Ability to Add Sonos Roam to Multiple Sonos WiFi Systems?

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101 replies

melvimbe

Please can you advise if and when this feature will be added to Roam?

 

The post above you is from a Sonos support staff member that states they can’t share that information.  From my experience, they only Sonos talks about future features is when it involves working with other companies or it’s a big feature that would have an impact sales.

One additional complication with this feature would be the likelyhood that the two Sonos systems are owned by different accounts.  Perhaps it would be possible if the two systems (households) were under the same account, but with different owners, you’re asking the device to store the service logins, etc, from two completely different customers.  Even under the same household, you could have different services setup.

Danny
M
Userlevel 3
Badge +2

@melvimbe

Good point on the voice assistant.  That is also a negative for resetting and re-adding the speaker.  You have to configure all of that again.

Regarding the music services, I believe that is a system/account setting.  I’m not prompted to set up a music service for each speaker I add, only the voice assistant.  I use Spotify and when I’ve added speakers to a friend’s system, works seamlessly.  I can’t speak for the other music services.  In the model I’m proposing, the host would just have additional speakers to use in a group where the host is controlling the music.  In that sense, they would become ‘dumb’ speakers in a group.  If this is the limitation, but am able to share my speakers without having to reset, worth it IMO.

Other manufacturers (Bose, UE, etc.) market their ‘party mode’ feature. It may not be something you’d use, but it does drive sales.  In the case of Sonos, it just creates frustration.

M
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While Roam is in Bluetooth mode, it will remain associated with the remainder of your Sonos framework as long as it's still inside scope of your Wi-Fi organization. This implies that while your Roam is playing Bluetooth sound, you can bunch it with other Sonos items in a similar framework.

MATHEW PERRY
M
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You can't have it join an alternate Sonos framework than what is was initially arrangement under  without doing a reset and beginning once again. ***

 

***Moderator Note: Modified in accordance with the Community Code of Conduct.*

MATHEW PERRY
C

Did Sonos ever figure this out?  I have a Sonos network at both homes. Would understand if you were trying to jump on someone else’s system or Wi-Fi but if I’ve paid for multiple systems, it’s pretty silly to not have that option with a portable speaker. May as well have just bought a cheap one

106rallye
Userlevel 7
Badge +17

You have two Sonos households on one account? You could possibly make them into one household so the Roam could be used at both locations. Others might comment on how.

S

So, going back to a third Roam wifi roaming scenario referenced by Corryp earlier in this thread, I would like to have the Roam work in my own back yard for a start, given my Sonos-equipped country estate hasn’t quite materialized yet. Corryp for Sonos acknowledged in a separate thread about a year ago that the Roam’s inability to easily switch between access points on the same wifi network was a known issue, and that Sonos was working on an update to fix it. Afaik, that hasn’t happened yet as of firmware update 14.14. My specific question is re Corryp’s advice earlier in this thread, that a power down of the Roam and restart in the new location will allow the Roam to connect to the stronger wifi signal in that location. That does not work for my Roam - it apparently stays connected to the more distant router in the house and the sound continues to cut in and out badly. Is there another workaround to force the Roam to grab the signal from the nearer, stronger wifi signal from my access point? ( And I mean without having to set down my mint julep and get out of my comfy chair in the back yard.)

J

I am dumbfounded and disappointed to discover that the Sonos Roam does everything but roam between different wifi networks!

The names ‘Roam’ and ‘Move’ are highly misleading and should at least contain a note* (*only via Bluetooth, not between wifi networks).

This almost merits a class action.

C

Thanks for the reply! They are set up as two different households, but both linked to the same main Sonos account. I’m not sure how I could make them into one household, since I would need to be on both networks simultaneously to do so… I think. Would love to know if I’m incorrect or there is a work around. 

Ken_Griffiths

I agree that the Roam is ‘sticky’ to an original WiFi AP.

I haven’t tried this for sometime either, but IIRC, when I did once grab a Sonos Roam and began walking further away from the original AP-1, stepping past another AP-2, the Roam did eventually give up its connection to the distant AP-1 and it switched to the then nearer AP-2.. it was like it needed it’s WiFi connection to AP-1 to become ‘very weak’ before it would let go of AP-1 and it certainly did not switchover because the AP-2 was nearer... there must be a signal strength ‘value’ below which the Roam lets go it’s connection and then finds another, I suspect.

