BBC Sounds recently started dropping out

Hi @Matt Butler 

Welcome to the Sonos Community!

The “not encoded correctly” error is typically symptomatic of interference - the speaker is receiving a garbled version of the data and is unable to make sense of it.

I suspect that a neighbour of yours perhaps upgraded/replaced their router and are now using the same (or worse, overlapping) WiFi channels as you are. If you don’t have any Sonos devices connected to ethernet, you will need to adjust your router’s WiFi channels, whereas if you do, you will need to adjust Sonos’ channel at Settings » System » Network » Change SonosNet Channel.

As to which channel is the best to use, I can only say that 1, 6 and 11 are the best channels to choose from, but I recommend you get in touch with our technical support team who have tools at their disposal that will allow them to give you advice specific to your Sonos system and what it reports - they will then be able to recommend the best channel.

Another possibility is that there is a new device close to your router or speakers causing interference, in which case you may just need to move it away from them a bit - 1m is recommended. Again, the support team will be able to see if any of your Sonos devices are affected by interference, though this page may be of help: Reducing wireless interference.

I hope this helps.

Hi Corry P,

Thanks very much for taking the time to provide such a detailed answer.  Can I just check (and, apologies, I should have put in my original post) we also use Spotify and this has continued to work perfectly at the same time as the BBC Sounds started dropping out.  Does that still make sense with your proposed solution?

Matt

Hi @Matt Butler 

It could do, yes. It would depend on the relative bandwidth that each service is using - if Spotify is on the edge of what can be transmitted successfully, but BBC Sounds is using slightly more, that would fit what you experience.

Note that I am basically guessing - I recommend you get in touch with our technical support for specific advice. As we’re now basically chatting in real-time, however, please feel free to submit a support diagnostic and post the given number here and I’ll be happy to take a look for you.

Hi Corry, 

Apologies, I was caught up immediately after that last communication.  If there is any chance you are still looking at this, i have just submitted a support diagnostic.  The number is:

1551788525

Thanks very much,

Matt

Hi @Matt Butler 

Thanks for the diagnostics. However, all they tell me is that you apparently live in a fully-detached house in a field somewhere - I’ve never seen less interference! So, that’s one thing that can be ruled out, at least.

I don’t see any playback errors logged. To really know what’s going on, I’d need you to recreate the issue then submit a diagnostic soon afterwards, but that’s my fault for not specifying so in the first place - apologies.

I did glean one piece of info that might lead us to a fix, however. Please follow these steps:

If the issue persists after taking these steps, please submit a support diagnostic soon after receiving the error and I’ll take a look again.

I hope this helps.

Sorry Corry, I don’t know how to log into the Unifi controller, or even what that is? 

Hi @Matt Butler 

It’s the app for configuring your Ubiquiti WiFi devices - unless I’ve made an incorrect assumption, that is, though I’m reasonably sure that all Ubiquiti WiFi hardware is labelled with the “UniFi” product name. Perhaps they don’t all use the app, however.

Hi Corry, 

Apologies, not sure how to access the Unifi controller.  Instead I have just recreated the issue and run a diagnostic.  Number is:

947326665 

Thanks,

Matt

Hi @Matt Butler 

OK, so I see the events - the speakers are reporting audio dropouts - but there’s nothing much to explain why they are happening, which leaves me with the following possible conclusions:

1. There is interference, but it’s at the router - this would not be visible to me in the diagnostics. If there are any electrical devices within a metre of your router or your Ubiquiti access points that use radio communications (cordless phone bases, printers, smart-home hubs, baby monitors and the like), please move them away.
2. Network configuration - it’s possible an update was pushed to your router or Ubiquiti system that changed the behaviour or defaults of your network settings. I recommend you install the UniFI configuration app - a search for “UniFi” on Apple App Store should go straight to it, and it’s available for computers too. Just follow the instructions above once it’s installed and connected, and you should be good. This is my current favourite explanation/fix.
3. Something else that I just can’t see or think of. If it is practical to do so, you can try ethernet-wiring one Sonos device (not the Sub) to the router. This will fundamentally change the way it and all the other speakers connect to the network and you may see an improvement. Please remember to keep the wired speaker at least 1m from the router.

I hope this helps.

Hi,

Is there any update on this issue?

I have been experiencing the same problems and it is really doing my head in now.

What I have noticed is that turning the Play 3 off and on again at the wall seems to sort the problem out for a day and then the issue comes back again. I am considering putting a timer switch in to switch the Play 3 off overnight each night.

I have tried changing wifi channels and various changes of settings on my Ubiquiti router. I was getting dropouts on other services also, but now the problem seems to be limited to BBC Sounds.

Is there any reason why this service is different to others in the way it behaves? It seems the issue is with the feed as much as anything.

Steve