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I have sold sonos for many years. I find that my self and other installers that I spoke to can no longer sell the product. The idiotic pin code requirement for activation and having to update each unit as it is added to the system siply make the product too onerous to install.

As a regular consumer having to deal with one pin code on a speaker this may not be such a big deal. But as a professional putting in 8, 12, 20 + of them at once that are installed in a rack, it simply doesnt work. You have to label each unit prior to install with the mac and pin on the front which takes a lot of extra time, it also looks bad in a clean rack. Then you have to activate each one and run the update on each one as you add it instead of all at once after they are all added. You have turned a simple job into 15-20 minutes for each unit.

Now when I talk to clients and Sonos is brought up I explain how I had whole batches of connects go bad nearly all at once  I would install 18 in a job and 18 months later 6 would all go bad within a few weeks of each other and I had this problem on multiple jobs and across most of the life span of the product, with the reason they all died being the only change. All accurate information  I had one job we ended up having to replace most of the 18 originals with new ones that then died again in under 2 years with a different problem. I take the time to explain all of this so that I dont have to deal with this pain in the butt over priced product.

So not only do you not get these sales, you get a bad reputation.

The dumbest part of the whole thing is It did nothing. You already had to physically press the connect button meaning you have access to the unit. All about adopting a unit only. thats the only security this adds is making it harder to adopt a music player or speaker.

This has to be one of the dumbest things I have seen a company in the A/V market do.

 

 

If you install any additional units, try installing them wirelessly with a WiFi connection. I recently installed four ONE’s in my WiFi only system and I don’t recall needing to supply a PIN for each unit. I think that the WiFi installation path does not need a PIN. Yes, I had to serially update each unit, rather than a batch update. If you install a bunch in a rack, you could block the network connection during install, then (optionally) remove the WiFi definition and un-block the LAN after the installations are complete.

If you install any additional units, try installing them wirelessly with a WiFi connection. I recently installed four ONE’s in my WiFi only system and I don’t recall needing to supply a PIN for each unit. I think that the WiFi installation path does not need a PIN. Yes, I had to serially update each unit, rather than a batch update. If you install a bunch in a rack, you could block the network connection during install, then (optionally) remove the WiFi definition and un-block the LAN after the installations are complete.

I appreciate the attempt to help but its not that easy for a few reasons.
For one when doing that many units it is highly recommended that you wire them all to a smart switch. Other wise there can be severe problems when trying to group them all. No daisy chaining through their 2 network ports or leaving all but one on wifi.
The speakers and soundbars have a near field connection that they use instead of the pin if available. The Ports and amps, which are the main units someone may be installing en masse do not offer this ability. Thus why you probably didnt need the pin codes.

Lastly if you kill the internet for install it will not add it to the system. If you try and exit the update after adding it to your system the devices then come up as unregistered and make you reenter the pin code for each unit but it doesnt tell you which unit it is adding making it much more difficult.

They have really gone out of their way to make this more difficult for no reason or gain.

There most certainly is a reason;  some Sonos systems were hacked.  Sure it was only users who opened their router up to the entire world, but some shady websites made a big deal over it.  So Sonos had to password (not PIN) protect the adding of new devices, and closed many of the port 1400 diagnostics which used to be accessible to the user.

There most certainly is a reason;  some Sonos systems were hacked.  Sure it was only users who opened their router up to the entire world, but some shady websites made a big deal over it.  So Sonos had to password (not PIN) protect the adding of new devices, and closed many of the port 1400 diagnostics which used to be accessible to the user.

there is already a physical button push required. So their security wasnt working. If they fixed the security hole adding the pin did nothing the button cant do, and they call it a pin.

there is already a physical button push required. So their security wasnt working. If they fixed the security hole adding the pin did nothing the button cant do, and they call it a pin.

 

Perhaps we are speaking of 2 different things?  Because I've never had to enter a PIN, only an account password.  I know nothing about a PIN.

PIN

 

I know nothing about a PIN.

For us longtime owners, PIN is a new development. If you have recently purchased a unit you’ll notice a (dark gray, printed on black) PIN on the product label.

PIN

For us longtime owners, PIN is a new development. If you have recently purchased a unit you’ll notice a (dark gray, printed on black) PIN on the product label.

 

Just bought a new Beam, don't recall using a PIN.  But I am getting older, so maybe I forgot. 

I believe the PIN is a relatively new security feature and currently applies to the Amp and Port only.

It is a one-time use feature on device setup only. It is therefore a minor inconvenience for the average user but a more significant burden for an installer putting in a large number of devices. 

@shaggy9966 Would it no be possible to set up the Amps via wifi first, so circumventing the need for a PIN if I read @buzz 's post correctly. After set up is done you could wipe the wifi credentials from the system and turn off wifi on the Amps.

This is also an extra step in set up, but maybe easier. In case of any trouble the Pin should of course still be recorded for when a re-set up is done by someone else.

@shaggy9966 Would it no be possible to set up the Amps via wifi first, so circumventing the need for a PIN if I read @buzz 's post correctly. After set up is done you could wipe the wifi credentials from the system and turn off wifi on the Amps.

This is also an extra step in set up, but maybe easier. In case of any trouble the Pin should of course still be recorded for when a re-set up is done by someone else.

the pin is required regardless. @buzz was installing play one’s, as noted this is a particular problem of ports and amps only. The two products that someone may install large numbers or are the two products they cut corners on and did not add in the near field pin sharing connects feature.

This thread has a sonos employee explain how it works on the other units and how the port and amp require the pin.

 

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