So my thoughts are @spacegrass is that your Roam is perhaps hovering somewhere in the (grey area). The ‘Neither’ Zone, perhaps🤔? 

J

Sonos is fundamentally designed around the concept of a system / household.. The things you are requesting would require radical changes for a marginal gain for a tiny proportion of users.

It's easy to add a new network. It only takes a minute to reset a speaker and add it. 

Just forget it.

Ken_Griffiths

@Music Nut,

Some brief ‘initial first thoughts’ from me….

I would like a Sonos speaker to continue to boot-up and connect to the network in this order…

  1. Wired SonosNet Connection
  2. Wireless Connection (Previously stored WiFi network credentials list held on device)

However, if the above is unsuccessful, to then automatically switchover to ‘Hotspot’ mode where its mobile controller device can connect to its WiFi adapter broadcasting ‘Hotspot’ and allow configuration of the player to allow it to then run on a nearby WiFi network with either that devices ‘existing’ Sonos Household, or to detect and add the speaker to an ‘existing’ system on that nearby network, perhaps identifying that system by pressing a join button on any one of the players (as there can be more than one system on the same network)… simply hand the controller device to the system owner to add their WiFi credentials to begin using the speaker.

The system owner can then either choose to also give the mobile controller permission to join the local network or not - I think this authorisation needs to be a separate step as they may want to allow your speaker to be part of ‘their’ setup, but not your mobile controller device, or perhaps let them undertake its setup with their own controller device.

There needs to be a way so that a user (ex boyfriend for example) cannot sit in a car outside the house at some future date and start blasting out music in the middle of the night… so  controllers need separate authorisation to join another persons system.

I’m sure I will now go onto think about this some more, but clearly these things are always much easier said than done and a good many things would probably need to be considered.

I do like these kind of feature suggestions however and this is definitely an area where I think Sonos could improve their software as people do want to be able to take their speakers out and about and play/share them (securely, but with ease and simplicity) on other wireless networks with their family and friends etc.

J

I wish it was so easy. I have done as you suggested but the Roam will only not connect to my other wifi-6 networks, except the one it was initially set up on. I am running up to date software and I have reset and rebooted the networks and their devices to no avail. The Bluetooth connection works fine on all the networks.

Ken_Griffiths

I wish it was so easy. I have done as you suggested but the Roam will only not connect to my other wifi-6 networks, except the one it was initially set up on. I am running up to date software and I have reset and rebooted the networks and their devices to no avail. The Bluetooth connection works fine on all the networks.

You might need to perhaps explain your networks, where they are and what you’re trying to do?

In my own case, I have a WiFi network setup at Home, another one in the camper van (MobileNet) and another WiFi network at a holiday bungalow, plus I have added both a portable mobile hotspot (iPhone XR) and a MiFi wireless network (D-Link dwr-2101) to my Sonos system/Household and so when I take the Roam, or Move, to any location, (or a new location with the portable wireless products), the controller and the speakers simply use that (stored) local network. 

No additional setup is required. I have all my services, playlists, favourites and voice assistants etc.

I also use Plex with a Plex Pass and that allows me to stream my Home NAS library music whilst at any location. I do sometimes use Bluetooth as a fallback, or occasionally for playing TV/Music audio to the Sonos speaker from an Amazon Fire-Stick.

The Roam definitely does ‘roam’ without any problem, and the Move can be moved seamlessly to different places too, but maybe you’re trying to achieve something different with the Sonos setup in your case, perhaps🤔? You might need to explain the type of outcome you’re looking for?

J

I am dumbfounded and disappointed to discover that the Sonos Roam does everything but roam between different wifi networks!

The names ‘Roam’ and ‘Move’ are highly misleading and should at least contain a note* (*only via Bluetooth, not between wifi networks).

This almost merits a class action.

What absolute nonsense.  Class actions are for things like mass financial loss caused by fraud or severe disability caused by inadequate testing of drugs.  Not because you have a bit of a problem with your music system, which is as likely as not down to suboptimal network setup on your part.

