can it just work

I’ve been using SONOS since 2005. I wouldn’t be here if I had unresolved issues. There were two issues in 2005. One was my network configuration and the other was my neighbor’s phone system causing interference. I quickly worked through both issues in 2005.

I’m afraid that we can’t offer much help since you have not offered any details.

I would not attempt to use the WiFi I used in 2005. Back then there were only a couple nearby WIFi users. Now I’m in a dense urban area and there can be over 100 nearby, active access points. One potential issue for you is that your WiFi is too old, no longer capable, or needs some configuration help.

At this point, I believe some Sonos owners just want to complain and have no interest, in learning and understanding, just a little bit about networking in order to enjoy their investment. Some spend tens of thousands on speakers but neglect their networks… the one thing that Sonos relies on in order to work properly.

https://support.sonos.com/en-us/article/sonos-system-requirements

https://support.sonos.com/en-us/article/recommended-settings-for-using-sonos-on-wireless-networks

​@BBBBBB, I can’t say I feel your frustration, because Sonos works for me. Even through the introduction of the new app almost 2 years ago.. it just worked. The only annoyances was the missing functionality.

But, as ​@buzz has stated, If Sonos was not working for me, I would not be here either. 

Life is too short to live frustrated. 🎵🎶 

Having worked at a small network company called Cisco and owning the global network (including wireless) I would say that I am more than qualified to have an informed opinion.  I have the absolute latest networking technology in my home and it's not the consumer grade stuff.  The system works some times but mostly not.  I have even continued to buy new Sonos equipment despite it not working in hopes that the newer hardware would behave better.  Frankly having tech support tell me to reboot my equipment and factory reset everything is an absurd approach to real problem solving.  Even when I have done that it still fails to work consistently.   

Still no details……

We hear this all the time about “my credentials are this” and/or “I have good WiFi or great network hardware”.

My point is this … I’m not an engineer or IT guru . I use three ASUS WiFi 7 routers in a mesh with a wired backhaul. I have up to 60 clients on my network at any time of which 32 are Sonos. My Sonos just works for whatever I need it to do.

Bottom-line we’d like to help. However’ you have to put your pride aside and tell us more about your network and issues you are experiencing. Yes, outside of defective equipment there’s something going on with your network be it a misconfiguration or internal/external interference.

This has nothing to do with pride.  I have expectations having spent well over 10K on equipment (as do all customers).  Three homes and three different wireless systems and same behaviors.  So if there is anyone available to show me how this could be great I am up for the help.

Sonos works well with consumer grade ‘stuff’. If you have ‘latest network networking technology’, that is possibly designed for enterprise? network, it may need a few small configuration changes to get Sonos to work reliably.

A CCNP would be able to assist, if its Cisco equipment you are using.

What WiFi router do you have, and how is it set up? 
once you’ve shared this (rather essential) information, someone might be willing and able to offer some configuration suggestions. Frankly, “the absolute latest networking technology in my home and it's not the consumer grade stuff” tells us nothing. 

Unfortunately for those who use it, having “the absolute latest networking technology in my home and it's not the consumer grade stuff” is not the flex one might think it is.  Non-consumer grade networking is significantly more configurable than bone-stock consumer stuff.  As such, one can get out over their skis when it comes to configurations that may not seem too complicated, but will send Sonos (or any other system that heavily depends on peer-to-peer communications for timing) into a tizzy.  

So until the OP actually lists what networking hardware they are using and in what configuration, I’m afraid it really does have to do with pride.  Because until one gets over the fact that it may well be their network and/or the way it is configured, nothing is going to change.  This isn’t a critique of network quality or gear, it’s simply a fact that non-consumer grade networks, by their very nature, can have some pitfalls that consumer grade networks do not (especially for systems like Sonos which are designed/optimized with consumer grade networks in mind)

Once you’ve assumed that the issue must be [ … ] or cannot be [ … ], you are likely to be blindsided.