The changes apply to particular speakers so any benefits will apply equally to existing and new users. 

The best way to operate Sonos with a mesh network is usually to use SonosNet mode, which makes the WiFi channel almost irrelevant.

Some users reported drop outs for their surrounds settings after updating, what might be the cause?

Is there no 5ghz for Port and Amp? 

I’m not quite sure I understand what the OP is referring to. Traditionally, the only Sonos device that could connect to a router’s 5Ghz signal was the Move. Other devices had a 5Ghz antenna, but could only connect to a SonosNet signal on that frequency, for home theater bonding purposes. 

I believe they're referring to where you are saying “Traditionally…. “ is no longer true and that if you connect to WiFi (not Sonosnet) you can now connect certain speakers to a 5GHz network.

It seems there will be more scope for confusion though as it only certain speakers that are S2 compatible can do this so users who do operate S2 in a WiFi setup may not be able to do so any longer?  Looks like Play 1’s, Sub 1 & 2 for example can't connect to 5GHz.

Oh, for Ryan……

Re your final comment - amen to that.

We are already in a world where some Sonos devices can connect to a 5GHz or 2.4GHz router band but others can only use 2.4.  The Move does both, and I think the Port does too (although I must have missed the announcement because I was insisting to someone on here a few days back that they must be mistaken if they thought their Port was on 5GHz).

There shouldn’t be a problem (I would have thought) provided the router bridges the two bands - i.e. allows data to flow between them.  There seem to be a few routers that don’t - can’t see how that will work.

Just for the record, most Sonos speakers have 5GHz radios, and these have always been used for communications between speakers in a Sonos HT setup - but these don’t use WiFi, this is direct communication between Sonos devices.

See here: https://support.sonos.com/s/article/3521?language=en_US

Specifically, “One, One SL, Five, and Sub (Gen 3) can now connect to 5GHz and 802.11a/n WiFi networks.”

Thanks, but I have seen this, it was the Port I was referring to.  It now appears it already did 5GHz pre-12.1.

Appreciate that, but thought it was worth adding as you didn't mention any of these newer additions above.

Bruce mentioned he didn't know what the OP was referring to and that the devices with 5GHz only used it ‘internally' (bonding etc.) when that is no longer the case - BUT it is not true for all S2 compatible devices.

I didn't see any 12.1 Announcent though like usual.

The question arises as to why only these speakers?  A complete guess is that they have better 5GHz radios.  5GHz has shorter range and inferior wall penetration than 2.4GHz, which has been the presumed reason why Sonos limited connection to 2.4Ghz.

That does beg the question, ‘why not the Arc?’.

Fair enough - and last point is a good one.  Maybe that is on its way?

As I have always operated my system in SonosNet mode, I am not 100% on top of the Sonos WiFi settings.  Can you have two sets of WiFi credentials active at the same time?  I am wondering what would be possible for users with different SSIDs for the two bands?

I suppose that would be one way to force all Sonos onto 2.4GHz if you wished to - have separate SSIDs and only put the 2.4GHz one into Sonos.

I operate in Sonosnet too but my understanding is if you don't broadcast separate SSID's then your device will connect to either if it can and the router manages everything.

If you broadcast separate SSID's then there are also two passwords obviously (even if they're the same) and you connect to one or the other.  If you have both sets of credentials then the device can move - BUT I didn't think Sonos can store more than one set of details (the Move apart as it can store 15(?) sets.

Certainly, only scanning for, and inputting details for one of the SSID's, that will force it to one or the other.

As you say the perceived speed benefits of 5GHz soon disappear after a wall or two….

Would be great is SonosNet could operate on 5ghz or better still both bands. I am no longer able to reliably play FLACs across 10 units due to 2.4ghz band being maxed out in our urban environment. I have to resort to playing MP3s with their lower bitrate.

I have similar experience with only 4 units 3 are wired. My port on sonosnet kicks off periodically and 2.4 was worse. I'm not sure 5ghz is the magic solution but if it's supported I would try it out if I can find the time.

I'm reading elsewhere that the play 1 also has  5ghz on board but it is not unlocked in the software.

Would be good if someone from @sonos came by and answered the questions from the original post and others that have come up!

Sonos Home Theatre rooms use 5Ghz to bond the rear speakers and sub to the speaker connected to the TV (Arc, Beam, Playbar) etc.  Therefore, any sub and anything that can be setup as rear speakers must be 5Ghz capable.  That definitely would include play:1, play:3, play:5, and the ikea speakers.  However, I don’t know enough to say with 100% certainly that hardware capable of connecting to a Sonos Arc via 5Ghz is definitely capable of connecting to a 5Ghz router and performing all the necessary tasks.  I would think so, but don’t know.

Yes the question is has sonos unlocked the 5ghz in software on Play 1 to allow it to connect to a router? I don’t own one. Same with the arc and the amp it has 5 ghz,  but both are not listed as having the it unlocked in software in the release notes as far as I have read.

@ Sonos what about these other devices (amp, arc, beam, port) ?  Why Gen 3 Sub but not Gen 2? 

One, One SL, Five, and Sub (Gen 3) can now connect to 5GHz and 802.11a/n WiFi networks.

Although it is guesswork, I suspect the older speakers do not have sufficiently powerful 5GHz radios to give a reliable connection in many cases.

Totally possible, but given Arc, Beam, Port and Amp also aren’t included I’m not so sure.

But also just guesswork on my part. 

Personally I’m only concerned about Port right now as that is my only wireless speaker.  Seems arbitrary that only some speakers can do this but other components can’t.

A little more information from Sonos would be helpful- hello sonos people 

I think the Port can already connect to 5GHz, although it seems to have gone unannounced (or I missed the announcement).  Have you tried?

The Arc is the only slight mystery. If I am right about the Port then all the 5GHz speakers are otherwise newer than the Beam and Amp.

I thought the Port already was 5Ghz capable, no?  For the Arc/Beam/Amp, in the spirit of guessing, perhaps the fact that they need to use 5 Ghz for bonded sub and rears uses up their capacity to connect to the router?  Or perhaps it’s coming later after more testing.  Who knows.  

sjw , thanks for the link to the release notes, I admit I tend to rely more on an Announcements thread for those kind of earth shattering (hyperbole?) changes.

I’m happy Sonos is providing more information, but I do thinks there is more opportunity to include that data in the both the packaged downloads given to the various stores (Apple and Google), as well as an Announcement thread.

I too, lament the loss of Ryan.

Home theatre players (Arc, etc) presumably wouldn’t connect to a router’s 5GHz because the latter would then forcibly determine which -- potentially busy -- channel was used for the HT satellites. There’s only one 5GHz radio in the HT master. Sonos would thus be at the mercy of the router’s 5GHz channel selection and couldn’t auto-select the optimum channel to maintain the low-latency bond to the HT satellites.

Good thinking, @ratty .  That makes prefect sense.  The satellites don’t have to ‘face two ways’ as the controlling HT device does.  The HT device carries on as before, using its 2.4GHz radio to talk to other rooms and 5GHz for comms within the HT ‘bond’.

So I suppose Sonos will only offer a connection to 5ghz speakers by wifi if the units are compatible. Anyone tried it yet?