Hi
Let's say i'm having a party, and my Sonos is playing the music.
Many of my guests are friends that earlier has gotten access to my WiFi. During the party, these guests could download Sonos Controller/app, connect to Sonos, and start controlling the music.
There is no way in Sonos controllers to set a password, to avoid this behaviour.
Other workarounds would be setting up a guest WiFi network that doesn't have access to Sonos, but this would require a new router (in som cases), or change my original password in my entire existing network, which would be annoying ;)
Are there any plans to add this feature?
Maybe even a possibility to require a password for each Sonos device (tick box in controller preferences for each device?)
Am i missing something, other than keeping my guests sober and not annoying 😃
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Completely agree. This would really help quite a few people and can't be that difficult to implement.
The sonos defenders here are crazy
Consider for a second the "Sonos defenders" have no way of forcing Sonos to do anything, and have no way of "making the app better" themselves. So instead, they try to make the most out of a bad situation and point the poster towards a workaround, no matter how unsatisfactory it may be. Sure beats pissing and moaning without offering any help whatsoever, huh?
Consider for a second the "Sonos defenders" have no way of forcing Sonos to do anything, and have no way of "making the app better" themselves. So instead, they try to make the most out of a bad situation and point the poster towards a workaround, no matter how unsatisfactory it may be. Sure beats pissing and moaning without offering any help whatsoever, huh?
I actually found the post very helpful (not in a technical sense but to bring some balance and sanity), though I would have never called the posters here crazy as I find it disrespectful and inappropriate as mental health is not something to throw around. I guess the point of your post was to complain about the others opinion calling it "pissing and moaning." But when you say "try to make the most out of a bad situation" it seems you agree with the main thrust of this thread and find the lack of password to be bad. There's some common ground, seems you both agree on this.
;-)
I think most of us agree that a password or zone lock feature would be a add a lot of value.
Other don't seem to care.
I need to lock certain zones at certain times so as to protect my ability to work from home.
I personally see real value here and can't believe this has never been implemented.
I think most of us agree that a password or zone lock feature would be a add a lot of value.
Other don't seem to care.
I need to lock certain zones at certain times so as to protect my ability to work from home.
I personally see real value here and can't believe this has never been implemented.
The other forums had epic lists of features, the debates were truly something to behold. This was just one of them in a very long list, which is why I am not optimistic it will ever be implemented. Though Sonos and Apple seem to be developing some partnership (maybe more) so who knows what will happen in the future: http://vowe.net/archives/015443.html
I actually found the post very helpful (not in a technical sense but to bring some balance and sanity), though I would have never called the posters here crazy as I find it disrespectful and inappropriate as mental health is not something to throw around. I guess the point of your post was to complain about the others opinion calling it "pissing and moaning." But when you say "try to make the most out of a bad situation" it seems you agree with the main thrust of this thread and find the lack of password to be bad. There's some common ground, seems you both agree on this.
My opinion is that some reasons for requesting this can be wholly and satisfactorily solved by a guest network. These reasons include "I don't want my neighbors visiting and then being able to control my system." or "If I give my guests my password, they can control my music just by downloading the app" complaints. I also feel the "My kids think it is funny to play rap music at 4 AM on my bedroom speakers" complaints are parenting issues, not Sonos issues. However, "party mode" allowing only additions to the queue and other social gathering functions are a great idea.
But that is neither here nor there when considering the posts which consist of throwing stones at "Sonos defenders" who want nothing more than to give alternatives to Sonos' apparent lack of response to their concerns. These posts are the "pissing and moaning" (aka "attacking the messenger") of which I speak.
I actually found the post very helpful (not in a technical sense but to bring some balance and sanity), though I would have never called the posters here crazy as I find it disrespectful and inappropriate as mental health is not something to throw around. I guess the point of your post was to complain about the others opinion calling it "pissing and moaning." But when you say "try to make the most out of a bad situation" it seems you agree with the main thrust of this thread and find the lack of password to be bad. There's some common ground, seems you both agree on this.
My opinion is that some reasons for requesting this can be wholly and satisfactorily solved by a guest network. These reasons include "I don't want my neighbors visiting and then being able to control my system." or "If I give my guests my password, they can control my music just by downloading the app" complaints. I also feel the "My kids think it is funny to play rap music at 4 AM on my bedroom speakers" complaints are parenting issues, not Sonos issues. However, "party mode" allowing only additions to the queue and other social gathering functions are a great idea.
