Is the Boost going away?

@controlav

You’re right “Last Chance” doesn’t bode well for the longevity of the Boost as a Sonos product solution for connectivity issues. On the other hand the fact that Sonos has moved away for the SonosNet with its newest speakers indicates Sonos (IMO) is betting that Wi-Fi issues may be a non-issue going forward in the majority of setups.

Stand-alone routers are quickly becoming a thing of the past for most consumers. Mesh network solutions are on the rise not just for personal purchase; but are becoming the go-to-solution for ISP’s as well. When properly configured “good” signal strength can be had just about any where in a persons home. Older renovated homes with plaster walls are the exception. However, in those cases Wi-Fi signal strength will be an issue for all devices.

Setting up a Mesh network is requiring less technical know how and the process is mostly automated. However, it does require the ability to understand basic terms such as WAN and LAN ports for connectivity of the cables if setting up a non-ISP provided Mesh. On the other hand the enclosed “quick start” guides typically have illustrated directions to follow. Some even offer a scannable QR Code that links to a step-by-step video. Speaking of videos there are a lot of DiY Youtube videos on the router of a persons choice. Individuals can also use their cell phones to setup/configure their Mesh network.

I’ve also noticed that members in this community are becoming more “Network” tech savvy. Understanding one’s home network is becoming a necessity as so many home devices require Wi-Fi and access to the internet for any number of reasons. Sonos by proxy is just part of that infrastructure. 

I believe the manufacturers of home networking equipment (be it a stand alone router or Mesh) are actively trying to make their products more reliable and user friendly. The market potential for $$$ is growing and no one wants their product labeled as difficult to use and/or unreliable.

The Wi-FI Alliance (of which every manufacturer of networking equipment is a member) has made it easier for the consumer to understand what version of WiFi they are getting. Gone are the days of Wi-Fi identification as 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax. It’s now just a simple number the latest being Wi-FI 6, 6e and coming Wi-Fi 7.

So, Sonos IMO sees the future and is going to great lengths to build their equipment with better overall components and NIC’s. I also believe that for Sonos it was an inevitable evolution to move away from the SonosNet. Not just for quality of reliability; but also as a means to stay relevant in the wireless speaker market. Consumers want a product they can take home, setup on their home network and enjoy. Let’s be honest...people in this community have complained about having to purchase a Boost (if unable to wire a speaker) to enjoy Sonos. 

IMO, as far as a statement (if any) by Sonos regarding the “Boost” it will probably be geared toward building better products for the future that are more autonomous without the need for a $99 secondary device. Then again I could be wrong as Sonos may have a “Master” plan that no one would have ever “Thunk”. BTW, the last word in the previous sentence was not a misspell/mis-speak 😂

Sonos will do what it decides, but removing the Boost goes against the backwards compatibility promise, unstated though that may be.

In the immediate future there will be lots of BOOST’s available on the used market. Hopefully, they will be Factory Reset prior to installation.

SONOS has the sales data. I suspect that BOOST sales have been minimal for several years and it’s not worth tying up the resources required to build another batch. Plus, some of the parts used by BOOST might be obsolete — requiring the redesign of a product that has virtually no market potential.

Indeed, we should be careful to separate SonosNet itself, and the BOOST as a product. 

I find the Boost concept to be very useful in my use case; I even have  two Bridge units updated to the latest S1 version as back ups for any future needs because I don’t need more than those for a stable system.