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simonpw
Contributor I
May 5, 2019
Answered

Factory reset is neverending!

Evening All,

First of all please accept my apologies for asking a question that surely must have been asked before. I did search the forum but couldn’t find a clear answer to my specific problem.

I already have a Playbase and also a Sub that (if I understand it correctly) is connected to the Playbase on a 5MHz network.

Last week I took a risk on buying a Play:1 to use in another room. eBay, of course ?

Good news: it is in beautiful condition and works perfectly over Ethernet.

Bad news: for the life of me I cannot get it to work over WiFi.

Worse, I have tried a factory reset, assuming that perhaps some of my difficulties might lie in the previous owners settings. But the speaker flashed amber/white for 20mins then started flashing red/off. After unplugging and replugging it’s now flashing white/off and won’t stop.

I have only found one thread on here and that ended with the conclusion that the unit was broken.

I’m sure I could just send it back for a refund but can this speaker be resurrected, or is it doomed?
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    John BAnswer
    May 5, 2019
    If a speaker won't factory reset it generally indicates a fault. I would get your money back while you can.
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    14 replies

    John BAnswer
    May 5, 2019
    If a speaker won't factory reset it generally indicates a fault. I would get your money back while you can.
      simonpwAuthor
      Contributor I
      May 6, 2019
      Hi John,

      Darn, that was what I had assumed but was hoping I had just done something wrong.
      John B
      May 6, 2019
      Make sure you are folling the instructions for factory reset on the Sonos Support site. If you are, and the unit does not behave as described, then it is almost certainly faulty. And you need to factory resrt a speaker that has been part of another system before you can use it on yours.
      simonpwAuthor
      Contributor I
      May 6, 2019
      Yep. Followed instructions for reboot, factory reset, connecting over Ethernet (works perfectly), Wireless Setup in Settings/Advanced. The unit occasionally generates the joint “bong” sound but not always. And it doesn’t join anyway.

      The weird thing about the Wireless Setup option in the controller app is that all it does is pops up a window telling me to plug my speaker in to the router if I want to change my router password. Nothing else. Even though Dr Google suggests I should be asked to enter WIFI passwords etc
      John B
      May 6, 2019
      I don't understand why you are going to Wireless setup. This should not be necessary as it is a system setting. To add a new speaker you would just go to Add Speakers in Settings. That is all that is needed whether in wifi mode or 'Boost' mode
      simonpwAuthor
      Contributor I
      May 6, 2019
      I was just trying to alter the WiFi network name and password, on the assumption that the speaker still had the previous owners WiFi network name and password and setting up on Ethernet hadn’t magically allowed it to connect to my WiFi network.
      John B
      May 6, 2019
      It may well be that the system is now confused as to what the wifi details are, given that the new speaker won't factory reset.

      Is there any possibility of temporarily connecting the Playbase by Ethernet? I am assuming you are currently running without a wired Sonos unit?
      simonpwAuthor
      Contributor I
      May 6, 2019
      Yes I could, although it would be a pain. How would that help?
      Ken_Griffiths
      Ken_Griffiths
      May 6, 2019
      Yes I could, although it would be a pain. How would that help?In wired mode, the Play:1 would not need to use it's WiFi card and you can then also go onto overwrite the existing (case sensitive) WiFi credentials via “Advanced Settings/Wireless Setup”.

      If you then go onto uncable the working speaker, you can test that the WiFi card in the speaker is working, bring it close to the router to test this.

      If it connects wired, but not wirelessly (with the correct credentials applied), then cable it again and Submit a Sonos System Diagnostic whilst the speaker is up and running and then Contact Sonos Customer Care, who should be able to say if the wireless card is faulty, or not.

      Then, if necessary, you can contact your seller and arrange a return.
      simonpwAuthor
      Contributor I
      May 6, 2019
      Hi John,

      thanks for taking the time to try to help me, especially on a Bank Holiday! (I'm assuming you are in the UK of course).

      I already know that the Play:1 works just fine in wired mode, playing music from the Sonos app on my iPad.

      So just so I can make sure I understand what you are suggesting I do:
      1. Plug Playbase in to ethernet, then:
      2. Plug Play:1 into ethernet.

      Then I'm uncertain what I should be doing: use the Sonos app to change the wifi credentials of the network, the playbase or the Play:1?

      Sorry to be dense.
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