But that is neither here nor there when considering the posts which consist of throwing stones at "Sonos defenders" who want nothing more than to give alternatives to Sonos' apparent lack of response to their concerns. These posts are the "pissing and moaning" (aka "attacking the messenger") of which I speak.
I would say both sides are throwing stones, though I can see why you seem to be particularly aggrieved. Shall we call a timeout?
I recognize your opinion and sound parenting advice. However I don't agree with it. I've received solid advice on this thread and am at an equilibrium with this issue. However certain life changes will mean that this equilibrium will not last. There is only so much I can do to mitigate the issues on my end. But in the end IMO Sonos is the one who should be solving this problem at a more satisfactory level.
There is only so much I can do to mitigate the issues on my end. But in the end IMO Sonos is the one who should be solving this problem at a more satisfactory level.
COMPLETELY AGREE.
I've gone through a lot of these threads. I've had Sonos for a long time. It used to be a niche product and so didn't have a lot of knowledge on how to access the system. Now I have friends come over and mess with it just for fun. It's quite annoying.
The "parent your friends" folks in this thread really need to wake up and smell the coffee. People here are asking for something apparently simple -- if Sonos wants to come on here and say it's dramatically complex for some reason to add a PIN, then we're all ears. But until then, let's assume adding a PIN to the process is easy. Many of the devices we use -- wifi, computer, phone, car, house, iPad, etc -- require authentication with a key or PIN. Our house key doesn't work on our car because we intentionally DO NOT want to couple those together, so that if you give someone your car key you have also given that person access to the house. Is it really unreasonable to ask for something so that giving someone wifi access doesn't give someone access to sonos? In every group of people there will be an immature person who will think it's funny to mess with the sonos. Or even a literally immature person, like a 5 year old who gets a hold of an unlocked iPad and wants to blast music at 6am. "Why not just lock the iPAD?? Huh? Huhhhh????" Well, why can you lock "in-app purchases" on an iphone? Because there are many instance where you allow access to the phone, but not EVERYTHING on it. Sonos included.
Sonos is such that they don't even need YOUR device to break in. They can use their own phone to buzz in, as long as they have your wifi password. "Just set up a guest network!!!" OK, maybe I will, but it seems like a nuisance to have to do that because Sonos simply won't use a PIN. It boggles the mind that they haven't added this feature.
The "parent your friends" folks in this thread really need to wake up and smell the coffee. People here are asking for something apparently simple -- if Sonos wants to come on here and say it's dramatically complex for some reason to add a PIN, then we're all ears. But until then, let's assume adding a PIN to the process is easy. Many of the devices we use -- wifi, computer, phone, car, house, iPad, etc -- require authentication with a key or PIN. Our house key doesn't work on our car because we intentionally DO NOT want to couple those together, so that if you give someone your car key you have also given that person access to the house. Is it really unreasonable to ask for something so that giving someone wifi access doesn't give someone access to sonos? In every group of people there will be an immature person who will think it's funny to mess with the sonos. Or even a literally immature person, like a 5 year old who gets a hold of an unlocked iPad and wants to blast music at 6am. "Why not just lock the iPAD?? Huh? Huhhhh????" Well, why can you lock "in-app purchases" on an iphone? Because there are many instance where you allow access to the phone, but not EVERYTHING on it. Sonos included.
Sonos is such that they don't even need YOUR device to break in. They can use their own phone to buzz in, as long as they have your wifi password. "Just set up a guest network!!!" OK, maybe I will, but it seems like a nuisance to have to do that because Sonos simply won't use a PIN. It boggles the mind that they haven't added this feature.
@Stuart_W assuming using a password is optional, are you still against it?
