Thanks Ken,

I have been rebooting many times, but the inability to port over to new networks have been rather consistent over the past year. Factory reset of course will solve the issue, but at a very substantial hassle. Was hoping to get the Roam to roam without having to feed it the same SSID at every location, but most pointers I get here seem to imply that this is the solution.

Perhaps something is not optimal with my controller/phone or maybe there is something else. Perhaps my account has a problem syncing information for whatever reason (when adding new devices it keeps asking me to re-enter my credentials even when I am logged into the app). 

I have to admit I was expecting more in 2023, especially seeing how my other devices use Bluetooth to bootstrap WiFi connectivity. The Roam just sits there, dumb as a brick, and can't help itself to the WiFi network...

I agree with @John B, Support do seem to have been a little premature with suggesting a factory reset, as the ‘let’s fix it’ option in the S2 Sonos App is clearly shown in their own support documentation as being the way forward to add a new wifi network to an existing system/device.

I would have certainly rebooted the speaker, router and the mobile phone/controller too, and also in the latter case, switched off things like MAC Address spoofing, WiFi calling, low data mode etc… and ensured any security software like vpn, firewall, anti-virus etc. were disabled and even moved location/nearer to the router if it was perhaps some distance away from where trying to setup the Roam.

I think suggesting a factory reset (as with any product) is just a very (very) last resort option when everything else has failed. Of course it could be the router itself that may have an issue and that’s why I would certainly consider adding a mobile hotspot to the Sonos setup too, as it provides a ‘plan B’ option to hopefully get things up and running. 

For what it’s worth @Thorium Prime I was using an iPhone XR with S2 App v15.5 build 73042060 - the iOS version on the mobile is 16.5.1

I don't think switching off VoIP calling on the phone is going to make any difference, and rebooting local infrastructure probably isn't helpful considering I am now on the third location/network with the same problem over a time period of several months.

However, I just tried to swap network from one to another completely different network, this failed two times with “there was a problem connecting your Sonos to NNNNNN”. The third time it worked... 

However, this was when the Roam was already connected to the previous network. I am beginning to think that the Roam needs a factory reset unless it already has continuous internet at the moment you try to connect it to a new network. Does this align with peoples experiences?

No, if you put the controller device onto the brand new network and power on the Roam - you should be able to open the controller App and select ‘let’s fix it’ - follow on-screen instructions to then add the Roam to the network. That’s what I did with the 2nd test earlier and added the Roam to the "ThoriumWiFi" SSID network. I don’t normally go that route however, personally speaking,  as I prefer to do it from ‘Update Networks’ from a WiFi connection, but either way appears to work fine.

If I’m looking at Ken’s screenshoots correctly, he was able to add a WiFi network to the Roam setup without actually connecting to the network. Since in the case, all the typical locations are known, not vacation destinations that can’t be known till you arrive, perhaps pre-emptively entering the network locations while at home is the right answer.

I think (not 100% sure) that if the Roam can’t connect to it’s current WiFi network, it will attempt to connect to other networks in it’s list.  I don’t really think the pre-emptive network settings is required.  I do believe the Roam can connect via BLE or full bluetooth to your phone to get WiFI credentials when it is not currently connected to a WiFi network.

And as far as Support goes, they simply have to be incorrect or misunderstanding of what you’re trying to accomplish. Besides being an idiotic solution for a mobile product, if a factory reset is required whenever changing WiFi networks on the Roam, there would be no need for the Roam to store multiple WiFi network credentials.

Yes I have no doubt it can connect to already stored network credentials. The problem is that there is no way to enter said credentials in advance. It's like a previous suggestion I received… 
It's no problem, just make sure that every network you are ever going to connect to has the same SSID and password. 

I do have an old router in a cupboard here (somewhere) - I can go onto set that up if you like with any SSID - I don’t mind if you want to name that SSID.

All I then do, is just simply connect to that new WiFi with my iPhone (which has S2 controller App installed) …I power on the Roam (called MotorRoam) nearby (having never connected to that SSID obviously).

I open the S2 App whilst it’s on the new SSID/WiFi network and wait till I get the message…“Unable to connect to Sonos. Let’s fix it…” I select that link in the App and follow the onscreen instructions and setup the Roam. It adds to the new network and puts the SSID/credentials into the list of networks.

So that’s what happens in my case if I’m not using the hotspot connection method.

If you want me to do this, let me know and I will post screenshots and show the Roam setup on the new WiFi network and post the network list from the S2 App with the SSID added to it. 