Please tell me the “class action” comment was a joke.

The Sonos Room and Move can roam beween networks, as has alerady been explained on this thread

controlav
Userlevel 7
Badge +23

Yep, thanks melvimbe, this is was a good workaround for me and probably everyone with two locations.

1. Set up the Roam regularly at home (location A) 

2. Go to location B and take your Roam and your phone or laptop with you. Create a Hotspot at B that has the same SSID and Password as the WIFI in A. Your Roam will connect automatically. 

3. Connect your Sonos devices from B to the Sonos system of your Roam (so they're all connected to your Hotspot) 

4. Still at B, add manually, through the Sonos app, the native WIFI of B to the settings of all devices, including your Roam.

5. You now have one singe Sonos system for location A and B together and you could bring any device from B to A and it would work right away. However, A and B are not linked over the internet and will feel like they're separate. 


I think this is quite the most brilliant thing I have seen posted here in a long time. Can’t wait to try this with my Roam (from A) when I next travel with it to my location B.

Author of the leading independent Sonos app for Windows, the only Sonos app for Xbox, and a Sonos app for iOS
J

My network is pretty much the same in each case: fibre optic connection with a wifi 6 mesh router.

Each network is physically separated by about a mile and has its own router, SSID and password. Each network is stable and working fine with multiple connected devices: TV, several macs, i-phones, home control units, and of course Sonos speakers. All very straight forward with no issues.

I have set up a Roam on my home1 network (a pair of Sonos One (gen 2), a pair of One (gen 1), and a pair of Sonos Threes) - so far so good. But when I move to my office1 network where I have a pair of Sonos One (gen 2) and a Sonos 3 the Roam will not connect. I have tried via:

 - Sonos/Settings/System/Products/+ Add Product : The wheel turns and cannot detect the Roam (which is switched on and in close proximity). It will only see the Roam if I f reset the Roam to factory settings. In this case it will no longer show up on the home1 network.

 - Sonos/Settings/System/System Settings/Network/Manage Networks : in Networks I see the SSID of Office1 (Home  is no longer visible°). I update the network but it will only find the existing Sonos elements on the network, not the Roam.

Ken_Griffiths

My network is pretty much the same in each case: fibre optic connection with a wifi 6 mesh router.

Each network is physically separated by about a mile and has its own router, SSID and password. Each network is stable and working fine with multiple connected devices: TV, several macs, i-phones, home control units, and of course Sonos speakers. All very straight forward with no issues.

I have set up a Roam on my home1 network (a pair of Sonos One (gen 2), a pair of One (gen 1), and a pair of Sonos Threes) - so far so good. But when I move to my office1 network where I have a pair of Sonos One (gen 2) and a Sonos 3 the Roam will not connect. I have tried via:

 - Sonos/Settings/System/Products/+ Add Product : The wheel turns and cannot detect the Roam (which is switched on and in close proximity). It will only see the Roam if I f reset the Roam to factory settings. In this case it will no longer show up on the home1 network.

 - Sonos/Settings/System/System Settings/Network/Manage Networks : in Networks I see the SSID of Office1 (Home  is no longer visible°). I update the network but it will only find the existing Sonos elements on the network, not the Roam.

I suspect that the reason your Roam is not connecting to the system at each place, is the fact you have setup separate Sonos Households at each location. They ideally all need to be the same Sonos Household.

Perhaps the easiest way to explain it to you, is…

For ease of use and I’m just trying to keep things simple here, it really ALL needs to be just the ONE complete Sonos system (same Household ID), with all the WiFi networks, from each location, added to each/all speakers.

So imagine you gathered together ALL your Sonos speakers at Home and set them up just as one huge system and then added the WiFi credentials to that system and then later transported any speaker(s) to your other location a mile away - the speakers will now connect automatically to the nearby WiFi (as the credentials for that WiFi are stored on the speaker - in network settings in the Sonos App) and when you connect your mobile controller to that WiFi too it will immediately find just the speakers on that nearby network.

No need to setup a separate system/household as you already have one …and no need to ever factory reset any device - all devices you setup at Home will connect to the nearby WiFi and show up in your Sonos App network as seen in my earlier posted screenshots.

