Control Sonos Remotely (over VPN)

With Insteon announcing the addition of Sonos connectivity to their "smart home" system at CES earlier this month, I would expect that you'll be able to set up Insteon sensors and whatnot to trigger Sonos music. An example they give is that if you have a water/leak sensor and it triggers, it could play Bob Dylan's "The Levee's Gonna Break".

Whether or not you'll be able to have some basic control of your Sonos from outside your home using the Insteon app remains to be seen.

More info: www.insteon.com/sonos

I wonder if the Insteon integration will allow an Insteon motion sensor to add a room to a Sonos group that is playing when tripped and drop it from the group some number of minutes after the motion sensor no longer sees any motion?

I wonder if the Insteon integration will allow an Insteon motion sensor to add a room to a Sonos group that is playing when tripped and drop it from the group some number of minutes after the motion sensor no longer sees any motion?
I don't think the integration has anything to do with groups... I think it's more single player control (with up to four players able to be controlled by the Insteon system). Looking at the handful of support articles that have surfaced on Insteon's site about it, nothing is mentioned about groups. Now, if a player is part of a group already, then it will likely control the group. But I don't think joining/leaving groups will be part of the functionality.

I'm not able to use Sonos app via VPN. Not even when tricking it to think that my phone is connected on wifi.
But a simple way to connect to Sonos via VPN: you can connect via VPN and then use Macronos and do all commands via macros. It's a really great app for Sonos! 🙂 A bit expensive, but worth it

VALID USE CASE

For those asking "why?" to this question, I have a valid use case for you. I set up a SONOS system for my elderly Mom to be able to enjoy music throughout her home, but she is not yet comfortable using her iPad to control it due to her limited hand dexterity. So, she can only enjoy it if I am there to control it. Would be nice to be able to control it remotely for her.

What is really needed is a more "accessible" user interface with easier to control volume, etc. Even I have trouble controlling the volume with my fat fingers and that little bitty slider on the iPad.

I often worried that I would leave home forget to turn off my Sonos and the loud sound keep troubling my neighbors. Well that hasn't happened until now, but I do wish Sonos can turn it off when I leave home, my other home appliances can, such as nest, hue, no bug deal for them.
I was woke up from overseas this morning in the mid night by my nest telling me it detects something, I turned on nest then relised that it was 7 o'clock in the morning back home and the music is loud. I did remember to turn off Sonos before I took off to my overseas trip, but I forgot to turn off the alarm.
I love Sonos, but from my previous experience with Sonos community, I found Sonos tend to ignore these comments and refused to make any changes, so I dont post stuff, only watch.
Sonos by now should have Bluetooth ability, a better line-in port and management, support wireless headset, and a remote control over Internet. But hey, they never listen!

There uses for remote internet control other than simply turning off the system if you forgot. One of my clients is constantly trying and discarding premium services, and has me add/remove them from his system. In addition, the house is his summer/holiday home and he wants music playing whenever he arrives in town. Right now, all these things require an hour & 15 minute drive for me to do. Remote accessibility would save me considerable time and gas.

Not to mention, the Sonos is the ONLY part of his system that cannot be accessed remotely.

There uses for remote internet control other than simply turning off the system if you forgot. One of my clients is constantly trying and discarding premium services, and has me add/remove them from his system. In addition, the house is his summer/holiday home and he wants music playing whenever he arrives in town. Right now, all these things require an hour & 15 minute drive for me to do. Remote accessibility would save me considerable time and gas.

Not to mention, the Sonos is the ONLY part of his system that cannot be accessed remotely.

Mate, our planet does not need this kind of crap.

Tell your client to switch on the Sonos himself when he arrives. Surely he can put up with 30 seconds of silence rather you driving 2 and a half hours. For crying out loud!!

One of my clients is constantly trying and discarding premium services, and has me add/remove them from his system.
Leave a computer onsite which you can remote into. Or would the client be incapable of turning that on?

he wants music playing whenever he arrives in town.

This is utterly ridiculous. Do you also have a 2.5 hour round trip whenever he wants to change source, or even select a different track?

No offense, but if your client can't remove and add services by himself, or turn the system on, he doesn't deserve the fortune he so obviously has in order to get you to do it for him. A five year old could do either.

As an aside, a remote computer is the obvious answer.