Honestly, I’m mildly concerned that the issue is at the CNBC and CNN end. Both Sonos and TuneIn are merely aggregators of the stream addresses that they’re given by the respective companies. They don’t actually store or manipulate the data in any way, it never goes through a Sonos or a TuneIn server. When you initiate playback, TuneIn, and consequently Sonos, ‘go’ to the server port they’ve been told to get the content from, snd play that stream. If that particular streaming port/server is not providing a clean stream, there isn’t much either company can do, other than to contact the originator, and suggest there is some sort of issue that needs to be resolved on behalf of TuneIn’s and Sonos’ customers.

I disagree since the fact it works perfectly through the app but not when using voice recognition via Alexa...there’s the issue. 

True. Many content providers use separate servers/ports in order to make it easier to track where users are coming from. And the fact still remains that neither Sonos nor TuneIn store/filter/process this data, they just point the player to a location to get the data from. 

I’ve confirmed with my system as well - I can play CNN/CNBC using the Sonos controller to start it, but when I start it using Alexa it fizzles out after several minutes.   Other tunein channels I use play when I start them with Alexa with no issue.   This is some connection between Tunein-Alexa-Sonos-CNN/CNBC specifically.   Very strange

I started having the same tune in problem with MSNBC and Fox New Talk. They had been rock solid for over a year. Now the drop out after a few minutes. They come back but the time between drop outs keeps getting shorter until Sonos says the service is unavailable. If I tune away and back, I can get the service to play again, but start getting drop outs almost immediately. Feels like a buffering problem or flow control.

I’ve tried the solutions earlier in the thread, also without success.

Diagnostics 1164047972

Hello @mcbertram, thank you for reaching out to us through the Sonos community with your diagnostic report. 

I’ve looked over your report and it looks like you may have more than one router or WiFi extender in your network.

Have you made any changes or added any equipment to your network since the playback issues have begun? 

Have you rebooted your router(s) and/or access points and does anything change?

If you wire one of your three speakers to your router directly via Ethernet, does this issue continue?  

Jean,

  Thanks for responding. Yes, I have an extender. It has not been a recent change, it has been in place longer than the Sonos. I checked and the Sonos is connected to the primary router, which I had tried rebooting. FYI: The primary router is literally 5 feet away, so I expect signal strength is not an issue.

  I’ve checked my other Sonos services, like Spotify, Pandora, and Plex. None are having any issues.

  After reading the previous responses, I gave tuning to those stations via the App, as opposed to Alexa, and have not had a problem since. While I very much appreciate the convenience of using Alexa, I can live with the App for now.

  I will check if the problem happens on our other speakers and when hardwired over the next few days.

Hello @mcbertram,

Please keeps us posted on what’s happening with your system playback so we can work with you on this. 

I have now had numerous phone calls with Sonos and also with Amazon.  No solution.

1. Happens with CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, Fox News
2. Does not happen with “Popular Hits”, “NPR”, ESPN Radio
3. I can play any of those stations using Alexa on an Echo Dot / Show
4. I can play any of those using the Sonos App to play on Sonos units
5. The issue happens when I have Alexa play those stations through Tunein on Sonos units 
6. There is no issue playing apple music on Sonos launched through Alexa 

Fixes tried so far:

1. Reset the wireless Router (there are no other extenders / multiple routers...just a router connected to a modem)
2. All Sonos units reset
3. Tried using every one of the speakers individually as well as a group 
4. Tried ethernet connecting a speaker directly to the router and then tried on just that one speaker and also as a group; tried on all three different channels (1,6,11)
5. Disabled Sonos skills on Alexa and then re-enabled
6. Tried playing stations that are recorded as a routine as well as stations not on a routine in Alexa  

This has been happening for a few weeks now - always the same things / same channels / about the same amount of time (cuts out after 8 - 15 minutes)

Really frustrating given how frequently I try to play those channels.

