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Setup & Equipment

  • Sonos Beam Gen 1 (main speaker)
  • Sonos Sub Gen 3
  • 2x Sonos One (surround speakers)
  • Router: Zyxel AX7501-B1 (Firmware: V5.17(ABWW.7)F0)
  • Network: Fiber optic internet, 2.4GHz and 5GHz WiFi enabled, DHCP enabled, no guest WiFi

The Problem

After switching internet providers and getting a new router, my Sonos Sub will not produce any sound/bass when it's connected to the router via Ethernet cable, even though this connection is necessary for my surround speakers to work properly.

System Info:

  • Sonos OS: S2, Build 80.23.9-release+20250617.f568353
  • Sub LED: Steady white (normal operation indicator)
  • Ethernet cable: ~1 meter standard cable (came with router)

Current Situation

Router connections showing:

  • Sub: Connected via LAN
  • Left surround: Connected via LAN
  • Right surround: Connected via LAN
  • Beam: Connected to 2.4GHz WiFi

Network observations:

  • Router shows most Sonos devices as "SonosZP" in device list
  • Some devices appear as "unknown" (not the living room setup devices)
  • Physical distance from router to Sub: ~1 meter

The dilemma:

  • With Sub connected via Ethernet: Surround speakers work perfectly, but Sub produces no sound
  • Without Ethernet connection: Sub works and produces sound, but surround speakers cannot connect to the group

Detailed symptoms when Sub is wired:

  • Sub appears normally in surround setup within Sonos app
  • Sub level controls are accessible but adjustments have no effect
  • Turning Sub on/off in app settings doesn't help
  • TruePlay tuning fails because it can't detect bass output
  • No error messages or notifications in app
  • Tested with TV audio and bass-heavy music (hip-hop/techno) - no bass produced
  • When switching wired/wireless, Sub briefly disconnects then reconnects; surrounds remain stable

What Changed

Previous setup (worked perfectly):

  • Old internet provider used copper cables
  • Router was positioned near TV, so Beam could connect via Ethernet
  • All devices worked together flawlessly

Current setup (problematic):

  • New fiber optic internet with router in different location
  • Only the Sub can conveniently reach the router with Ethernet cable
  • Beam now connects via WiFi only

Troubleshooting Steps Already Tried

✅ Factory reset all Sonos devices
✅ Multiple restarts of Sonos devices and router
✅ Disabled WiFi for Sub in Sonos app
✅ Re-enabled WiFi for Sub (while LAN cable still connected)
✅ Manually switched through all SonosNet channels
✅ Verified all devices are connected to network
✅ Confirmed all devices appear in Sonos app
✅ Adjusted Sub level controls in app (no effect)
✅ Toggled Sub on/off in app settings (no effect)
✅ Tested with multiple audio sources (TV, streaming music)
✅ Tested with bass-heavy content to confirm issue
✅ Attempted TruePlay tuning (failed due to no bass detection)

Suspected Issue

I suspect the router might be blocking communication between devices somehow, but I'm not familiar enough with router settings to troubleshoot this effectively.

Questions

  1. Is this a known router compatibility issue? Has anyone experienced similar problems with Zyxel routers?
  2. Router settings to check? Are there specific settings I should verify/modify on my Zyxel AX7501-B1?
  3. Alternative solutions? Is there a way to make this work without having the Sub as the primary wired connection?
  4. SonosNet behavior? Should the Sub still produce sound when it's acting as the SonosNet bridge?
  5. Cable/hardware issue? Could this be related to the Ethernet cable or port, even though the connection shows as active?
  6. Device isolation settings? Could router settings be preventing proper communication between wired and wireless Sonos devices?

Any help would be greatly appreciated! This setup worked perfectly before the router change, so I'm confident it's a network configuration issue rather than a hardware problem.

TL;DR: Sub works wirelessly but not when wired (even though wired connection is needed for surrounds). Worked fine with previous router setup where Beam was wired instead.

Typically, Sonos soundbars create a dedicated 5Ghz link to sub and surrounds. Try enabling WiFi on all of the speakers and give it a go without the cable(s). 

If you are going to hardwire your Sonos speakers in a home theater system to your network, the main speaker typically all you heed to connected. The Sub and surrounds bond to a private WIFI emitted by soundbars and the Amp to creat a single room. In my HT setup, only my Arc is hardwired, with the Sub and surrounds wirelessly connected to the Arc.

If you are going to hardwire all your speakers, then the soundbar NEEDS to also be wired.

 

 

Typically, Sonos soundbars create a dedicated 5Ghz link to sub and surrounds. Try enabling WiFi on all of the speakers and give it a go without the cable(s). 

Thank you so much!

I have to admit, I was a little skeptical reading your message because the last time I tried it without any cables, the satellites completely refused to be added to the home theater setup. But I figured it was worth another shot since nothing else had worked.

So I tried it - unplugged the ethernet cable, enabled WiFi on all the speakers, and restarted both the router and the Sub for good measure.

After some time (and a bit of patience), all the devices reconnected to the system, including the Sub! And most importantly - the Sub is now producing sound again! The whole surround setup is working perfectly. I wonder why it worked this time around?

I'm honestly so relieved and happy right now. You've saved me from what felt like an impossible situation. I was really at my wit's end with this problem.

Thank you again for taking the time to help - this solution was exactly what I needed! Have a fantastic day!

If you are going to hardwire your Sonos speakers in a home theater system to your network, the main speaker typically all you heed to connected. The Sub and surrounds bond to a private WIFI emitted by soundbars and the Amp to creat a single room. In my HT setup, only my Arc is hardwired, with the Sub and surrounds wirelessly connected to the Arc.

If you are going to hardwire all your speakers, then the soundbar NEEDS to also be wired.

 

 

Thank you very much for taking the time and writing me an answer to my problem! 

I’m glad you’re sorted, and thanks for taking time to say it’s fixed - not many do so. 
 

Sometimes when getting a new router, it can be easier to set the new wifi to the SSID and password of the old one, but that has to be done when first installing it, with Sonos devices powered off. I mention it here for anyone reading this thread in the future…
 

It may also be worth setting ip addresses for your speakers. Your router manual should tell you how, or give use make/model and there may be someone here to guide you through how it’s done. 

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