Skip to main content
Antifon
Prodigy III
March 25, 2021

Help with accessing a UPnP (DLNA) server

  • March 25, 2021
  • 21 replies
  • 14628 views

I know this has been asked before, but not for quite a while, so I’m hoping things may have improved, or there may be some more relevant recent experience.

When I was having trouble getting shared folders working (my environment is Linux, which involves configuring SAMBA which is not exactly simple) it was suggested that setting up a UPnP media server instead should be easier.

It turns out that setting up the UPnP server was easy under Linux, but getting the Sonos controller to see it is not!

I chose to use Rygel as the server (rather than MiniDLNA, which has not been maintained for years), and it was almost trivial to set up. If I use VLC Media Player or Windows Media Player I can see the files on the server and play them remotely without a problem, but the Sonos controller does not display the server when I look at the Browse screen, or anywhere else for that matter.

Can anyone suggest things to try that they think I may have missed? Unfortunately I don’t think Sonos document exactly what they support in terms of DLNA, so I’m working in the dark a bit here...

This topic has been closed for further comments. You can use the search bar to find a similar topic, or create a new one by clicking Create Topic at the top of the page.

21 replies

Ken_Griffiths
Ken_Griffiths
March 25, 2021

An obvious question perhaps (but just in case), have you enabled the UPnP service in the Sonos App "Settings/System/Media Servers”?

    AntifonAuthor
    Prodigy III
    March 25, 2021

    Thanks - yes, I have. Made no difference at all, sadly.

      Ken_Griffiths
      Ken_Griffiths
      March 25, 2021

      What type of file system is the disk or partition using for the music library - I’m just wondering if the disk format might be the issue? I’m not sure if Sonos can see certain file systems… but it’s just a thought, rather than something I’m actually aware of? I’m thinking it might need to be Fat16 or 32 rather than say Ext4 perhaps?

      I know shared libraries have some limitations in this area… see this link:

      https://support.sonos.com/s/article/4876

      I’m just not sure if something similar may also apply to a UPnP service?

        AntifonAuthor
        Prodigy III
        March 25, 2021

        I think that UPnP should completely hide the filesystem type from the client. The server is indeed running with an Ext4 filesystem, but Windows Media Player sees the files absolutely fine and Windows has no concept of what Ext4 is (or more accurately, Microsoft chooses to make sure that Windows cannot read any fully native Linux filesystems).

        My understanding is that one of the features of UPnP is to make such underlying differences invisible to the client.

          Ken_Griffiths
          Ken_Griffiths
          March 25, 2021

          I did just quickly setup a UPnP server on an iPad Pro using a free App called UPnP Xtreme, just to check the Sonos App is working with UPnP servers and that has setup fine (see screenshot) albeit I don’t have any music stored on the device to test it fully, but it certainly shows up on the ‘Browse Tab’.

          I can only think it might be something with the server software, but why it works with other Apps and not Sonos, I’m not sure, unless there’s some kind of compatibility/sharing issue, perhaps?

          The Sonos App is picking up/seeing such servers from what I’m seeing here.

            Belly M
            Belly M
            March 25, 2021

            I was on the other thread and likewise I turned on a UPnP  server which run on an old WD NAS, work ok with Sonos and it also found my Panasonic TV. So like Ken guessing it’s Rygel, is there a dedicated forum where you can ask for help?

              AntifonAuthor
              Prodigy III
              March 25, 2021

              Thanks - the only option within Rygel that might have a bearing is the “force-downgrade-for” option, which forces downgrade to MediaServer:1 and/or ContentDirectory:1 but I’ve no idea if the Sonos Controller requires it!

              The problem with trying to set that option is that you need to include a semicolon-separated list of device user-agents that need to use that option - but how do I find out what a Sonos user-agent name looks like to put it in the list, if I can never get the user-agent to recognise that the DLNA server exists?

              Ken_Griffiths
              Ken_Griffiths
              March 25, 2021

              Nothing ventured…

              Maybe try this - in a web browser goto "http://[Any Sonos Device IP Address]:1400/support/review” 

              Your devices get listed by room name followed by something that looks like this… "RINCON_542A1BD0029202400” in brackets 

              Maybe try those as the "user-agents".

              Perhaps just try one device to begin with.
              HTH

               

                AntifonAuthor
                Prodigy III
                March 25, 2021

                Thanks - Windows Media Player lists the Sonos devices (as servers, not clients) by IP address so I tried adding the IP addresses of all of the Sonos boxes in the “force-downgrade-for” option but… no dice!

                I’ll try what you suggest - I can see the “RINCON_...” string that you refer to as a UUID in Widows as well, so that might work. I’ll give it a try….

                Edit: No - didn’t work! Ok, time to get rid of Rygel and see if MiniDLNA will work instead.

                  AntifonAuthor
                  Prodigy III
                  March 27, 2021

                  [Slight delay while I got my Symfonisk speakers up and running]

                  Ok, I’ve uninstalled Rygel and installed MiniDLNA, and MiniDLNA is working - I can fire up a Windows machine, run Windows Media Player and it will find the server and play music Ok. Or I can use VLC Media Player on a Linux-based PC and it will play music from the server Ok.

                  But… the Sonos controller refuses to see it. This is just an abject failure. It’s not a problem with filesystems or permissions or firewalls because everything else on my network can see it and play from it.

                  So… if anyone else can suggest other things to try I would be grateful.

                  I know it can be done (or at least it has been done in the past) because it was a post in this forum that suggested that I use MiniDLNA!

                    Show more replies
                    Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement