App loses connection to devices when logged in!

Ah well it was just a thought - did you try a different DNS server on your router too?

Update and problem identified: It is the phone!

Remember my comment in an earlier post: ...”during the process of testing and generating logs the tele-tech commented that my App was connected at the same time as my App was saying that it could not find my sonos device”.

I had another support session via phone this morning for over an hour.

I purchased a 5m ethernet cable and moved the Beam to be near the router and plugged it in to try out this option for resolving the WiFi connection issues. The Sonos app on my phone could not handle the change from wifi to ethernet (could not disable WiFi) so I rang support.

Jeff (sonos support) ran logistics and confimed that the Beam was connected, but my Sonos app on phone did not agree. He requested remote connection with my PC to check my WiFi system and found that to be OK. 

He then switched to accessing the Beam from my PC after downloading the Sonos App for Windows 10. No trouble. Instantly recognised and played some music.

We then returned the Beam to the TV room and reconnected with the TV and tested the connection, Still not able to connect using my Android phone. Logistics testing confirmed that the Beam was connected to to the WiFi  network. The PC could see it too.

We agreed the problem seemed to be my Samsung A12 Android phone. I later downloaded the App for my wifes A12 and replicated the problem. I also downloaded the APP for my Windows 10 Laptop and it worked perfectly straight up.

Conclusion is that the A12 Android phone is the problem, but not sure why.

Recommendation: Test connection using another device (a wireless Laptop probably a good option).

Erratum

Sorry, just noticed I neglected to add a sentence after the quote in my last post from a previous post.

I should have said that while the tech was saying the logistics logs confirmed the device (not the App) was connected, my App on the phone said it was not yet connected. That was the clue and this time the testing isolated the problem.

@Narravic : I don’t think this proves that it is the app on the phone. On your PC, you are *not* logged in to your sonos account (at least on my Mac app, there is no option to log in) and, at least in my case, the Mac app is able to play music on the system (for that matter, the entire system works fine from the TV for example). My phone app can also see the whole system *when logged out* but not when logged in. So, if on your PC, you are not logged into the sonos account, I don’t think this shows that the issue is with the app.

I just double checked with my tablet (xiaomi) and it seems to work wheres both my galaxy s21 and my wife's iPhone demonstrates the problem explained above 🤔🤔🤔

Good morning.

InterestingJonas that you replicated the problem too.

RC, your response got me thinking and trying to replicate your experience. However one thing I emphasise at this point is that I think it is the phone, not the App that is the issue. The App is working fine on my laptop and PC.

This morning I switched on the Beam’s power and used my phone to open the App which I noted was logged into my Sonos account. I could see the Beam and play music. I then signed out of the account  and found that I could still see the Beam and play music. Then the App lost contact with the device with Account, System and Services greyed out. I then noted the message on the App that my phone was connected to the Network, but the Sonos device wasn’t. Then I had to attend to some other matters before returning to try and fix it.

The phone now just says “Unable to connect to Sonos”. I opened the App on my PC and it shows that the Sonos Beam is connected. I played some music to confirm this. This replicates the analysis of the Sonos Tech in finding out whether the App or the Sonos device was created the problem. Yesterday the Tech checked my Router settings and confirmed that the Beam was connected even though my phone says not. I also opened the App on my wireless connected laptop and played some music.

I agree that the App on my PC and Laptop does not indicate whether I am logged into my account or not, but I have full access to manage the App and services.

As for the TV I had that working on the Beam just by plugging in the ARC HDMI and activating the Viera App on my TV as well as choosing Cinema Surround for sound out. Seems that the Beam is just a “dumb” device for the purpose of TV sound with the HDMI connection providing the necessary connectivity.

So I am even more convinced that the issue is the device hosting the App that is the problem; my Samsung A12 phone. That said I think it is probably a latent WiFi connection issue causing intermittant dropout on the phone. I suggest checking the connections to your router if you have not done that yet to check that your devices are connected with the WIFI network regardless of what the App on your phone is saying.

Aplogies for the lengthy analysis, but I hope it helps others with this problem as well.

@Narravic , thanks for detailing your experience. I have tried with multiple devices. I tried with my wife’s iPhone, my iPhone (different model) and an iPad. Sure, they are all Apple products but still. For me, launching the app while not logged in works perfectly on all three devices. Logging in on any of those devices will show the system still there for a bit but then, it vanishes partially. Lately, the sub (for some reason) shows as connected but all others do not. Mind you, my arc is wired so the sub is actually going THROUGH the arc (and it does show WM 0) but the sub shows connected but not the arc. It is too linked to the “logging in and out” to make me think that it doesn’t have to do with the app/phone directly. If I log back out if the app, all works fine again. It is highly reproducible. In that other thread, it says that this new feature is being rolled out in phases so I think I got the new feature (unluckily) but not everyone may have it. 

Are you logged in to the Sonos account on your xiaomi tablet? Same version of the app. Also, give it a few minutes — sometimes it works for a short time for me. Going to a different app and coming back typically does it :). Curious to know if some devices actually work logged in.

RC, I have replicated the problem you have by resetting the App on my phone and opening it and following the prompts to connect to an exisitng system. I can see the system and play music. So it looks like I can play the services that have been set up but not add new ones without logging in.

Does this mean your experience is that the App stays connected while not logged into the account? That the drop out only happens after you log in? Hence your ealier comment that logging in seems to cause a conflict between the Sonos network and the WIFI network?

Has this question been directly addressed by Sonos support?

Correct. My app stays fine as long as I don’t log in. I can see the system, play music, etc. Unfortunately, login in is required for things like trueplay tuning which is something I can’t do anymore for example. System is fully functional without logging in which is the most frustrating since I don’t get why I would need to log in for anything locally. I would be a happy clam if I didn’t need to log in for anything on an existing system. I am still waiting for a call back from Sonos support. I’ll probably call them tomorrow if I don’t hear by then. I am at least glad that others can replicate my issue. I am more and more convinced that it is not me and really an issue with sonos. I hope it is taken seriously soon.