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How do I stop my new Sonos One SL dropping off my controller?

Forum|Forum|5 years ago
April 11, 2021
44 replies
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My new Sonos One SL drops off my controller, or stops functioning on the controller like as if it loses signal. It keeps playing with my Beam and Play 1 in the other room, but at times I can’t change the volume until it finds the system again on the app. Or like just now, I go to listen to music on the One SL and it’s not on the app, unlike my Beam or Play 1. They’re only in a room next to one another, and the room that the SL is in, does not have signal issues for any other devices like an Echo Dot, mobile phones, or laptops etc.

All the devices are wireless. This is happening daily.

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Best answer by Corry P

Thanks @scottyboi08 - I was getting close to asking for some pictures.

I was more concerned with devices being too close to each other and interfering, than with devices being too far from the router - the signal strength from the router to the Beam is good.

Regarding the transmission retry rate, I’d like you to try turning off the Sky box and PS5 at the power for 10 minutes, play music to the Beam for those ten minutes and then submit a diagnostic - when you next reply here, I’ll compare it to the last.

I would also like to try taking the router out of Harry Potter’s bedroom, to see if that helps - try that after the Sky and PS5 steps (if practical) and send another diagnostic. It could be that load-bearing walls, or a higher amount of solid wood construction around the stairs, is surrounding the router and blocking the signals somewhat.

As for the missing Sonos One, new information has come to light. We have recently been getting reports of this same issue from other BT Smart Hub 2 owners - there seems to be a recently developed problem with them not bridging communications over the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands. This explains your Sonos One being missing while connected to 5GHz. We recommend you get in touch with BT technical support and let them know that “you’ve discovered an issue whereby client devices connected to 2.4GHz (“gigahertz”) and 5GHz are unable to communicate locally, and vice versa, as if the router was erroneously activating Wireless Isolation which is not an option in the router settings”. Ask them if there is a new firmware version available for your BT Smart Hub 2 and if there isn’t one available, ask them if they can see if your router updated in the last 3 months (or however long you think this has been happening) and if so, can you roll-back to the previous version? At the very least, find out if they have acknowledged the issue and are planning an update to fix it soon.

Anyone reading this should get in touch with our technical support team before contacting BT so we can confirm the issue and we’d very much like to document it and gather data to better understand the issue.

There are two workarounds - either disable 5GHz on your BT Smart Hub 2, or wire one Sonos component to ethernet and use SonosNet. Edit: You may have to do both (SonosNet will not help Moves or Roams).

Edit: the Smart Hub 2 firmware version causing this issue is V0.26.03.01286. Not all Smart Hub 2 owners will have been issued with this version yet.

If you mention “Sonos” and issues with your speakers to BT support they’re just going to refer you back to us so please try not to, as in this instance we cannot help - other than to suggest purchasing a 3rd-party router (if you spend at least £60, you’ll get a much better router than any you will get for free from any ISP) to replace the BT one.

Please let us know how you get on.

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Corry P

Sonos Staff

Update: I remembered that I turned my Sonos One SL off and have kept it turned off, and then turned off the beam and play 1 this morning, and booted them both back up, and now I’ve just checked my app after writing the prior message, and low and behold, they’re both back fine. So it is the SL that is doing something to cause an issue, as the other two work fine without it turned on?

The Sonos One is the only Sonos device you have that’s willing to connect to 5GHz, and that’s what it’s doing. This is why it’s only this speaker that’s affected (and your iPhone, because it’s doing the same). So, if your iPhone is connected to 5GHz, you’ll presumably only see the Sonos One in the Sonos app. If your iPhone is connected to 2.4 GHz, presumably you’ll only see the Play:1 and Beam. This is a new issue, however, so some of this is supposition on my part. Which frequency band your iPhone connects to will mostly be dictated by it’s distance from the router, objects in the way (like walls) and possibly where the last successful connection to WiFi was found.

Although this seems to be the router at fault, it seems Android devices are not affected in the same way by this BT Smart Hub 2 issue, which, to be honest, is pretty weird. Presumably, that’s why we want anyone affected to call in and create a case so we can get metrics and data on the situation.

"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen." - Albert Einstein

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alastair_2

Contributor I

Update: I remembered that I turned my Sonos One SL off and have kept it turned off, and then turned off the beam and play 1 this morning, and booted them both back up, and now I’ve just checked my app after writing the prior message, and low and behold, they’re both back fine. So it is the SL that is doing something to cause an issue, as the other two work fine without it turned on?

The Sonos One is the only Sonos device you have that’s willing to connect to 5GHz, and that’s what it’s doing. This is why it’s only this speaker that’s affected (and your iPhone, because it’s doing the same). So, if your iPhone is connected to 5GHz, you’ll presumably only see the Sonos One in the Sonos app. If your iPhone is connected to 2.4 GHz, presumably you’ll only see the Play:1 and Beam. This is a new issue, however, so some of this is supposition on my part. Which frequency band your iPhone connects to will mostly be dictated by it’s distance from the router, objects in the way (like walls) and possibly where the last successful connection to WiFi was found.

Although this seems to be the router at fault, it seems Android devices are not affected in the same way by this BT Smart Hub 2 issue, which, to be honest, is pretty weird. Presumably, that’s why we want anyone affected to call in and create a case so we can get metrics and data on the situation.

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alastair_2

Contributor I

Hi, I’ve been directed here from another thread. Although my problem is different to the one above, disabling 5ghz on the BT router has solved the problem. Obviously I’m now having problems with speed.