Also, my last phone call with Sonos ended with them recommending I call Amazon.  As expected, Amazon had nothing to offer as they couldn’t connect to the Sonos system and because the stations play fine on the Echo dot units.  Ugh  

Latest response from Sonos following the description above:

“We're aware of this issue and our development team is working with Amazon and the specific radio stations on a resolution. I have escalated your case to them so that they may compare and document. We are hoping to have a resolution for you soon.”

Hello @Gnibbil,

Thank you for reaching out to the Sonos Community with your playback issue and providing detailed information about what is currently working and what is not. 

Although we have been tracking issues with Alexa playback and radio services, they are mostly concerned with triggering playback via a Sonos voice service enabled speaker such as a One or a Beam which are not in play here since you only have Play:5 (Gen1) and are using Amazon Echos to add voice functionality here.

Does this issue occur on other radio stations triggered though Alexa?

Can you test playback of a different radio streaming service such as iHeartRadio or MyTuner?    

I’ve been looking over your diagnostic reports for the last few days and there are a few things that leap out at me about your system as possible causes of this behavior, but they would be effecting playback across other music services as well. 

Streaming music services work differently than streaming radio services which may account for why Apple music is fine but the radio is struggling. 

Are there plaster or concrete walls in your house by any chance? The “physical interference” in your network as logged in your diagnostic reports is fairly strong and this could playing a roll in what is happening here.      

• I don’t have any cement or plaster walls in my condo.   
• This occurs when I only play the one speaker that is connected via ethernet to the router (so not utilizing any wireless signal where a wall would come into play).  I used this same system in a house 3x the size of mine now that had huge physical interference (brick walls, three floors, plaster walls) and never had this issue
• If it was physical interference I assume it would happen on other Tune-in stations as well ;   this does not happen on all tune-in stations - only on the mentioned ones (CNBC, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News);  it doesn’t happen when I play NPR or “Popular Hits” and ESPN radio through Tune-in;  nor does it happen on Apple Music (radio streaming or library playlists)
• I just played one station (“Cake Radio”) on Pandora and it did not happen

Hi @Gnibbil 

It’s an oddly specific issue, that’s what is so strange about it. 

So asking Alexa to start playback of any of those four stations to the Office Play: 5 results in playback stopping/dropping.

Starting playback on any other service or starting playback through the Sonos app results in no playback issues at all, correct?

The Office Play 5 is wired directly to your ISP provided router with no network switches or pass-throughs and yet audio is stalling out.

The only errors I’m explicitly picking up are interference and bandwidth related which I assume would effect playback on other services and playback methods.

I assume that you have run a speedtest on your WiFi network, yes?  

Yes, my Speedtest is over 100 download speed.   
 

the odd thing is that it will play for 10 minutes or so before cutting out - it doesn’t happen right away 

Can I ask if both your Arris modem and Sagemcom router are ISP provided? 

Is there a particular reason for having both a modem and a combined modem-router?  

It does look like your support ticket has been escalated and hopefully we can figure this one out with you. 

Both devices were provided by the ISP (Charter Spectrum);   I didn’t realize the router was also a modem - I was under the impression it was just a router 

this system all worked fine for over a year (same hardware etc);  it just suddenly started doing this a few weeks ago when I hadn’t changed anything in the system 

Hello @Gnibbil, I stand corrected.

Your Sagemcom Fast 5280 is a router only and does not have a built in modem as many other ISP provided routers do, my apologies. 

You should receive an update for this issue when we have a fix, this is something that we are aware of and working on a solution for.

Meanwhile, you should be able to listen to these services by triggering playback through the app. 

We know that this is less than ideal but we’re working on it.   

Any update on the solution for this?

@Gnibbil 

This issue is not yet resolved, we’re still working towards a solution on this. 

There will be an announcement when we have a resolution here.  

Hopefully soon. Now, we get a scenario with CNBC where it mutes out for second or two and comes back. At least the eliminated the complete loss. 

CNN does not even work through TuneIn for me. I have to use it through Sonos Radio.

I think I have concluded that this is a TuneIn issue?  Having issues with these stations also using TuneIn app alone.