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Detailed approach for full remote access (Airbnb Hosts and others)

  • 27 November 2023
  • 7 replies
  • 594 views

This issue has been raised in the past, but no comprehensive solutions have been proposed.  We are Airbnb hosts of 9 high end villas.  Guests (at times) rename speakers, regroup speakers, change system settings, etc.  Since the Sonos app doesn’t have any access controls (needed by many people in hospitality for exactly this reason), we have to either deny guests the ability to add their music services or provide them with a Sonos login that gives them total system access.  And as we all know, when you give people access they love to go in and change things...

 

In the absence of limited system access, we have to go in afterwards and audit and reset the speaker names, reset settings, re-create groups, etc.  It would be FAR easier if we could simply log into the system remotely to diagnose and correct any issues live during a guest stay.  This capability does not exist in the Sonos architecture.  Some apps such as Lutron and SmartThings allow basic play commands, but not Sonos System access.

 

To the best of my knowledge, the only solution is to put a client device (Laptop/Tablet/etc) in the house in a locked closet running Sonos and use remote access to connect to that client, screen share and gain access to the whole system.

 

The cheapest iOS device is about $250 now for a last-generation iPad on Cyber Monday sales.  If I went that way, could someone help write an SOP for how to configure that and access it remotely?

 

The other approach seems to be Raspberry Pi with the open source Sonos controller app.  That’s out of my wheelhouse, but I could learn. Could someone help me price (with links) what would be required to make that setup work?

 

I think there are more people with this problem than post. I have had dozens of conversations with hosts who have the same issue.  I’m sure if Sonos were to develop these capabilities, they would be heralded by many. Until then, a little help working a workaround would be deeply appreciated by me and others.

 

Thanks,
Dale

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7 replies

ratty

It sounds like https://www.sonos.com/en-us/sonos-pro might be suited to your needs. 

D

It sounds like https://www.sonos.com/en-us/sonos-pro might be suited to your needs. 

 

Thank you for the suggestion. That is definitely a good solution and one I was not aware existed. I’m not sure if it meets all my needs (can I rename speakers remotely or reset volume limiters or ungroup the outdoor speakers and mute them after a certain ‘quiet hour’ for example?) and it is rather expensive. I think an in-property hardware based remote relay as I described above might be more cost effective and also more full featured.  

Can someone else opine on the hardware/software solution I outlined above?

 

ratty

it is rather expensive.

 

The prices on https://www.sonos.com/en-us/sonos-pro/pricing are extremely modest. 

D

Hey Ratty,

I suppose that’s all in the eye of the consumer. The base plan is $35 per property per month.  For 9 locations, that’s $3780 per year.  If I can design a hardware solution approach for less than $200 per location, I am saving money with my approach after month 9 instead of paying $315 per month in perpetuity.

For public locations that need access to licensed music, those are great prices. But not for my more modest needs. And, as stated, Sonos Pro still doesn’t address all my needs.

I’d like to keep this thread focused on the approach I outlined in my original post, please.

Thanks/Dale

 

 

B

I recently started renting a house that has a few zones controlled by Amps.  I have not mentioned that they exist so nobody has used them, although the in-ceiling speakers may be a giveaway…  I think they will find them with Airplay and that seems simple/easy without providing credentials/etc to use the Sonos app.

I have a VPN configured on my router at the remote site and I can connect to the house network that way.  When the tunnel is up, I can connect to the Amps with the Sonos App and manage them.  Dale, perhaps that would be a good solution for you without adding any extra hardware.

It would be ideal if there was a password protected admin level and a general user level that you could use to let users listen without the ability to alter the configuration.  This should be on the roadmap if it’s not already and should be simple to implement.  $35/month for the Pro service to remotely manage and “mop up” after the fact is a non-starter for me.  That seems geared toward commercial enterprises, which I’m sure does not describe the majority of AirBNB owners...

-Brian

buzz

If the renters can physically access the AMP's they could Factory Reset and end run any scheme. You could physically restrict access to the AMP's and provide a wall mounted pad controller locked in kiosk mode.

It's a bit messy, but you could keep an inexpensive SONOS player, perhaps something from the used market, on hand to save the configuration. You'd normally keep this unit offline, locked in the closet. If a renter tinkered with things, you would Factory Reset the AMP's, start up the stowaway, add the AMP's, then shut down the stowaway. Now you'll have your stock configuration back.

controlav
Userlevel 7
Badge +23

It would be ideal if there was a password protected admin level and a general user level that you could

There is an admin level password, its your Sonos account. Without that then updates are not possible, as well as certain admin-level actions eg adding music services.

Guests can install and use the Sonos system without you needing to give them your Sonos credentials. They can use Airplay to get their music into the system instead of adding their music services. (Doesn’t help for Android users).

Does not help in renaming speakers (as that isn’t admin-level) or physical factory resets though.

Or you could put the guests on a Guest-network and supply a locked-down iPad for them to control it (the iPad being on the non-guest network).

 

Author of the leading independent Sonos app for Windows, the only Sonos app for Xbox, and a Sonos app for iOS
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