Hi guys, quick question. I've recently set up my bar/sub via WiFi and wish to use the two Ethernet ports on the bar to connect to a wired device, is this possible? Thanks.
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No. You have to set your system up in SonosNet (aka 'BOOST Setup') mode, i.e. with one component wired to the network. In WiFi mode the Ethernet jacks cannot be used to extend the network.
As a matter of interest, why are there two Ethernet connections on the Playbar, my Connect and on a Bridge?
In order to enable daisy-chaining.
Why would you wish to daisy chain? Is this for ethernet (general data) or sonos (music) purposes? I'm trying to understand what data is shared where in my network to minimise traffic and I'm not sure if it's worth employing ethernet cables
Primarily, if you were short of router/switch ports.
Sure, but just to get ethernet to sonos right? I.e. ther's no need to get sonos 'sound info' to the units as this is done wirelessly at all times?
No when you plug Ethernet cable from router into Sonos unit it revecieves music info data via Ethernet.
Sure, but if you've already connected say, a sonos connect, by ethernet then is there any reason to also connect a playbar via ethernet?
It's optional. When at least one Sonos component is wired, it sets up the SonosNet dedicated wireless to connect to the others.
to add on to ratty's post, also wired ethernet connections are not (or at least much less) susceptible to "wireless interference". you might have the trade-off problem of dealing with a corner case spanning tree issue, particularly if one is also using a wifi mesh system.
Wired networks will almost always have better performance, bandwidth, capacity, and stability than wireless networks, but of course that is not always true. and If one can run the ethernet cables and/or isn't bothered by the esthetics of those cables. it can also makes network troubleshooting a little easier. this is a personal choice.
(cabling satellites/rears/sub paired with a playbar/playbase is a different use case that i don't know much about, but i believe you'd want to cable all of them or just the playbar/playbase. don't cable just the rears or the sub and not the bar/base.)
Sonos network traffic is not that much in almost all cases, and even when connecting a single sonos by cable and having the others using sonosnet/boost mode, there is still a lot of traffic that will got through that single device to both networks anyway. (it just creates a layer 2 bridge between your regular network and the SonosNet network -- all broadcast traffic still goes to every device on both networks, and all internet traffic needs to pass from one to another, and all (okay most) controller traffic needs to pass from one to another, all local library music needs to transit both networks, etc.)
SonosNet is great because there is basically zero configuration and it just works -- when you don't have a lot of other wireless traffic in the area from neighbors and so on.
if you have a real network congestion problem, cool, but most people don't and won't. my personal choice would be to minimize how much traffic required the SonosNet transport and/or the bridging device (the connect in your example) and take advantage of the 1GbE cable network. Other people will make different decisions.
Wired networks will almost always have better performance, bandwidth, capacity, and stability than wireless networks, but of course that is not always true. and If one can run the ethernet cables and/or isn't bothered by the esthetics of those cables. it can also makes network troubleshooting a little easier. this is a personal choice.
(cabling satellites/rears/sub paired with a playbar/playbase is a different use case that i don't know much about, but i believe you'd want to cable all of them or just the playbar/playbase. don't cable just the rears or the sub and not the bar/base.)
Sonos network traffic is not that much in almost all cases, and even when connecting a single sonos by cable and having the others using sonosnet/boost mode, there is still a lot of traffic that will got through that single device to both networks anyway. (it just creates a layer 2 bridge between your regular network and the SonosNet network -- all broadcast traffic still goes to every device on both networks, and all internet traffic needs to pass from one to another, and all (okay most) controller traffic needs to pass from one to another, all local library music needs to transit both networks, etc.)
SonosNet is great because there is basically zero configuration and it just works -- when you don't have a lot of other wireless traffic in the area from neighbors and so on.
if you have a real network congestion problem, cool, but most people don't and won't. my personal choice would be to minimize how much traffic required the SonosNet transport and/or the bridging device (the connect in your example) and take advantage of the 1GbE cable network. Other people will make different decisions.
I am still a little confused by the conversation above. If the soundbar is set up in WiFi mode will the Ethernet ports still be operational? The reason in asking is that I would like to daisy chain my TV via the soundbar, so both the soundbar and TV have access to the greater capacity and reliability of a wired connection. Is this possible?
The Ethernet ports on all Sonos devices are disabled in WiFi aka Standard setup. You would need one of the ports connected to the router for the setup you describe.
No, as stated before when Sonos is on WiFi (standard setup) the ethernet ports are not active, only when at least one Sonos device is wired to the network (Boost setup).
Thanks guys for helping to clarify, so if I go back and reconfigure the soundbar using Boost setup I can connect via Ethernet to the router and then daisy chain to the TV, is that correct? Under this arrangement will I still have access to the WiFi for the Sub and for controlling the soundbar via the Sonas App on our mobiles?
If your using Sonosnet (any single Sonos device hooked to router - like the boost) then the Ethernet ports on the back of Sonos units are direct connections back to router and internet. Everything as far as your mobile app and everything else will work just as it does in wifi only mode.
Just also thought that as I already have an optical link between the soundbar and TV, does this create the daisy chain effect for the TV once the Soundbar has been connected to the router via Ethernet using Boost setup.
The optical cable for audio has nothing to do with the wireless or network connections. That is bitstream audio.
Thank you
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