By your logic, if the Sonos owner gives someone a wifi password, then the *Sonos owner* is the idiot if the guest can access and delete your files on any computer on the local network by merely installing the Windows File Sharing app on their phone. But they in fact can't just browse your computer from their phone, because things like File and Printer sharing can be set up to have passwords. I have wifi printers, but no one can print to them unless I give them the password. Why is a wifi printer more secure than Sonos? The "it's your responsibility" thing is a very tired complaint. No one applies it to anything else. This sonos community requires a username and password to participate. Authentication of devices is standard. Again, your devices are almost always decoupled from your wifi password in terms of access, but not sonos. Is anyone with a wifi password allowed to change my house temperature to their liking via the Nest? As more and more house items become wifi-enabled, guests can just jump to tinker with them, just because they have the wifi password?
I get it, a guest network can be used as the solution. I've never set one up for a bunch of devices and am not sure if it would all work seamlessly. I DO know that adding a PIN to the Sonos app for authentication would NOT interfere with my home network. Requiring the user to do more work and tinker with their network setup is not really a modern approach to solving a problem that can be easily solved on the software side. Call it "user laziness" or whatever, but complicating a network often has unintended consequences and I'd rather not do it if I didn't have to.
I get it, a guest network can be used as the solution. I've never set one up for a bunch of devices and am not sure if it would all work seamlessly. I DO know that adding a PIN to the Sonos app for authentication would NOT interfere with my home network. Requiring the user to do more work and tinker with their network setup is not really a modern approach to solving a problem that can be easily solved on the software side. Call it "user laziness" or whatever, but complicating a network often has unintended consequences and I'd rather not do it if I didn't have to.
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+22
@The _Bastard_Son. I wouldn't complain if it were introduced as an option as I wouldn't enable it.
@juanb - It is NOT possible for a "guest" or anybody for that matter to "wrest" control of your Sonos system unless YOU give them your wi-fi password. And if they are the sort of people who would childishly mess about with your Sonos then that might be the least of your worries.
@juanb - It is NOT possible for a "guest" or anybody for that matter to "wrest" control of your Sonos system unless YOU give them your wi-fi password. And if they are the sort of people who would childishly mess about with your Sonos then that might be the least of your worries.
@juanb - I'm with you buddy. I wrote on this thread a long while ago, and received similar feedback about guest networks and controlling my children / friends.
I have rooms in my house that I don't want ANYONE to be able to play music in but me or my wife. But because there is no PIN or Password, I don't have the ability to lock that down. Forget the guest network thing....I don't want my own family playing or changing the music in these rooms. Someone else told me to control my children. I guess my parenting is now in question too.
Meanwhile, the few lines of code it would take to enable this option is WAY TOO COMPLICATED....so I guess I'll enroll in some parenting classes......
I have rooms in my house that I don't want ANYONE to be able to play music in but me or my wife. But because there is no PIN or Password, I don't have the ability to lock that down. Forget the guest network thing....I don't want my own family playing or changing the music in these rooms. Someone else told me to control my children. I guess my parenting is now in question too.
Meanwhile, the few lines of code it would take to enable this option is WAY TOO COMPLICATED....so I guess I'll enroll in some parenting classes......
Guess you'll have to if you tell your kids not to do something and they do it anyway.
Userlevel 7
+22
Well just because people don't have the same opinion as you doesn't mean your parenting is being questioned. Besides, it really isn't unreasonable to suggest that you should be able to avoid your children messing with music in particular if the parents have forbidden it. After all there are things in your house that could hurt or kill your children and they respect the warnings you give them about those things don't they?
Split the Sonos into two (or more) Sonos 'households' (systems). Dedicate a controller or two to the 'private' household.
Controllers on the main system won't see the 'private' units. And a casual visitor won't be able to associate their controller app with the 'private' players without entering those rooms and pressing buttons.
If you need to operate the 'private' household on SonosNet then one of its components must be wired. But assuming the main household is already on SonosNet then the wired 'private' household device can even be plugged into one of the existing main household units.
Oh wait....I also manage my security system, surveillance, HVAC, lighting, etc. all through my network. Each one has some controls placed in front of them to prevent access....but not my audio. I'll make sure I bring this up in class too.
Does your banking app have a password on it? If so, why not just delete it and tell people not to access your account while on your network?
Does your banking app have a password on it? If so, why not just delete it and tell people not to access your account while on your network?
Sometimes accidents happen and someone does something they didn't mean to do.
People.....all of your suggestions will work. No one is questioning the ability to create and manage guest networks.
The real solution is even simpler....just add a PIN or password and we're done talking about this.