I would also like to add that country to the above comment my problem is also affecting android version of the app.

hope this helps in some way.

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scottyboi08Author

Trending Lyricist I

This whole thing is ridiculous really. I’ve paid £150 for a speaker that I now don’t want to use, because the moment I switch it on, it’s going to blow my whole system. So what do I do from here? It could be months, to years, before Sonos or BT solve this issue. I would’ve been better getting another Play 1 thinking about it...

Corry P

Sonos Staff

Hi @scottyboi08

I completely understand how you feel, and sympathise, but Sonos cannot take responsibility for changes to 3rd-party hardware, software, or firmware changes. As mentioned, Sonos makes use of your network in ways that many devices do not, therefore our systems often highlight network issues that other devices do not. This does not mean, however, that we are culpable for those issues.

I don’t like telling people to spend more money in any situation, but if you’re looking for the quickest solution to this problem I can only recommend you replace your ISP-provided-at-the-lowest-possible-cost router for a 3rd-party device that will be more reliable. As you’re with BT, you will either need an ADSL router or configure your new router to use your existing router’s internet connection but run the local network itself. A mesh system (which expands the reach of your WiFi) will also act as a router and will also suffice (but these are typically much more expensive). If you do purchase a router, I highly recommend spending at least £60 on it (from previous personal experience) and go for a known brand.

A slower option would be to wait to see what BT are going to do - I’d certainly contact them if you haven’t already as the more people who do, the more likely they are to action a fix.

Finally, disabling 5GHz on your router, or wiring any one Sonos product to ethernet should bypass the issue for now.

"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen." - Albert Einstein

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Stall

Contributor I

Update: I remembered that I turned my Sonos One SL off and have kept it turned off, and then turned off the beam and play 1 this morning, and booted them both back up, and now I’ve just checked my app after writing the prior message, and low and behold, they’re both back fine. So it is the SL that is doing something to cause an issue, as the other two work fine without it turned on?

The Sonos One is the only Sonos device you have that’s willing to connect to 5GHz, and that’s what it’s doing. This is why it’s only this speaker that’s affected (and your iPhone, because it’s doing the same). So, if your iPhone is connected to 5GHz, you’ll presumably only see the Sonos One in the Sonos app. If your iPhone is connected to 2.4 GHz, presumably you’ll only see the Play:1 and Beam. This is a new issue, however, so some of this is supposition on my part. Which frequency band your iPhone connects to will mostly be dictated by it’s distance from the router, objects in the way (like walls) and possibly where the last successful connection to WiFi was found.

Although this seems to be the router at fault, it seems Android devices are not affected in the same way by this BT Smart Hub 2 issue, which, to be honest, is pretty weird. Presumably, that’s why we want anyone affected to call in and create a case so we can get metrics and data on the situation.

It affects my android device.

Totally useless for the last week and bit - almost ties in with the new android update to the sonos app. Coincidence??

No idea if my smarthub 2 has had a recent firmware update. Any idea how i would find that info?

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scottyboi08Author

Trending Lyricist I

Hi @scottyboi08

I completely understand how you feel, and sympathise, but Sonos cannot take responsibility for changes to 3rd-party hardware, software, or firmware changes. As mentioned, Sonos makes use of your network in ways that many devices do not, therefore our systems often highlight network issues that other devices do not. This does not mean, however, that we are culpable for those issues.

I don’t like telling people to spend more money in any situation, but if you’re looking for the quickest solution to this problem I can only recommend you replace your ISP-provided-at-the-lowest-possible-cost router for a 3rd-party device that will be more reliable. As you’re with BT, you will either need an ADSL router or configure your new router to use your existing router’s internet connection but run the local network itself. A mesh system (which expands the reach of your WiFi) will also act as a router and will also suffice (but these are typically much more expensive). If you do purchase a router, I highly recommend spending at least £60 on it (from previous personal experience) and go for a known brand.

A slower option would be to wait to see what BT are going to do - I’d certainly contact them if you haven’t already as the more people who do, the more likely they are to action a fix.

Finally, disabling 5GHz on your router, or wiring any one Sonos product to ethernet should bypass the issue for now.

Rather than buy a new router, wouldn’t a Sonos Boost not resolve my issue full stop?

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scottyboi08Author

Trending Lyricist I

Or is there any way I could use the beam like a boost, if I could make a wired connection with one of these sockets behind it?

Smilja

@scottyboi08, Yes, you can also wire the Beam using an ethernet cable to the router or to a network socket.

If you don’t own a Move, remove afterwards the WiFi details from the system, they aren't required when the system is running over SonosNet.

On iOS or Android: From the Settings tab, tap System > Network > Networks. Select the WiFi network you'd like to remove, and tap Remove. Subsequently wait about 10 min, then go to Settings → System → About my Sonos system and see if WM:0 is being displayed next to each unit.

»And the world is like an apple whirling silently in space, Like the circles that you find in the windmills of your mind.« (›Windmills Of Your Mind‹ [1967]. Music by Michel Legrand ; English lyrics written by Alan & Marilyn Bergman)

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scottyboi08Author

Trending Lyricist I

I think that’s a telephone socket though. So not sure if it would work or not…

If I could somehow create a wired connection with the beam, I’d imagine that would solve the issue, or I may have to get a Sonos boost.

I could ask BT to move my master socket to behind the TV.

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