Why won't this STUPID software find my speakers!??

Their software sucks out loud. I only use my system every couple weeks on a rainy weekend and it never works right the first time. Have to dick around changing router bands and when it finally finds the system, then it has to update the software .. and it needs a password. Why? To stop some homeless guy from playing Guy Lombardo while I’m not listening? 

What do these constant updates do? I’ve never seen anything improve, it only gets worse. 

If Apple sold phones that worked like this, Nokia would still be king. 

If you would care top describe your network and Sonos set ups, you will get help on here.  Or you can call Sonos Support.  There will be something in your network or wireless environment that is making it impossible for Sonos to function in a stable way.  It may be very easy to change.

The Sonos software is robust - I have been using a six room system for 11 years without issue and if the system itself were faulty there would be no-one who could say that.

The system is connected to the internet so I for one are happy Sonos keeps it updated. I rarely notice updates by the way because they I’ve set them to happen overnight. I never have to update my system myself.

So if you’ve got problems and want help, describe your system, your wifi and the way you use the system (do you disconnect it from power?). When you’ve done that the community or Sonos can try to help.

Then you’re lucky.  I change NOTHING in my network/router, yet Sonos seems to drop various devices almost every time I launch the software. That is POOR development.  And I should know...I’m a software developer myself.

UPDATE:  So I tried YET AGAIN after waiting a day, to update the software.  (It prompted me to AGAIN upon launch!)  This time it actually found 2 more speakers, but not all.  So I once again clicked ADD PRODUCT.  And once again it prompted me to update...which I did.  When that finished, guess what??!!  It LOST the 2 speakers it had previously found.  This is SUCH a joke!

Obviously, it’s a software problem. There’s nothing wrong with your router or your wifi. Or - maybe, just maybe - the issue might lie there? Maybe a neighbour has a new system and is on the same wifi channel as you. Or maybe your router got an update pushed to it by the manufacturer and that’s reset something? 
You could try providing information about your infrastructure, as already asked, or you could continue as you are. It’s a community forum here, so you are free to vent your frustration, and you are free to seek assistance. Your choice…

Sonos is a networked audio system.  It relies on constant communication between multiple devices over a reliable and correctly configured network to function.  By all means continue to rant and fail to provide any useful information that would help us to help you.  

Your issues are blatantly network related.  You are not approaching the problem in a sensible way.  You are trying to add products that are already in your system but which cannot be seen by the controller app because the network is preventing it.

Your choice: continue to do things that won’t help because you don’t understand the system, or get some informed advice.

In my long experience on here, there is nothing anyone can say that will convince me more that they are talking absolute garbage.

No I take that back.  It is just shaded by “And I should know.  I’m a network engineer myself”.

To add to this, an upgrade typically means all the speakers in your home/system will get a firmware update.  So if you’re having network issues, and not all your speakers are visible in the Sonos app...don’t do the update yet.  Some of your speakers will update, while the others will not. You’re only complicating matters by having speakers on different firmware versions.  Not to mention that you’ll obviously be asked to upgrade the same version more than once. Fix your network issues first, at least to the point that your devices are visible in the network.

How would you handle one of your clients once they’ve decided that the issue must be t...] or cannot be t...], and will not supply any details beyond “it doesn’t work”?

As am I, going on 30 years now, and I’ve never seen symptoms like yours that are not due to network problems, specifically duplicate IP addresses.  So humor me and listen:

Often after an update, the rebooting that occurs uncovers network problems. Specifically duplicate IP addresses. These will cause sporadic connections, disappearing components, etc. To solve, reboot/power cycle each of these in order:

Modem
Router
Hubs or switches
Wired Sonos components
Wireless Sonos components
Computers, printers
Phones, tablets, all other wireless devices

Note you can prevent duplicate IP dresses by reserving a permanent IP for each Sonos unit in your router setup. See your router manual for details.