Allow controllers to pair with multiple home systems

S
I love the sonos connect so much that I got one at home, at work, for my brother, for my father and for my father in law. My only complaint is that my controller is locked to one system at a time. When I move between different houses I should be able to pair the controller on my phone with their systems and have it remember me when I come back - without resetting. I've seen the tip about bringing them all to one place and setting them up together. But that's not always possible or desirable. There is no real security concern because I still have to be allowed on their network and I'd still have to push the buttons on the device. Seems like a relatively simple software problem to allow me to pair with multiple systems and remember all the systems I've paired with.
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100 replies

J
+1 their is a quite simple solution for this. one solution: Make it able in the controller to add a Household ID with a request password. One of the connected controller (owner mostly) should then accept the connection or the owner could accept this through the Sonos my account website. another solution: Make it password protected (like a wifi) and let the user chose to broadcast the sonos household ID if he want's to. Let the user also chose to merge playlists or keep their own. This will remove the fact that you have to bring a bridge or a play to any given new location or old location or to a friend who has sonos. We have sonos at the office and at home. many of my collegues like to connect their device to all the systems but they need to reset the controller every time. and so lose all settings between all the controllers. Sonos is great, make it better We all like to share. best regards Alex

Agreed. The password feature idea is excellent. This would also enable homeowners to grant access to renters and control multiple smart homes. Please create this ability!
0
Does anyone have an up to date link? I’ve tried searching on the new Sonos Customer Help section but nothing comes up.
jgatie
David,

Good news. The workaround you replied to is over two years old. Since then, Sonos has implemented support for multiple systems on one controller. See this link for details:

https://sonos.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/2345/~/using-your-sonos-controller-in-more-than-one-house
D
[quote=mheathcote]Believe there is a workaround for this if you are able to move your speakers between locations once....set them all up on the same network first (name them accordingly so you know which box goes to which location) then take them back to you other homes and they should then just be available when your controller is on the network at your other places. Have not tried this yet but may do soon. Remember having read about this on a forum somewhere


This worked for me. I bought a Play1 to use in my office at work. Based on seeing this, I added to my home network, then turned it off and brought it to work. When I launched SONOS it said it didn't see my network, and I went through the process of setting up network at work and connecting to the Play1 with that network. I thought it would be a problem and that I wouldn't be able to use my home network when I got home, but when I open at home it connects me to my original SONOS home network, when I open at work it see and connects to my new work network. Not sure if connecting the new Play1 to my home network first is what makes this work, but that is the way I did it, and it is all working great. Hope that helps someone,
S
Yea!
U
Rocks!
P
Thank you Sonos for making this happen, a long time coming but well worth the wait! paul
I
AWESOME. Finally I can unequivocally recommend Sonos to friends again. Better late than never!
B
Thanks John. USERS: Remember to update your software on the computer (Manage --> check for software updates) which will also update the entire sonos system BEFORE trying to add a 2nd domicile. You CAN'T add the 2nd domicile by just updating the phone controller.
M
John, this is fantastic. It took a lot of pushing to feel that Sonos cared about what we were saying and how important this capability was to a lot of us, but with your help and the persistent loyalty of Sonos customers, the product just took a giant leap ahead. Thank you!
J
Badge +18
Hello everyone,

We're pleased to announce that Sonos version 4.2 is now available and includes support for multiple households.  You can find out more about how to setup multiple households here.  

To update to version 4.2, select Update Now from your Sonos Controller.
J
this is great news! thanks and can't wait for update...
P
THis is great news. When it is implemented I will likely buy another system for my office.
U
I started this chain some while back and really appreciate the planned solution. I listed to Sonos every day at work, but never have the time to engage in the discovery that I can do at home at leisure. It will be great to be able to synch the two so that what I have the time to find at home can be background tune-age at work. Appreciate it.
E
Userlevel 2
Excellent news! Off the back of my initial purchase my brother got a system I'd like the ability to control, and I'm planning another 2 systems for my family and in laws in another country. I can't lug bits of my original system around Europe to fix this problem. Thanks to Sonos for realising the multiplier effect a software controller fix will have. Bravo.
J
John, I am very happy about this news and this does restore my faith in Sonos. I look forward to see the update and feature in the ....not too distant.... future. Thanks for all users for keeping this trend alive for so long!
R
Yay! This makes me happy!
A
Badge
John, Thanks for the update. Between this planned feature and the recent addition of the feature to play music from an android device, my love for Sonos is renewed!
P
John, Thank you for this, my faith in Sonos restored!
S
That is great news. I am so glad that Sonos is listening to their consumers. I will now buy the second system I have been wanting.
S
Awesome! Thanks!
J
Badge +18
Hi everyone, This topic is now marked as Planned. We'll introduce multiple Sonos household support to the iOS and Android Controllers in a future software update. Thanks for your support!
S
Let me share a story of why it's incredibly bad product strategy to ignore this issue. I've just come back from my in-laws house where I had re-paired with their system. I had a friend over at my house, I wanted to put on some music - and we had been talking about home music solutions. I tried to re-pair with my home system but it wasn't being responsive during the connection process. Friend says, "so far, I'm not impressed with sonos." I say, yeah, "neither am I right now." So there you go, you just lost a potential customer, a customer who might have bought a few units, and a customer who might have told his friends about the product. Those of us who have multiple systems are your quote "power users" and power users have huge impact through proselytization of the product. If we stop being impressed, we stop proselytizing. The attractiveness of Sonso is based on the principle that it "just works" - this is one of the very few ways in which it doesn't "just work" - so it cuts into the very heart of what makes it a good product or not. To quote Oscar Rogers, FIX. IT.
Well said! Same scenario has happened to me and family that have Sonos. This is the one thing about Sonos that honestly drives me nuts because it should have been a required feature for release from day one.
S
Well said! Same scenario has happened to me and family that have Sonos. This is the one thing about Sonos that honestly drives me nuts because it should have been a required feature for release from day one.
S
Let me share a story of why it's incredibly bad product strategy to ignore this issue. I've just come back from my in-laws house where I had re-paired with their system. I had a friend over at my house, I wanted to put on some music - and we had been talking about home music solutions. I tried to re-pair with my home system but it wasn't being responsive during the connection process. Friend says, "so far, I'm not impressed with sonos." I say, yeah, "neither am I right now." So there you go, you just lost a potential customer, a customer who might have bought a few units, and a customer who might have told his friends about the product. Those of us who have multiple systems are your quote "power users" and power users have huge impact through proselytization of the product. If we stop being impressed, we stop proselytizing. The attractiveness of Sonso is based on the principle that it "just works" - this is one of the very few ways in which it doesn't "just work" - so it cuts into the very heart of what makes it a good product or not. To quote Oscar Rogers, FIX. IT.
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