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Sonos S1 "The computer [name] cannot be found" whilst in use?

  • 22 January 2024
  • 10 replies
  • 72 views

Sonos S1 "The computer [name] cannot be found" whilst in use?

After two years of Sonos claiming it’s anything but Sonos equipment, it turns out my issue with the Sonos S1 Controller dropping my music library at random times, either between tracks or in the middle of a track, is down to the Sonos Bridge which has a known fault.

All this time Sonos has been claiming it’s something to do with my set-up or my equipment, which has been an outright lie.

Has anyone else had this problem?

If you search for it, it comes straight up on Google, so it’s obviously widespread, but instead of a product recall and fix, Sonos have decided “We’ve had your money, now f*** off”.

Not at all impressed with Sonos.

 

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10 replies

AjTrek1

Hi

The Bridge is an outdated product that causes problems that was replaced by the Boost over 3 years ago. Sonos has now discontinued the Boost as off-the-shelf routers to generate a stable WiFi network are adequate in most environments. Both devices were used to create the SonosNet.

However, if your WiFi is still inadequate you can still create the SonosNet to connect your Sonos speakers by wiring a speaker to your router via Ethernet. The speaker used cannot be one used as a surround and should not be Sonos sub.

You can remove the bridge by following the directions in the link:

https://support.sonos.com/en-us/article/remove-a-bridge-from-your-sonos-system

If you provide more information about your Network we can possibly offer a viable solution to your issue.

Together Everyone Achieves More = T.E.A.M.
Ken_Griffiths

I seem to think the Sonos Bridge was launched around 2008 (there is an extract attached with a review from that year) I think it retailed around $49 (or equivalent currency), or it’s cost was thereabouts. 

Then in 2020, around the time of S1/S2 split, there was a Sonos offer of a 15% voucher to swap-out a Bridge for a Boost - I took advantage of that offer (see attached) and then used a Boost for a while, which was much better, but nowadays I choose run my Sonos system on a WiFi mesh network instead.

All I can say is I got my money’s-worth out of both the Bridge and Boost. In fact I’ve recently given my Boost away to a family member. I didn't initially return/recycle the Bridge - it sat in man-drawer for a number of years. -  I found I couldn’t give the Bridge away to Family, or Friends, simply because no-one wanted it anyway, even for free. So I just recycled it in the end. It got to the stage where it was just too old and I became reluctant to sell it on, due to the age of its ‘old’ power-supply/electronics.

2 Attachments
M
Userlevel 2
Badge +1

Still not at all impressed with Sonos washing their hands of it, pointing to firewalls and heaven alone knows how many other items in my home when it was an issue with the Sonos product itself, leaving me chasing my tail trying to fix it. Shockingly poor customer service.

Now I’ve plugged the Ethernet cable into a Play:5 and that appears to have resolved the issue.

As for the WiFi, with two teenagers, Smart TVs, games consoles, PCs, laptops, tablets, phones etc. connected, I’d rather my music was in a stable environment away from any potential bandwidth issues, hence I got the Bridge in the first place.

Ken_Griffiths

Still not at all impressed with Sonos washing their hands of it, pointing to firewalls and heaven alone knows how many other items in my home when it was an issue with the Sonos product itself, leaving me chasing my tail trying to fix it. Shockingly poor customer service.

Now I’ve plugged the Ethernet cable into a Play:5 and that appears to have resolved the issue.

As for the WiFi, with two teenagers, Smart TVs, games consoles, PCs, laptops, tablets, phones etc. connected, I’d rather my music was in a stable environment away from any potential bandwidth issues, hence I got the Bridge in the first place.

I guess that’s the trouble with a minor intermittent voltage fluctuation issue in a power adapter it’s really difficult to track down, but some in the community here have suggested to change a Bridge power adapter anyway when all other lines of troubleshooting have been explored. The Bridge is so old now, so it’s perhaps a good thing it’s now been set aside anyway.

AjTrek1

@MDN2020  

I understand how having spent money on a product that is no longer supported and deemed to be problematic can be upsetting. However in the world of electronics obsolescence is not a question of if it will occur; but when.

Sonos didn’t wash their hands of the Bridge at the onset but replaced it with the Boost. The only reason for both products was because of poor WiFi signals generated by routers of the time.

Networking equipment has improved tremendously over the years offering reliable and robust band widths. Sonos has also been able through advances in its own speaker technology to offer a product than can function wireless without the need for a Bridge or Boost product. Similarly wiring a speaker to the router can suffice.  BTW, wiring a speaker has always been an option to create the SonosNet.

I don’t know if you were around when transistor radios were all the rave; but IMO it wouldn’t make sense to offer support of any kind for those devices. Today you can stream the same music commercial free and send it to a BT speaker for all to enjoy. Granted my example is a bit extreme but it illustrates my point of obsolescence giving way to newer and better technologies.

Sonos supports its products much longer than other tech companies. Do you have a Sony Walkman or Mini-Disc player in your home? If so how do use them today. Sonos on the other hand still supports its Play 5 gen1 speaker.

In my home I have 32 Sonos units, cameras, smart thermostats, washer/dryer, garage doors, several computers, cell phones, multiple TV’s, Alexa and Google devices and other things all using my home WiFi. No SonosNet.

I’ll say no more. Come back to the community anytime. We’re here to help 😉

Together Everyone Achieves More = T.E.A.M.
M
Userlevel 2
Badge +1

I have two vehicles from 2005 that are out in all weathers vs a benign home environment and all the electronics work perfectly.

There are plenty of other cars, aircraft and trains older than that still working perfectly. My 7.1 amp is older than my Sonos kit and works perfectly etc., so age is no excuse.

Bottom line it's now working as it should, but it shouldn't have been such a trauma.

Airgetlam

I’m happy for you. They should hopefully continue to function for a long time. 

However, none of those devices you mentioned run computers inside them that are frequently updated with new software/firmware . A better analogy would be a cell phone, tablet, or even a computer. My ‘386 won’t run Windows 11. My iPhone (1 or original iPad ) won’t run iOS 17.3. On all those devices, there just isn’t enough CPU or RAM necessary. Tech marches on. For better or worse, we have invested in Sonos tech that requires frequent software/  firmware updates. There isn’t a lot you can do to get away from that, other than buying older, less capable tech where you can. I can certainly understand the allure of that, but I also recognize that a networked speaker isn’t that simple. 

Bruce
Ken_Griffiths

The two cars also didn’t retail around a mere $45 15+ years ago, or were they plugged into mains electricity for the majority of those years. 

M
Userlevel 2
Badge +1

That didn't last long.

Now it's doing exactly what it was before, constantly dropping out, saying it can't find the laptop it's running on,  only to magically find it again after shutting done the S1 controller, disconnecting and reconnecting the laptop's WiFi.

Nothing has changed but Sonos' flawed products are letting me down, again.

They're loud speakers, they should just play music. Nuts to all the streaming nonsense, I just want to be able to play my music everywhere without wires, which is what Sonos is supposed to be able to do 🤨

Ken_Griffiths

@MDN2020.
Maybe just see what happens if you temporarily wire the laptop to the LAN, just in case it’s related to its own WiFi connection. 

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