Help with accessing a UPnP (DLNA) server

Antifon,

Anything on the controller mobile device that might be stopping you seeing the UPnP service, perhaps security software of some kind? Or, is the controller connecting to the speakers via an access point that is perhaps operating on a different WiFi channel to the one in use for the speakers (assuming they are on WiFi and not running on SonosNet?).

Also if the speakers are running on the local router WiFi signal, then perhaps try them on SonosNet instead by wiring just one Sonos device to the LAN, to see if that makes a difference.

If no luck after that, then perhap consider resetting the Sonos Controller App from “Settings/App Preferences” and connecting back to the existing system to see if that resolves the issue.

If you have access to a Windows machine does it’s Window Media Server service show up on your controller App?

There is nothing unusual about the controller - it’s just a Lenovo Android tablet that has the simplest possible history - I took it out of the box, updated the software and installed the Sonos S2 app - that’s all I’ve ever done with it.

All of the Sonos devices (three Ports, two Symfonisks, one Move) are on SonosNet with a dedicated connection from a Boost to my router, except the Move (which can’t be on Sonosnet). The Move is on its own dedicated Access Point directly connected to my broadband router.

I’ve tried turning on Media Streaming on the Windows PC and that does immediately show up under the “Browse” section on the Sonos controller. Given that, it probably won’t help to reset the controller app.

So, it seems that there is something about the way that both Rygel and MiniDLNA are advertising themselves on the network that the controller doesn’t like. But how do I find out what??? Or do I just give up?

With your Move on WiFi and your other speakers on SonosNet I would have expected things to work and particularly as you mention the Lenovo tablet is virtually straight out the box... so I’m really at a loss as to why both UPnP servers you have tried are not showing up in the Sonos App and the fact they are working with other UPnP clients like VLC Media Player, makes it even more baffling?

I did a quick search and came across this thread below, but I find it somewhat confusing, as it mentions going through a shared library setup, rather than accessing a UPnP service?.. but thought you may want to see it anyway and perhaps message the user, by all accounts the user is using an SMB v1 share, rather than a ‘media server’ setup.

https://en.community.sonos.com/controllers-software-228995/playbar-linux-minidlna-in-2020-6838000

My thoughts are to go onto speak/web-chat with Sonos Support via this LINK, to see if they can perhaps provide any further suggestions for you to try. 

Hope you find the answers you are looking for.

Ken - thanks for your thoughts. I had seen that thread, but it does indeed seem a bit confused!

I did try adding a shared library as you suggest, using the location (as reported by VLC Media Player on one of my Linux machines):

upnp://http://192.168.1.5:8200/ctl/ContentDir&ObjectID=0

- and all of the variations that I could think of, but the shared library setup dialogue really does seem to only want to see an SMB share. If I chop off the http:// and/or the upnp:// it will try but just says that there is no shared folder at /ctl on that computer.

I’ll try the support link that you provided a bit later, but first I’m going to look through every one of the options in the MiniDLNA config file, in case there is anything obscure set to =false when =true, or vice versa, might help!

It certainly seems to be broken, doesn't it? I tried 3 different UPnP/DLNA servers and none show up in the Sonos app. They all showed up on my TV, my receiver and my Windows PC running Windows Media Player, however! I guess this feature is broken?? I tried the support chat bot and only got various responses of “I don’t know about that”. Disappointing…

I have been producing Sonos apps for about a decade, with hundreds of thousands of customers. In all that time, one person asked for it to support UPnP/DLNA servers. I investigated the work required, but it was too much to be worth it, especially for one customer in my case.

Hi controlav, I’ve been going through the forums (and loads of other places in the Internet) trying to find a simple way to just play status messages / alerts (mp3 files) on my Sonos 1 from a C# WPF app I’m writing.
From your last message above UPnP is not the way to go, I was going try and use LibVLC that has UPnP support.
Could you point me in the right direction please and/or have any hints?
Also what’s the Sonos app you’ve written please?

Thanks in advance.
Martin

The “simplest” way to play your own audio is via the audioClip cloud call but it only works on a subset of devices. See https://developer.sonos.com/reference/control-api/audioclip/ It does resume the previous content though, which is impossible to do the other way.

The other way is to use UPnP to stream from a local url. You’ll need an http server to supply the stream (LibVLC might have one, dunno), then call AVTransport.SetAVTransportURI on your device of choice.

My apps are listed in my Profile (I get into trouble if I namedrop them directly).

Thank you for the update. I found ur app and purchased and installed. :-)
I don’t suppose you hav any plans 2 release the guts of ur app as a library?

So if somethin is playin and I (hopefully) manage 2 send audio 2 play it via UPnP there’s no way 2 pause the current audio and resume it afterwards?

Queen at Knebworth! So jealous. Saw them at Isle of White festival with Adam Lambert, not the same but still an incredible show. :-)

When I created the iOS app I structured the code and the project with a view to open sourcing the whole thing. Its .Net Core code so runs on Windows/iOS/Android, unlike my Windows app codebase which has a long history and some knarly code I wouldn’t want anyone else to see. Plus its not remotely portable.

I might still open source the newer repo one day. Dunno.

Saving and restoring the playstate via UPnP is an impossible task, which is why the audioClip method is preferred.

Queen was my first ever concert, quite the one to start with. Took about four hours to get out of the damn car park.