People.....all of your suggestions will work. No one is questioning the ability to create and manage guest networks.
The real solution is even simpler....just add a PIN or password and we're done talking about this.
People.....all of your suggestions will work. No one is questioning the ability to create and manage guest networks.
The real solution is even simpler....just add a PIN or password and we're done talking about this.
Look at the facts: This thread is over 2 years old. Others with similar requests go back to the very first days of Sonos. In that time, Sonos has not given one indication that they are going to implement this feature, in fact the Sonos CEO and founder expressly stated he never wants to implement a passcode feature.
Given these facts, exactly where should those of us who give advice on this site concentrate our efforts: Suggesting workarounds which help you accomplish what you wish to do, or agreeing with you and joining your vocal, but ultimately futile, admonitions to a company that long ago decided against this feature?
Answer honestly.
Ducati, these folks have such a bizarre line of reasoning I do not think it is possible to use logic against them.
Look, folks, these are not theoretical concerns. Kids and immature friends do stuff that annoys you -- that does not mean that you are a bad parent or bad friend or that you need to cut them out of your lives. We know that right now giving out a wifi password also gives control to Sonos -- we are ASKING for something to decouple that. We are NOT asking for advice on how to stop the behavior that led to that request, frankly, because such advice is obvious and condescending. I have had Sonos for more than 10 years, and it has only recently become a problem. Why? Because more and more people are tied to wifi (wifi-only devices, data caps on cell plans) and because Sonos has become much more mainstream. And therefore this will be a growing problem.
If there are things in my house that can hurt my kids I do whatever I can to protect them from it -- I have a pool fence, locked cabinets, and stuff high up out of reach. I don't put them all in a safe, but I do what I can to create minimum precautions against casual entry. A PIN would be a similar minimum precaution against casual entry. The guest-network solution requires that I change my wifi password, change that password on all the laptops/phones/kindles/ipads that currently have that password (at least 10 devices), set up a guest wifi network, and then give out that new password to all my friends and family. Not that bad, but would have been nice to just set up a PIN.
Now, I actually think the guest wifi is a good idea for the future, because there will be more and more of these devices and so it will make sense to create a "cordoned area" of the Wifi just for guests who want internet access. So I think it's not a bad solution. But, seriously, guys, the condescension is out of control. You could just say "Unfortunately, Sonos doesn't do that. A guest network on your wifi could do that for you." Instead we got "What kind of friends do you have that would mess with your system? Why don't you just revoke wifi passwords as you go? What do you mean your children aren't behaved enough to realize that playing Disney music at 6am in their zone also plays it in the parents zone?"
Ducati's point about the PIN-to-zone system is also good. There are definitely scenarios where it would be good to separate out at least one zone if not more for private access. I guess the multiple households thing would work, but then you need separate controllers.
Look, folks, these are not theoretical concerns. Kids and immature friends do stuff that annoys you -- that does not mean that you are a bad parent or bad friend or that you need to cut them out of your lives. We know that right now giving out a wifi password also gives control to Sonos -- we are ASKING for something to decouple that. We are NOT asking for advice on how to stop the behavior that led to that request, frankly, because such advice is obvious and condescending. I have had Sonos for more than 10 years, and it has only recently become a problem. Why? Because more and more people are tied to wifi (wifi-only devices, data caps on cell plans) and because Sonos has become much more mainstream. And therefore this will be a growing problem.
If there are things in my house that can hurt my kids I do whatever I can to protect them from it -- I have a pool fence, locked cabinets, and stuff high up out of reach. I don't put them all in a safe, but I do what I can to create minimum precautions against casual entry. A PIN would be a similar minimum precaution against casual entry. The guest-network solution requires that I change my wifi password, change that password on all the laptops/phones/kindles/ipads that currently have that password (at least 10 devices), set up a guest wifi network, and then give out that new password to all my friends and family. Not that bad, but would have been nice to just set up a PIN.
Now, I actually think the guest wifi is a good idea for the future, because there will be more and more of these devices and so it will make sense to create a "cordoned area" of the Wifi just for guests who want internet access. So I think it's not a bad solution. But, seriously, guys, the condescension is out of control. You could just say "Unfortunately, Sonos doesn't do that. A guest network on your wifi could do that for you." Instead we got "What kind of friends do you have that would mess with your system? Why don't you just revoke wifi passwords as you go? What do you mean your children aren't behaved enough to realize that playing Disney music at 6am in their zone also plays it in the parents zone?"
