SONOS on fully wireless network and Connect:Amp use in surround sound

See this link:

https://support.sonos.com/en-us/article/set-up-connect-amp-as-surround-speakers

In summary…

Your home theater speaker and Connect:Amp must be wired in one of the following configurations:

• Both the Sonos home theatre 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.

Ken,

Thanks for the quick response but I had already gone to that link that I saw in a previous posting and came away with questions. The verbiage used in the instructions were a little unclear since they didn’t match my exact config. Plus if you know the technical reason why the surround config requires an ethernet connection and doesn’t work over the wireless subnet the SONOS system communicates between devices over, that might help others too.

It just seems strange that the SONOS app would complete the Playbar, Connect:AMP (LS/RS) and Sub surround sound system configuration even though the system was running over a purely wireless network.

Just to reiterate, my T-Mobile Home Internet router only came with one ethernet port (unlike standard routers) and the device is located in another part of the house where the signal from the T-Mobile tower is the strongest thus providing the strongest signal capture for my network. My existing SONOS system of Playbar/TV, Sub and various Play 5 locations work flawlessly supporting wireless music and TV sound. So my only issue is with the ceiling speaker Connect:Amp connected functionality.

So to clarify, are the instructions saying that both the Connect: Amp as well as the Playbar must be connected to the router via ethernet cable? Or can the Connect: AMP be connected to the Playbar via ethernet cable and it would be OK if the Playbar remains wireless to the router. Not sure I understand electronically what the ethernet cable provides that wireless doesn’t.

Thanks for any further info you can provide.

The use of the CONNECT:AMP as a surround driver is a kludge. It was not originally designed for surround use, nor was it ever advertised as such. The fact is, the CONNECT:AMP has no 5Ghz antenna to receive the surround signal, which is why it just be wired to the router, as does the PLAYBAR, or frankly any Sonos soundbar, in order to work. 

When Sonos updated the CONNECT:AMP to the newer Sonos Amp, back in 2019, they included a 5Ghz antenna / system so it can be used as a ‘wireless’ surround driver. 

@rosedeal,
Note the Ethernet ports on the older Sonos devices are disabled unless their running on a SonosNet connection - so you’re going to have to wire at least one Sonos device to your router, or to a switch running off the router. You can then wire the Connect Amp to the Playbar, or if you prefer you can wire both to the router/switch in which case there’s no need to then wire another device. There’s only those two options available, as mentioned, with the current older hardware you have.

Thanks again Ken,

Currently my SONOS system is running on a SonosNet since none of the devices are directly connected via ethernet to a router. When I received my new T-Mobile Home Internet router I did have to connect one of the SONOS devices temporarily via ethernet to it to re-establish the SonosNet network. Since doing that everything runs fine from my TV sound through the Playbar to my Sub and to my Play 5 speakers located in various rooms.

Incidently, all of my TV and music signals come wirelessly from the T-Mobile router. Also, my SONOS Sub is wireless and works perfectly receiving the Sub signal from movies and such.

 From and earlier reply by Airgetlam, if I understand it correctly, it appears that SONOS soundbars, in my case the Playbar, use a 5Ghz signal for surround sound, which the Connect:AMP has no 5Ghz antenna to receive it. And that an ethernet connection between the Connect: AMP and the Playbar will enable the 5Ghz signal for surround sound. Is that correct? My SONOS Sub seems to work fine, so I assume it does have a 5Ghz antenna.

Well, the Ethernet cables between the PLAYBAR and the router, and the CONNECT:AMP and the router supplant the 5Ghz signal, not enable it. But I think I’m arguing semantics, in my overly didactic way ;) It should work.

Yes, the SUB does have a 5Ghz antenna. 

@rosedeal You state: “Currently my SONOS system is running on a SonosNet since none of the devices are directly connected via ethernet to a router.” If you are indeed running a Sonosnet, shouldn’t “none” somehow read “one”?

To establish Sonosnet at least one Sonos device (this could also be the Sonos Boost) should be cable connected to your router. You could check if your speakers are labelled WM: 0.

As Bruce mentions, the wired link (directly, or indirectly, via the router/switch) takes over the usual 5Ghz ad-hoc wireless connection between the Playbar and surrounds. The Sub in the room will be wireless, although I guess there’s nothing stopping you wiring that back to the router/switch too, but it’s not necessary.

Note: you could consider not using the ceiling speakers for rear surrounds and perhaps keep those for music only and then add a compatible pair of Sonos speakers to the room instead, like the Play:1/Sonos One etc. but do note, if you go that route, that the Era-100/300 speakers are not compatible with the old Playbar.

I think the politically correct term these days is parent/child ;) Or maybe primary/secondary?

Thanks Bruce, I’ve edited my post and apologise (sorry🙏) for those references - you are certainly right to point out these things. I shall not use the terms again.