having this same issue happening in some iPhones and iPads and computers, it not on others, in the house.
it’s been interesting reading the replies, particularly from Corry P, thanks for the insight.
I too have the BT Smart Hub 2, also suffered no connection from some devices from about a week and a half or so ago. I always have a Play 3 hardwired into the router though, but it was still happening.
Ive turned off the 5 GHz channel and it has worked over the last couple of days, but it does seem more sluggish to bring up the rooms than it used to.
I’ll contact BT on their forum, and make sure to not mention Sonos. If I’m asked why I am so sure that the two bands are not communicating though, what would you suggest I say, to not bring Sonos into the conversation?
I might also look at getting a high quality ADSL (?) replacement for the Smart Hub 2….any particular recommendations that have great coverage, and full gigabit port support?
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Hi. I’m not certain - and I haven’t read all of the other questions/replies on this issue - but I may have found an answer. As before, I have an iPhone 11 running iOS 14.4.2. Constant loss of the Sonos app connection to a Play 5 meaning a re-boot of the home Wi-fi to reconnect. If I go to my iPhone settings, WIFi and turn OFF the privacy setting, then the Sonos app connects and works fine. Not ideal as I’m guessing privacy settings are a good thing to have on but at least (so far and I’ve only just discovered this) it means I don’t have to reboot the Sonos connection and my Wi-fi!
Thanks for sharing that!
What Privacy setting is that, exactly?
I am having the same problem, my windows laptop works fine…. every morning, afternoon, evening and night if I want to use my iPhone to control my system (Sonos S1, running 2 x gen1 play 5s, 1 x Sonos one and 1 x play one) I have to trouble shoot and end up turning my router on and off. I’ve updated my OS, S1 app, changed privacy setting and every other fix possible. THIS IS DRIVING ME MAD!
Please don’t get driven mad - 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, if the steps outlined above in my second reply (and the thread quoted within) don’t help. If you have a BT router, please also disable Extended UPnP Security, as also mentioned above.
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You’re very welcome!
I should reiterate that some may have similar issues/symptoms without this particular bug-or-whatever-it-is actually being the cause, so we very much would like anyone to get in touch with technical support before doing anything drastic to their Sonos systems or networks, or calling BT.
I have rung technical support as requested but the only options they could give me appeared to be (1) connecting one speaker by Ethernet which isn’t possible as all speakers are too far from the router or to (2) change the settings on the router to disable the 5Ghz which I really don’t want to do as the chances are it may well slow my internet speed.
The person I spoke to seemed to think that BT were aware of the problem so I may well take a very deep breath and get in touch with BT in the next few days and see what they say but I have a feeling this is going to be batted back and forth between Sonos and BT.
Calling BT is like rubbing your eyes with sand paper, according to them it’s Sonos’ problem.
I hear you. But if it was truly Sonos’ problem, wouldn’t it be an issue on all other routers as well, and not just BT’s? And why was everything fine a couple of weeks ago, and has suddenly changed?
It is always unfortunate that the customer facing folks inevitably get notification about issues later than almost anyone else, in my experience.
I don’t know the answers to these questions particularly, but they do make me think.
I would contact support but as I work 9-5 mon - Friday that is a bit difficult. Nothing has changed in my set up and until a few weeks ago there was no problem at all.
I am having all of these same problems for the last week or two. Sonos app can’t find my older system components (Play One and Play Three), but does find the Move. I am using an iphone ios 14.5.1. The Sonos app is enabled under Privacy - Local Networks setting. Unplugging the Sonos units has no effect. Whole system connects only via wifi (no ethernet). Unplugging the wifi router works and my phone is able to find all of the Sonos products, only for those older components to again not be found by the next morning. Same is happening on my partner’s phone. We have a Verizon fios router here, not a BT smart hub, so I’m thinking the problem isn’t specific to that smart hub. Is there a solution for this? Must be happening to many people.
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From your description of the problem, I think it best 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 network.
We have also had a similar sounding issue: Sonos system with various speakers, a Play 1 being the oldest, a Windows 10 computer connects okay, iPad and new iPhone now connecting inconsistently for few days, same goes for a Galaxy A40. All connected to a BT Smart Hub 2.
I tried things from various community threads without success, so decided to turn off the 5 GHz wifi in the Smart Hub 2, and then found this lengthy thread. Everything has started working again, so far - I will see if it still is in a couple of days, and might try turning the 5 GHz wifi back on.
My gut feeling was that it was a BT router problem (too many types of mobile devices and apps not connecting - router’s job is more complicated - I trust Sonos hardware more than BT routers ...) because there would otherwise be a lot more internationally, but it didn’t help that Sonos has been hassling us to upgrade to S2 for quite some time, despite there being 2 older (less used) mobile devices that won’t support it. We spent some time upgrading to S2 before finding out that it didn’t help.
It would have been useful if I could have listed community threads by date.
I hope that once more than one person mentioned this to BT they would be trying to correct it, although the people on the phone might not know it.
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I would contact support but as I work 9-5 mon - Friday that is a bit difficult. Nothing has changed in my set up and until a few weeks ago there was no problem at all.
Yeah, that can make it quite difficult.
Do you have anything that extends the reach of your router? What router do you have?
What has changed in the last few weeks? Any new devices in your home?
Do you have a guest WiFi?
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