I hope that helps explain why your Roam is not currently roaming - I suspect that you may have created a different Sonos system at each separate location.

Ken_Griffiths

@James Scott,

Imagine you initially had your main Sonos system setup at Home with the Sonos Roam included, you simply add your ‘other’ WiFi network to that Roam for your ‘other’ location a mile away.

Once that’s done, you can then add the Sonos speakers you have at that ‘other’ location to your Roam, so now all devices are on the same controller/system/HH, otherwise you would end-up having to install all your music services, favourites, playlists all over again if you decided to start with a brand new Sonos system/household at the other location. .. Doing the setup this way, starting with the Roam, you just add the speakers at that other location to the Roam …and only ever set up everything once only.

Hope that helps you to see the easiest way to go about these things … I suspect you chose to setup a new Sonos system in each location and install your music services twice, effectively having two separate Sonos Households, within the same account, and having to then maintain each of those systems entirely separately. It needs to be one system spread across different locations.

L

Tomorrow a sonos event is supposed to happens.

It leaked today but it was kinda known that it’s supposed to be new Roam colours waouh.

 

Maybe, idk it would be nice to not give money top the marketing department but the software and hardware department ?

 

I’m pretty convinced 100% that tomorrow the Roam will still not be able to roam between my installation.

What a s****y name for a product, I'm moving from three different system every month, I have to spend 10 minute reseting each roam for the new system overtime I get in.

 

Stupid, please implement smart solution, stop just looking for money make something cool first.

Money after.

 

Same thing nobody wants Hey sonos, we probably all want you to finally put it Sir though.

 

Moderator Note: Modified in accordance with the Community Code of Conduct.

J

@lifely . May I suggest you read the thread for reasons why this is as it is, and is best this way?

SarahN
Userlevel 6
Badge +14

So @Ken_Griffiths , if I take my Move away on holiday next month, to a cottage, can I add that Wifi to my account and use the Move on Wifi there? I was assuming I would only be able to use it via bluetooth?

Can you have too many Sonos speakers? 🤔 😆
J

Ken, Thank you so much for your help and explanation. We now seem to have gotten to the bottom of this!

As I understand I have one Sonos system / account and have added / registered all my Sonos speakers to the same Sonos account  / system. I can see them all my Sonos products in my Sonos user interface. I simply named the Sonos elements in order to identify their physical location on the single system. However, each distinct wifi system has its own SSID for security and network reasons which are beyond my control (eg at the office).

I called the very efficient Sonos helpline who confirmed that the Roam and Move speakers are not designed to move between separate wifi Networks without resetting the Roam each time. After trying to solve the issue as you have already described they understood my confusion and disappointment. They suggested a work around as you mentioned to update the Network via Settings but the Roam is not detected over wifi in my second wifi location and they said for the time being there is nothing more that they can do - there is currently no available Sonos update to remedy the situation.

To conclude : Rome and Move are not ‘moveable’ speakers over different wifi networks, only over bluetooth. Sonos does not make this clear in the product’s marketing and user manuals. As consumers we are lead to believe as their name suggests they will roam and move over bluetooth and wifi in different network locations (eg wifi in a hotel or office). Sonos’s marketing of these products is at best imprecise and confusing, at worst misleading.  In my opinion a class action for misrepresentation would not be a forgone conclusion, although damages would be minimal. I have been a loyal customer for over 10 years and I feel badly let down. Whatever, Sonos need to clear up this confusion and provide clear information to existing and potential customers regarding their only partial ‘roam’ and ‘move’ products as they are confusingly named and marketed.

A
Userlevel 3
Badge +1

Please add this. “Roam” in the name you’d think this already existed.

It would be free advertising if as you travel you can show off the Roam across networks easily.

 

 

J

John B, You are correct and yes I wasn’t serious. I am just frustrated to have just wasted time and energy trying to figure this out. I’m a plain, run of the mill user and not a network specialist but my different network set ups are straightforward and maintained by a professional. I really think that the Sonos marketing and guides regarding these two products is confusing at best.  The Sonos helpline have confirmed that these products do not ‘roam’ over wifi between different networks (only via bluetooth) - so why they don't explain this in the product information is beyond me.

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