Hi everyone - I’m moving my Connect: AMP which is S2 compatible to my Beam and Sub and In-ceiling speaker setup. The in-ceiling speakers were powered by another Connect: AMP which is only S1 compatible and when I set it up years ago, it was configured via using that strange way of using its IP address.
Now it seems like you can’t do that method and requires the Connect: AMP to be connected via Ethernet to the Beam and the router at the same time. My router is located in a different room that’s about 20 metres away so I am wondering is the only way I can do this is getting a 20 metre ethernet cable? Seems like a pretty crappy way to hooking up the system. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
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Connect:Amps used as surrounds have always required a wired connection. Both generations lack the 5 GHz radios required for wireless surround use.
yep - I am justing referring to configuring them. do I have to have them simultaneously connected via a hardwire ethernet from the Sonos Connect Amp to the router and the Beam at the same time when I pair the connect amp surrounds to the Beam and Sub?
yep - I am justing referring to configuring them. do I have to have them simultaneously connected via a hardwire ethernet from the Sonos Connect Amp to the router and the Beam at the same time when I pair the connect amp surrounds to the Beam and Sub?
The wired connection needs to be permanent. As @jgatie says, the C:A was designed long before Sonos had even thought of HT applications. The C:A doiesn’t have the hardware to do the connection wirelessly..
The current Sonos Amp does not need the wired connection.
so if I'm reading this correctly, with S1, I could have my C:A configured to run my in-ceiling surround speakers connected by ethernet to the Beam and wired with speaker wire to my speakers but not wire connected to my router, but with S2, the C:A has to be connected to what? Ethernet connected to my router?
Nothing has changed in this respect. There needs to be a wired connection from the Beam to the C:A if the C:A is driving surrounds. It can be a direct wire from the Beam to C;A, or they can both be wired to a router or a switch. You also have to have at least one Sonos unit wired to your network so that you are in ‘Boost’ mode.
So if you have direct wire, and neither the Beam nor the C:A is wired to the router, you need something else wired to the router.
So I'm trying to emulate the same network topology I had with the non-S2 compatible C:A. It’s just that it seems that I have to use two ethernet cables to configure the S2 compatible C:A to drive the in-ceiling surrounds. Correct me if I'm wrong, I will need to have ethernet cables running from my C:A to my router and also from my C:A to the Beam concurrently in order to pair them. Once I do that, I can remove the cable from my C:A to the router and the C:A will operate “wirelessly” alongside the Beam but will naturally be hardwired to my in-ceiling speakers. Have I got that right?
So I'm trying to emulate the same network topology I had with the non-S2 compatible C:A. It’s just that it seems that I have to use two ethernet cables to configure the S2 compatible C:A to drive the in-ceiling surrounds. Correct me if I'm wrong, I will need to have ethernet cables running from my C:A to my router and also from my C:A to the Beam concurrently in order to pair them. Once I do that, I can remove the cable from my C:A to the router and the C:A will operate “wirelessly” alongside the Beam but will naturally be hardwired to my in-ceiling speakers. Have I got that right?
No. The connection has to be permanent. But please read my post that crossed with yours. What is it that is making you think your previous connections no longer work?
So my old C:A setup (old C:A that is not S2 compatible) was wireless in that it didn’t require the C:A to be connected to the router. All it was connected to was the Beam via Ethernet and the in-ceiling speakers via speaker wire. Surely that wouldn't change with S2?
Did you have any Sonos device wired to your router in the old setup? Do you in the S2 setup?
The only sonos device I have hardwired to my router is the Sonos Boost. I haven’t actually upgraded anything to S2 yet.
So my old C:A setup (old C:A that is not S2 compatible) was wireless in that it didn’t require the C:A to be connected to the router. All it was connected to was the Beam via Ethernet and the in-ceiling speakers via speaker wire. Surely that wouldn't change with S2?
Nothing has changed about the requirements, they are the same as before.
The only sonos device I have hardwired to my router is the Sonos Boost. I haven’t actually upgraded anything to S2 yet.
Jeez. Then just set it up like before and it will work. Why shouldn't it?
well that was what I was hoping to do but Sonos has changed the way you set up C:A surround speakers. Previously you could just grab the IP address of the C:A and configure it via the browser by entering the IP address - it was a horrible way but it worked. Now that no longer works and they require you to have ethernet cables from the C:A to the Beam and also to the router concurrently. Well that’s what I think is the process.The problem is, my C:A is a far way away from where my router is.
There is absolutely no requirement to wire the C:A to the router. It is required to have at least one Sonos unit wired to the router, because this configuration requires Sonosnet (see bold below). These requirements have not changed.
Your home theater speaker and Connect:Amp must be wired in one of the following configurations:
Both the Sonos home theater speaker and Connect:Amp are wired to the router with an Ethernet cable.
The Sonos home theater speaker is wired to the Connect:Amp with an Ethernet cable and another Sonos product is wired to the router.
ah ok - makes sense but in the iOS Sonos app, when I try to config it, I get this instruction.
That will work, but it’s not required. Just a case of simplifying a fairly complicated subject.
ok - good to know it’s not required. if I follow that instruction, then I’d need a 20 metre ethernet cable. So what you’re saying, is I don’t need this 20 metre cable to connect the C:A to the router?
ok - good to know it’s not required. if I follow that instruction, then I’d need a 20 metre ethernet cable. So what you’re saying, is I don’t need this 20 metre cable to connect the C:A to the router?
Not if you have a Boost or another Sonos unit wired to the router.
ok - I will try that. thanks.
If you didn’t need a 20m cable before, you don’t need it now. That is a specific example of ‘nothing has changed’. I can understand your being thrown by the app message, though.
Hi, sorry for reopening this old conversation but I have a question for the OP: Is your surround system still working? I have a very similar setup, but with a CA wired to a Playbar. Basically it provides surrounds to my Playbar. It’s stopped working with the latest update to S2 and I can’t re-add. I’m wondering if you’ve had a similar problem? Thanks
Hi @Gafferbee.
Welcome, thank you for reaching out to Sonos Community.
Since you just updated your Sonos app and wondering what's wrong with your device.
It would be best to submit a diagnostic report from your Sonos system and reply back with your confirmation number so we can see what generations is your connect:amp is?
Let us know if it works. If you need help with any other information, please be sure to let us know.
Thanks for the reply @Mark P. I’m pretty certain that my Connect:AMP is S2 compatible, as it’s worked with the app for the last few months. There seems to have been an incremental software update recently that I suspect has broken things.
In the release notes for version 12.1 (link here) it says:
The process for creating a stereo pair or adding surround speakers has been updated and improved.
In any case I have submitted a diagnostic report, the number is 535844962.
Any help would be much appreciated. My setup allows me to use TV/Playbar with surround sound and to unbond my Connect:AMP in order to use my turntable and vinyl. I’m not too keen to by new hardware to replicate the functionality I had until last week.
Many thanks.
Additionally - is it better to have a long ethernet cable run or a long speaker wire run.
Should I put my CA near the router and run long speaker wire up the wall and across the ceiling, or put the CA in the ceiling near the speakers and run a long ethernet back to the router. Power is not an issue.
Personally, I would sell the C:A and buy an Amp so that you don't face this choice.
I realise that it is easy for me to spend your money.
