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JSBintheCity
Avid Contributor I
November 30, 2022
Answered

Since iOS 14 Unable to Connect to Sonos System

It’s been doing this since iOS 14.   Gives the two error messages on the Sonos app - “unable to connect to Sonos” also says “join a nearby Sonos system”.  You can follow these steps but it seems to just forget the Sonos system once again.

 

Had this Sonos system for years and it only started with iOS 14- any ideas?

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Ken_Griffiths
Ken_GriffithsAnswer
December 1, 2022

@JSBintheCity,

The Sonos App uses SSDP multicasting to discover the speakers on the network, sometimes (occasionally) I’ve seen this non-discovery issue too, usually with my iPad Pro (3rd gen), but as you mention, closing the App and toggling the WiFi off/on will also sort it for me, usually …then it’s fine for a while.

I don’t get the issue so much with my iPhone XR, nor with my (cheap) Android tablet …so I’m not sure if there’s an issue with some of these iOS devices🤷‍♂️ - I’ve not (yet) found the cause to this one, but here’s hoping things improve with each new update, from Apple and/or Sonos.

I currently run my Sonos system on a mesh WiFi system. One of the mesh Hubs is my router and the ISP provided router is operating in modem mode. I do have more success with my Sonos system running on SonosNet (one device/Sonos Port, wired to the primary mesh Hub) - that works well for device discovery, but I’m just a sucker for punishment and presently running all on the WiFi signal instead.

I think you are using a Sonos Boost and a SonosNet connection, so you might find that trying a different SonosNet channel will improve things for you.

Its best to set the routers 2.4Ghz Wifi channel to 1, 6 or 11, as they are non-overlapping channels, and also set the channel-width to 20Mhz only to reduce interference.

Then set the SonosNet channel, so it’s at least 5 channels away from your chosen router channel and see if that improves the discovery issue for you. I would also reserve all your Sonos IP addresses in the routers DHCP reservation table, if you know how to do that, as that really helps with these things too.

Note too that ‘WiFi Calling’ and security/vpn software on the mobile controller device can sometimes interfere with Sonos device discovery, it’s ‘sometimes’ slightly more problematic if using wireless extenders, or EOP adapters, as part of the network aswell.

Hopefully something in the above few paragraphs however may help you to resolve the discovery issue.

HTH

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Eos
Lyricist I
December 1, 2022

Well, that’s annoying. The ‘Private WiFi Address’ trick is not working here. Did restart iPhone & iPad, no luck. Two hours ago I was happily listening to a podcast via Apple app, and coming back from shopping, AirPlay not working anymore.

I use an iPhone 13 mini. And an iPad. The recent update really stuffed things up.

Am now considering a hard reset of the speaker (Ikea Symfonisk Picture Frame) but before I do so, are there any other tricks I could try? Calling customer service Sonos was unsuccessful. After 20 minutes no change in the tune, not even acknowledging that I actually called Sonos, I just hung up.

I don’t want to use the sono app for my music. I pay Apple. And I want to be able to see the lyrics of songs. Not possible with sono. Quite disappointing.

Eos
Lyricist I
December 1, 2022

Can’t find how to edit so doing it this way. A friendly Sonos customer server on the chat helped me out. Unplugging of speaker and router was enough to reset it all. It’s working fine! Thanks to Jeffrey on the chat. Hope more people will find this useful.

    Ken_Griffiths
    Ken_Griffiths
    December 1, 2022

    Can’t find how to edit so doing it this way. A friendly Sonos customer server on the chat helped me out. Unplugging of speaker and router was enough to reset it all. It’s working fine! Thanks to Jeffrey on the chat. Hope more people will find this useful.

    Yes usually a reboot of the speaker and/or router will resolve an AirPlay issue. Good to hear you sorted it.👍

    JSBintheCityAuthor
    Avid Contributor I
    December 1, 2022

    Hey Ken-

    so it -appeared- resolved when I was able to login to my Sonos system yesterday.  But today it's acting up again.  A bit more random tho in that if I just exit the app and try again it often resolves. any ideas?

