frustrating & tempermental App

Hmmm…. Does John B have a deeper knowledge of how the App upgrade happened. The previous iterations of the Sonos App have never created issues such as we’re suffering now. Blaming Users who want to just switch the music on and off with an alarm feature thrown in, without having to delve into the guts of the intranet, internet, hub etc is not a big ask. It is frankly dishonest and more than a little smug to blame Users for their lack of tech knowledge & understanding.

Hi @Turtles 

He’s certainly been here for a while, and nothing he said was incorrect. I don’t think he was being smug - I think he was trying to be helpful. And, I don’t see him blaming anyone. Please curb your accusations.

Barring electromagnetic interference (which we can probably rule out if there were no problems before), the likely cause of failing to group speakers together is a mismatch of the firmware that the speakers are running. Although the app should ideally warn you of the mismatch, it is not the app in itself which is causing the issue. So, although he did not have the entire picture, there was nothing inaccurate about what @John B  was saying and how he was trying to assist - no-one here is claiming to have all the answers.

To resolve this issue, please open the Sonos app and go to Settings icon » Manage » System Updates » Check for updates.

I hope this helps.

Thank you @Corry P - however, the issue remains that the App is no where as easy to use as the previous iterations, the suggestion that Users go through the guts of their system to try and resolve the situations is unreasonable, especially when large numbers of us have limited technical understanding. I have lost count of the times I’ve gone for a hard reboot - nothing else in the house has these connectivity issues - and I really do mean nothing else. It’s only since Sonos enacted this latest upgrade that all the problems started. I have just checked the clunky app as you recommended it confirms that my SONOS system is up to date - its just unreliable, unpredictable and unfit. Your CEO made a promise that all these issues would be resolved - suggested that missing elements such as alarms etc would be reinstated - nothing has happened. Honestly just feel that Sonos is being protectionist and needs to focus on the customer experience. I have never until this update had an issue with your previously excellent product and user platform.

Reality is that I am not at all new to setting up systems and have been doing it for years, from building my own record player and valve amps to  setting up concert equipment. I also write bespoke software at work and have set up a number of networks. So consider myself quite tech savvy. So having such trouble with this after years of no problems is very frustrating!

thank you @Giacomo Papa I now don’t feel so alone or stupid for not being able to make the App work effectively.  I’m sure there are many more in a similar situation who aren’t bothering with the ‘community’ and will eventually drop Sonos as their speaker of choice but do so silently, possibly not even a whimper. I guess that Sonos aren’t really that bothered, they must have bigger fish to fry. Once I find a suitable alternative to Sonos I’ll switch, give away the speakers as Bluetooth option to others. Can only be a matter of time…. I’ll be patient. @Corry P cc’d for reference.

To be honest, I agree with John B, this probably has little to do with the app directly, but the associated speaker software updates seem to have screwed the whole thing up. My concern is if Sonos get to a point of not supporting the older kit and then they are worthless ornaments and have zero secondhand value. I tend to spend a lot on music equipment with the view of keeping it for a long period (had my main hifi speakers for 20 years etc). I don’t want to have to replace all of my Sonos system for a while yet!

@Turtles .  I am sorry to have created such a poor impression of my character and intentions.  As you don’t know me, or anything about me, I am not personally troubled by what you think.

Let me be clear: I am not claiming that the app update is fine.  It has certainly created a good deal of frustration, particularly in lost functionality anf unfamiliar navigation.  But my observation in the past is that when there hasn’t been a recent update, people come on here and say (in effect) “my system has gone wrong”.  When there has been a recent update, they say “the update has wrecked my system”.

As @Corry P says, I do come on here with the intention of helping.  My feeling here was, and remains, that you shouldn’t assume that the app (or the system software) is to blame for your dropped speaker problems.  If you wait for Sonos to solve these through software changes, you could be in for a long wait.  

I am not saying that your network is faulty.  But sonos places greater demands on a network than most applications.  The fact that your smart TV etc works doesn’t really prove much.  Sonos requires multiple devices - speakers and controllers - to maintain almost constant contact.  Everybody’s network and wireless environment is different, and a setting here or there can lead Sonos and the network to fall out with each other.  It may take some digging to work out what needs to be done, but it’s nearly always resolvable.  A system reboot is just an initial thing to try before further troubleshooting.  There is no point in multiple reboots.  All that proves is that the real issue has not been addressed.

So to sum up: the frustrations with the app update are genuine and in many cases well-founded.  But not every aspect of every system problem since the app update is caused by the app update. 

I really am trying to help.  I am sorry if I have given any other impression.

Your comments and suggestions are very helpful. I recognise that Sonos has high demands on network etc, but isn’t one of the benefits of the Sonos system that it in effect creates its own mesh? Surely one of the key features of such a system, and one that attracted me before I bought into it, is that it works effortlessly and is simple to set up and maintain?

That, I think, use to be the case. But now, for whatever reason, with a good, stable and stronger wifi network than I have had before, it seems to have gone from something that a child could set up to something that needs an IT guy on speed dial.

That isn’t really true (as you go on to say) for many users any more, particularly not for newer users.  SonosNet only runs if you wire at least one Sonos device to your network.  Sonos’ most recent speakers, like the Era100 and Era300, don’t have an Ethernet port, and are not capable of connecting to SonosNet if it is running.  I think this leaves Sonos more vulnerable to the vagaries of different mesh systems.  SonosNet was a mesh system way ahead of its time, when domestic mesh networks were unheard of, and most users’ networks were incapable of supporting Sonos.  Sonos appear to think SonosNet has had its day, and it most definitely isn’t a selling point anymore.

I suspect (but am not sure) that for most users setup is now actually more straightforward.  But when things go wrong, either at setup or later, there is more complexity to deal with???  Then you add in the app update…...