When I travel, I can do it the way described above too, but I personally prefer to use the mobile hotspot method and the ‘Update Networks’ option as that’s the old way of adding a WiFi network and that is just the way I’ve always added Networks to my devices in the past, plus it gives me a backup (plan option if there is ever a problem and I can’t use the new WiFi at the AirBnB etc. .. but as stated before, either method should work unless there’s an issue with the new router, such as a login screen etc. (or perhaps an issue with the mobile device), but otherwise the Roam should connect to the new network without ever having to factory reset it… I honestly do not recall ever factory resetting my Roam.

Did you also disable the old SSID before you powered on the Roam?

I’m not entirely sure which ‘old’ SSID you mean? if you mean the old routers WiFi SSID that’s in the cupboard, then no I don’t have its original SSID stored, not that it would actually matter, as I would change it to whatever you wanted before starting the test - the speaker would only join that routers network after I hit the ‘let’s fix it’ link in the S2 Sonos App, prior to going through that step, there’s no connection between the Roam and that router. Only the mobile controller device is connected to its WiFi to begin with. You have to connect the controller device to the new WiFi first before opening the Sonos App from a fully closed state, then wait to get the "Unable to connect to Sonos. Let’s fix it…” prompt.

I have the Home SSID, The Bungalow SSID, the Mobile Hotspot SSID’s stored on the speaker. I always keep those stored, as they are used on a fairly regular basis each year as I stay/visit the various places.

As mentioned in this thread earlier, you can store up-to 16 WiFi networks on the speakers in one Sonos Household. However, those WiFi SSID’s that I just use temporarily, when visiting places (and those I used in this thread earlier) as part of the testing ‘ThoriumP’ and ‘ThoriumWiFi’ are of course removed. Any I will likely not use ever again are always removed.

My daughter and son-in law have recently changed their internet provider - so if I were to go visit them  and take a Roam/Move with me to a garden party or BBQ at their house, then I might add their WiFi network to the list and choose to keep that stored, but that’s really just as an example. As it stands, they have their own Move and Roams for use outdoors, so in reality I wouldn’t take my speakers to their Home, but it’s the type of situation where I would hang onto the SSID and perhaps keep it stored in the network list, but if using a holiday destination WiFi - then no I don’t keep those SSID’s

Anyhow @Thorium Prime I setup the old router, a factory reset EXO AC2600 Smart Wi-Fi RouterDIR-2660 and used my existing network as its WAN/internet gateway (so using Double NAT) I used my iPad to change the old routers SSID to "PPrimeTest" with a simple password & using WPA2 security mode. The SSID is combined 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz WiFi and so it does it’s own band steering etc.

• I then quickly setup my iPhone to connect to its WiFi network and checked it had internet access. (It needs internet access).
• I powered on the Roam nearby - no more than 6 feet away.
• Opened Sonos App from ‘fully closed’ stated and waited till I got the ‘let’s fix it prompt’. I selected that and followed on-screen instructions and it scans finds my system/household via online account and I select the system with the nearby Roam - and then select the Roam itself.
• I insert/add password to complete the Roam setup on new WiFi and all then works.
• I’ve added some screenshots that were captured along the way.

So the adding of a ‘Sonos Roam’ to a new WiFi network is definitely working here okay with the current release of the S2 controller software (v15.5) and an iOS iPhone controller device. Anyhow I hope the information assists and as you can hopefully see my Roam was not factory reset - otherwise the list of networks would have been wiped out in the Sonos App.

The question was if the speakers were connected to (or could connect to) an existing WiFi network at the point of transitioning to a new network.  From the information you submitted, it looks as indeed they were already connected to WiFi (Localnet is in your list), and speakers just needed new instructions passed to them to connect to another one. 

This works for me as well, but it wasn't the problem I was trying to solve. 

The problem was that the speakers seem to be unable to transition to a new network unless they are already connected to the internet where they can be found. So in my case, the problem appears to be the initial handshake between the speakers and the controllers when the controller is on a new network. When the speakers are already connected to the internet they will be reached and setup normally, no surprises there. When they are not already connected to a network (a normal roaming situation) they will respond “Sonos not found.”   

Since the only common response from the community is “just travel with a mobile router” or “just ensure that all networks have the same SSID and password” it appears that others might have the same issue. And that the Sonos roam really can't connect to a new WiFi network without factory reset or a current existing internet connection.  

If you think that is the case,  then just add a mobile hotspot to the list of networks in the Sonos App and enable it whilst you add the new WiFi network at your holiday destination - that should hopefully sort it for you. I don’t personally think it matters, but at least in this way it should work for you either way.