    Perhaps a router setting that makes it more able to find Sonos on my mobile device.  Again this does not happen at all on my Mac.

    Ken_Griffiths
    Ken_GriffithsAnswer
    December 1, 2022

    @JSBintheCity,

    The Sonos App uses SSDP multicasting to discover the speakers on the network, sometimes (occasionally) I’ve seen this non-discovery issue too, usually with my iPad Pro (3rd gen), but as you mention, closing the App and toggling the WiFi off/on will also sort it for me, usually …then it’s fine for a while.

    I don’t get the issue so much with my iPhone XR, nor with my (cheap) Android tablet …so I’m not sure if there’s an issue with some of these iOS devices🤷‍♂️ - I’ve not (yet) found the cause to this one, but here’s hoping things improve with each new update, from Apple and/or Sonos.

    I currently run my Sonos system on a mesh WiFi system. One of the mesh Hubs is my router and the ISP provided router is operating in modem mode. I do have more success with my Sonos system running on SonosNet (one device/Sonos Port, wired to the primary mesh Hub) - that works well for device discovery, but I’m just a sucker for punishment and presently running all on the WiFi signal instead.

    I think you are using a Sonos Boost and a SonosNet connection, so you might find that trying a different SonosNet channel will improve things for you.

    Its best to set the routers 2.4Ghz Wifi channel to 1, 6 or 11, as they are non-overlapping channels, and also set the channel-width to 20Mhz only to reduce interference.

    Then set the SonosNet channel, so it’s at least 5 channels away from your chosen router channel and see if that improves the discovery issue for you. I would also reserve all your Sonos IP addresses in the routers DHCP reservation table, if you know how to do that, as that really helps with these things too.

    Note too that ‘WiFi Calling’ and security/vpn software on the mobile controller device can sometimes interfere with Sonos device discovery, it’s ‘sometimes’ slightly more problematic if using wireless extenders, or EOP adapters, as part of the network aswell.

    Hopefully something in the above few paragraphs however may help you to resolve the discovery issue.

    HTH

    JSBintheCityAuthor
    Avid Contributor I
    December 25, 2022

    So I’ve tried all the steps but I’m still getting this problem.   

    I’ve turned off private relay, changed the wifi channels, I’ve made sure im on WM0, I’ve turned off wifi calling.  I don’t have any VPN software.  

    I did *try* and reserve DNS addresses by going into Lan settings but it seems to keep forgetting the ones I add.  This is likely some sort of user error or some other incompatibility.  

    do you have any other ideas? These problems did not start until the fall with the new version of iOS.

    Ken_Griffiths
    Ken_Griffiths
    December 25, 2022

    So I’ve tried all the steps but I’m still getting this problem.   

    I’ve turned off private relay, changed the wifi channels, I’ve made sure im on WM0, I’ve turned off wifi calling.  I don’t have any VPN software.  

    I did *try* and reserve DNS addresses by going into Lan settings but it seems to keep forgetting the ones I add.  This is likely some sort of user error or some other incompatibility.  

    do you have any other ideas? These problems did not start until the fall with the new version of iOS.

    What WiFi channel are you using for the 2.4 GHz band on your router and what is the channel-width? Also what SonosNet channel are you using and how far away is the wired Boost from your router (I’m assuming you have it wired direct to the router?)

    JSBintheCityAuthor
    Avid Contributor I
    December 26, 2022

    Sonos is on 11 and the Router is on 1. 
    But remember, my desktop Sonos connects thru wifi also and is fine.  Doesn’t that imply its’ related to iOS?

    Airgetlam
    Airgetlam
    December 26, 2022

    Just as a note, I’m somewhat confused by the ‘DNS settings’ comment, as I am relatively sure that @Ken_Griffiths was suggesting reserving IP addresses,  and not changing DNS. 

    They are two very different things. 

    Bruce
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