Ducati's point about the PIN-to-zone system is also good. There are definitely scenarios where it would be good to separate out at least one zone if not more for private access. I guess the multiple households thing would work, but then you need separate controllers.
I appreciate your feedback jgatie and understand what you're saying.
That's why after a few posts on this topic, I let it go. Didn't seem like it was going to happen.
Then read @juanb's comments and got me started again.
This was the first I've heard that the CEO will not support PINs/Passwords....if I had known that, I never would have posted my request.
That's why after a few posts on this topic, I let it go. Didn't seem like it was going to happen.
Then read @juanb's comments and got me started again.
This was the first I've heard that the CEO will not support PINs/Passwords....if I had known that, I never would have posted my request.
jgatie, again - no one has issue with the constructive feedback. it's the condescending "control your friends" nonsense that is crazy. PINs and passcodes exist to a large degree because sometimes you cannot trust completely the folks you've given your wifi password to.
I also had not heard about the CEO's statement either. But surely having this issue die down in the forums is EXACTLY the way to ensure it will never happen, right???? Only if there are consistent, persistent voices will they think about implementing this. As you suggest, Sonos's aversion to this is clearly because of some philosophical reason rather than a technical one.
I also had not heard about the CEO's statement either. But surely having this issue die down in the forums is EXACTLY the way to ensure it will never happen, right???? Only if there are consistent, persistent voices will they think about implementing this. As you suggest, Sonos's aversion to this is clearly because of some philosophical reason rather than a technical one.
Will Sonos offer some parental controls to dumb down the interface and limit speaker volume?
We had lots of debates about this early on: how do you personalize a controller. With the CR100 and CR200 you don’t really know who’s using it. You can’t really put an identification step up front, it’s just getting in the way of time-to-music. But if we’re on your phone, that’s your phone. So we can start doing things like, maybe you have a mode on the Android controller or the iPhone controller to dumb it down. But that’s the challenge with doing things like parental controls, which one are you using and which one are they using. You can’t put, "hey, type in the three numbers to start using a controller" because that’s going to drive you crazy usability wise, you’ll turn it off and never turn that feature on again. We view the tablets as the social controllers, the one you’re going to pass around, and the smartphone as your personal controller. There’s a real nice opportunity to have zones that are ordered based on how often you use them and stuff like that.
http://www.theverge.com/2011/10/21/2504462/john-macfarlane-prepares-sonos-for-airplay-assault-and-possible-home
I also had not heard about the CEO's statement either. But surely having this issue die down in the forums is EXACTLY the way to ensure it will never happen, right???? Only if there are consistent, persistent voices will they think about implementing this. As you suggest, Sonos's aversion to this is clearly because of some philosophical reason rather than a technical one.
"Control your friends and/or kids" is not condescending nor crazy, it is a natural reaction to descriptions of what most normal people would consider rude, disrespectful and unacceptable behavior. If my kid ever blasted rap music in my bedroom at 2 AM, his/her phone would be under lockup for a month. If my guests abused the music selection on a regular basis, they'd be put on the guest network as fast as I could change passwords. There's no way in hell I'd personally put up with constantly entering a passcode just so I could police rude guests or unruly kids. YMMV, but it is certainly a subject to be broached.
As to the CEO's statement, you can view it above, and it does seem to be philosophical. In my experience, the continued bleating of few, but vocal, advocates does nothing to change his philosophy. See the Windows mobile and Hires audio threads for examples, and the number of posts by "consistent, persistent voices" in those threads absolutely dwarf those calling for passcodes or parental locks.
Thanks for the link, jgatie. I don't really buy that argument completely -- you would put the PIN in your Sonos app on your phone once and it wouldn't ask again. I can see that the PIN-step (even if no human intervention is required after the first time) could add to the "time-to-music", so that may be a valid concern. A whitelist could also work -- I could type in the MAC addresses of all my phones/ipads into the Sonos and whitelist only those to work with the Sonos system. Again, I don't know enough technically if that would increase the time-to-music.
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