Yes, back to the point that the Sonos Roam always need to have an existing known network available, or it needs a factory reset. 

Has anyone been able to connect to a NEW network without having the Roam already connected to the internet or factory reseting it?

If a user were to own two Era-100 & 300 speakers, a Roam and a Sonos Move and they were to change their Internet Service Provider and receive a new modem/router with different SSID/Password - how do they then manage to setup a new wireless network when their old router has been returned?

If what you say were true, the user would not (easily) be able to setup their existing system on the new WiFi SSID, without purchasing a Sonos network adapter for their Era-100 or 300 speakers? So what you’re inferring here doesn’t make sense to me.

Anyhow I think I have done enough here to assist you with things so I will just leave it with you, at the very least you now have a way to make things work for you when you arrive at your holiday destination.

My understanding by the way @Thorium Prime is that the new router Wireless credentials are passed to the Roam in one of two ways, either using 'Apple WAC', which stands for 'Wireless (or WiFi) Accessory Configuration’ over BLE, or by using an ad-hoc wireless connection, where the mobile controller uses the Roams own ‘invoked’ WiFi (hotspot) signal called ‘SONOS’ …and of course the pressing of the Play/Volume-Up buttons during the process, clearly thats for added security.

So I don’t see the point of those things, if the Roam already needed to be connected to the internet… so that’s another reason why I think your are perhaps mistaken about it needing an internet connection for the process to work. Note the above is just my personal opinion of how things work with the adding of the wireless credentials to the Roam. I can’t say I’ve ever seen Sonos Staff comment on the subject. All I can say is it works okay for me during my travels.

That's the question I am trying to get an answer to, and this requires some understanding of the initial handshake protocol that I do not have. 

Thank you for your help Ken, 
Yes always bringing the same SSID/network with me would of course work since that means the network never changes. And adding new network to an already connected device we know works.

Nevertheless, 
Has anyone been able to connect a Roam to a NEW network without having the Roam already connected to the internet or factory resetting it? 

At one point I was definitely able to add my Sonos Roam to a new network without too much trouble, but this is no longer the case.  When going on vacation, I would add my Sonos to a new network and enjoy uninterrupted music especially when using AirPlay 2 and white noise for sleeping.  When listening via Bluetooth every time my phone would ring, the music or white noise stops which is annoying.  I think this happened with a firmware update where the Roam switches to Bluetooth when it’s no connected to a network.  In the beginning I would have to hold down the Bluetooth button for a few seconds to get it to switch.  Now this isn’t necessary, but I am unable to get my Roam on a new network.  It is highly annoying when I know i could do it a year ago.   

This is a duplicate post I see, but as similarly mentioned in your other thread…

Establish what WiFi networks are showing/listed in your Sonos App - ‘Settings/System/Network/Manage Networks’?

If none of the SSID’s are nearby, then just temporary recreate one of them, using a mobile WiFi hotspot or similar …and then add the local router WiFi network afterwards to the speaker. This alternative process, is also mentioned earlier in this thread.

@Thorium Prime I’m having a very similar problem to yours. Out of interest, what do you see in the Settings section of the Sonos app on your iPhone?

I noticed that Ken’s suggestions involve going in to Settings/System and checking the list of networks. However, what I am seeing in Settings is that ‘Account’, ‘System’ and ‘Services & Voice’ are all greyed out (and this persists if I delete the app and reinstall).

I finally just got around to trying it now that I’m home. When on my network I can see the the previous networks just like Ken suggested. When I tried to forget my home network, turn on my guest network and then try the system was greyed out.  Eventually I did receive a prompt to add a trusted network, but I couldn’t get my roam to connect.  There’s clearly an issue that Sonos needs to resolve with a firmware update otherwise this is just a Bluetooth speaker when traveling. 

Guest networks aren’t supported. They usually block communication between local devices.

Absolutely agree that the Sonos experience outside own network is awful. Fancy having a Wi-Fi network available when travelling and Roam speakers with you but being blocked from simple control of the speakers using the Sonos app.

But that’s what I do? I carry my own travel router, which connects to the host WiFi (usually a hotel), and both my Roam and my phone connect to the travel router, so that I can use the Sonos controller. I also get the added benefit of an additional firewall, to protect against others accessing my Sonos device. I also have set up my travel router with the same SSID and password as my home, just for convenience. Both the Roam and my phone think they’re at home, I don’t need to set up a new ‘connection’.