Skip to main content

Just got an email from Sonos on the above topic. Not sure how it will affect me. All my music is stored on a memory stick attached to my router which is always on unlike my computer.

Is this about to stop working?

If so, what is the simplest way to set up my music library?

 

Regards

I’ve been asking approximately the same question with no answer. I’m not sure if I’ll need an NAS to connect to my iMac.

Following (I apologize that this isn’t an answer.)


I just have all my music contained within a folder on my PC.  You can point the Sonos app to that folder path in the music library settings. 

So mine is set to: c:\users\suser name]\music

 


So does your router do SMBv1 or higher?


So does your router do SMBv1 or higher?

I know for sure my Windows 11 PC does -- 

You can confirm what is running on your PC by opening PowerShell on your Windows 11 PC and typing (or copy and pasting):

Get-SMBServerConfiguration

Note that you may need to open PowerShell as an administrator for this to run. (right click, choose run as administrator).

Then, look for the row (there will be many rows) that says "EnableSMB1Protocol" and below it the same for SMB2. I found this result on my Windows 11 PC:

EnableSMB1Protocol : False

EnableSMB2Protocol : True

So it looks like I'm good to go. I believe Win 11 PCs use SMB3 if the connecting device supports it and SMB2 is enabled.

As far as my router, I have the latest AT&T fiber router:  BGW320-505  

Not sure what it is running for SMB, but I think in my case it is my PC that matters, not the router -- right?  But I would be shocked if the router (the latest AT&T model) isn’t SMB2 compliant.  


The issue in the past seemed to be that large libraries will not index and crash out when using SMBv2. As far as I have read this issue has not been fixed and has been that way for more than two years. 

 

Has anyone successfully indexed a large 35k tracks or more library on SMBv2 or SMBv3 and if so what did you use in the way of hardware?


The issue in the past seemed to be that large libraries will not index and crash out when using SMBv2. As far as I have read this issue has not been fixed and has been that way for more than two years. 

 

Has anyone successfully indexed a large 35k tracks or more library on SMBv2 or SMBv3 and if so what did you use in the way of hardware?

I have been having the same issue with my music library on NAS. 

Here is what I have done: 
1.  Connected an external hard drive (NAS) to my Apple Airport Extreme via USB cable. 
2.  Used the Sync Folders Pro app on my MacBook Pro to copy my entire Music folder (which is where all of my media files and iTunes playlist files reside) from the laptop to the NAS. 
3.  I went into the Sonos app to “Manage” -→ “Music Library Settings” and deleted the old music library folder from Sonos (since that was pointing to my laptop’s hard drive) and I add the music library folder from the NAS.  When doing this, I enter in a username and password so that the Sonos system can access the NAS.  
4.  Upon completion of the above, Sonos automatically starts indexing the NAS music library.  
5.  I have large library of something like 30K files.  The indexing of the NAS takes much less time than indexing the same library on the laptop.  When I look at the indexed library, large chunks of it are missing and the songs that are present all show their file suffix (such as .mp3 or .m4a) which is not the case when the library is indexed from the laptop.  Attempting to play what has been indexed results in an error “Unable to play rsong file] access to NAS address] denied.”

 

I normally have no troubles indexing and playing from the music library on my laptop.  


@gbhecht,

Looking online isn’t the AirPort Extreme using the SMB v1 protocol?

See this link…

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/8158365

You will need SMB v2 (or higher) if you are looking to share the music folder for use with S2, or the new Sonos App, otherwise use a PC/Mac ‘http’ share for S2, but I believe that protocol ‘may’ not be supported by the new Sonos App when it’s launched next week. Ideally you need an SMB v2 (or higher) shared library instead.


@gbhecht,

Ideally you need an SMB v2 (or higher) shared library instead.

Trouble with SMBv2 is indexing large libraries bombs out and has done for two years or more - never been fixed.


@gbhecht,

Ideally you need an SMB v2 (or higher) shared library instead.

Trouble with SMBv2 is indexing large libraries bombs out and has done for two years or more - never been fixed.

I can’t comment on that with any experience here, other than my own understanding for the index is that there are 65,000 ‘slots’ available and that some tracks/metadata may take up more than one ‘slot’ in that index. Incorrect/incompatible metadata/charachters or oversized artwork (resolution) (embedded, or otherwise) can cause the index to balk, but otherwise if all is well and within limits, the indexing should work fine.

I have seen these metadata limitations published on the forum too in the past:

  • Artists - 76
  • Album - 92
  • Track - 100
  • Genre - 22
  • File name - 100

My own local library on a ‘teamed’ gigabit NAS was tagged using the mp3Tag software and uses SMB v2/3. It currently consists of 25,697 tracks (I chose to set my artwork size at 600x600px) - the App has no issue indexing each/all those tracks and I can upload all to any of my Sonos devices for playback using a customised/optimised .m3u playlist.

The initial library indexing takes a while (I forget how long), but the subsequent re-indexing takes just a couple of minutes.