Skip to main content
Hi all,



last week I took my sweet two sonos play1 with for a jurney. I just wanted to be able to listen the music in a new place where I stay.

My sonos app was full configured with all playlists, favorites and streaming services I use every day.



Ok all looks great.

My first stop. I turning the speakers on hoping to changing the wifi settings and be able to listen the music. NO WAY!

My android software version 6.4.8. How such a simple stupid think cannot be done with wifi only.



Ok what options do I have to set it up: Add another sonos system. Let's give a try.

Somehow I got it working. I could connect to my speakers. But her is the second disappointment.

Where are all my saved steaming account, playlists, favorites I have already configured. Nothing is there. Why?!



What did I do wrong? It cannot be that such a simple features are not there. Please help!



Dear support



Does the sonos implemented these or similar user stories:



User story 1:

As a sonos customer

I want to get my wireless speakers go to another home with different wifi and be able to setup my sonos only by wifi (the stupid password change)

So that I can use my sonos with all music stuff (favorites, playlists, etc) I have already configured.



User story 2:

As a sonos customer

I want to use my app with another sonos systems ( e.g. by my friends )

So that I can use all music stuff (favorites, playlists, etc) I have already configured.



Take care

Marcin
You can do what you wanted, you just needed to connect via an Ethernet cable first:



https://sonos.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1072/kw/changing%20wifi
You can do what you wanted, you just needed to connect via an Ethernet cable first:



I have mentioned there was no access to the router. Tell me how often do use use Ethernet cable? I thought sonos is wireless, isn't it?



Anyway why it is possible to add another sonos system without the cable and it is not possible to change the wifi password without a cable. Why I cannot connect direct to sonos speakers and set up the new password. Is it so difficult?
You cannot take a home telephone from your house and move it to another location and expect to plug it in and everything will suddenly work. It's the same thing with your speakers.



The advantage is Sonos will work at your house and one (or more) other houses/locations, but you need to configure and set them up (just once) at each location.



There is plenty of information on this forum how to do that and once each house is setup... it's then extremely easy to move them from one setup location to another. See this thread:



https://en.community.sonos.com/setting-up-sonos-228990/different-sonos-different-households-6739560/index1.html#post16030186
You cannot take a home telephone from your house and move it to another location and expect to plug it in and everything will suddenly work. It's the same thing with your speakers.



That is clear for me and I do not expect it that without oing anything everything will suddenly work. What I expected was that I change the wifi password for my sonos system in a simple stupid way AND what is most important WITHOUT ANY CABLE. THERE ARE PLACES ON THE WORLD WHICH ARE WIRELESS ONLY!



I repeat it once again. I JUST WANT TO CHANGE THE WIFI PASSWORD WITHOUT USING ANY CABLE BECAUSE I HAVE NOT ACCESS TO THE ROUTER!!!



Why I can configure my sonos as a "another sonos system" WITHOUT ANY CABLE and it works fine BUT I CANNOT CHANGE THE WIFI PASSWORD for my present configuration which seems to be simpler?
Sonos units which have not yet been associated with a system transmit an open SSID. A controller can attach to them and direct them to the appropriate router or access point.



Sonos units which are already part of a system will, in the absence of a recognised network, automatically join together as an 'island' via SonosNet. This is by design. SonosNet operation long pre-dated WiFi mode (aka 'Standard Setup') and remains superior.
Thanks @ratty that sounds graet and that is what I need, but.... :)



Regarding https://sonos.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1589/~/connecting-an-android-device-to-sonosnet

i need to have my sonos system operating in BOOST setup.



My current configuration (I have two Play1 wireless speakers) operates in Standard setup. It seems it is not possible to use SonosNet operating in Standard mode. Am I right?



Thanks,

Marcin
It seems it is not possible to use SonosNet operating in Standard mode. Am I right?

Correct. Either SonosNet is active (the somewhat misleadingly named 'BOOST Setup') or the system's in WiFi mode ('Standard Setup') with SonosNet disabled.



(There is actually a hybrid situation where some units can be on WiFi and some on SonosNet, but that should only occur where units are so spread out that they can only receive one or the other.)



If what you want is to attach Android devices to SonosNet, you'll need to put your system into SonosNet mode ('BOOST Setup'). Wire any component to the network. It doesn't have to be a BOOST at all.



----



Returning to the query about operating Sonos 'out and about', as already noted Sonos units which aren't attached to a network form their own 'island' over SonosNet. IP addressing is Auto-IP.



An Android which has been preconfigured -- whilst the system was wired -- to attach to SonosNet will be able to join the 'island', but to do so it must be manually configured to use an Auto-IP address as well.



The only music sources available to the 'island' are Android devices, a computer/NAS configured for Auto-IP, or Line-In (incl TV for PLAYBAR). Clearly internet sources would be absent.
@ratty I will check it when I am back home and let you guys know.



Thanks,

Marcin
Get yourself a travel router that will attach wirelessly to the existing router and you're good to go. I have a Netgear Trek specifically for my Sonos kit on the road... think I paid $40 for it.
Get yourself a travel router that will attach wirelessly to the existing router and you're good to go.

Excellent point. And if a user happens to be totally averse to wiring a Sonos unit the travel router can be configured to emulate the home router's SSID/key.
This is very good workaround.

But we are talking about the sonos wireless speakers here. I would expect to get some better solution from the producer.

Look at google chromecast solutions, here you can change the wifi painless.
I wondered how long it would be before someone mentioned Chromecast. Chromecast puts out an open SSID when it's unable to connect to a recognised network. Sonos, as has already been pointed out, does not. It forms a standalone wireless mesh network of its own with its peers. Once again, this is by design.



To connect Sonos to a different WiFi the options are:

- wire one component temporarily (and let's not have any more comment that Ethernet is somehow a strange concept)

- if the router is inaccessible, connect a travel router or wireless Ethernet bridge

- reset and rebuild the system afresh
I am back. Here is what I've checked:



SonosNet - with single Play1 speaker

Using the controller I have allowed the connections to SonosNet then I have changed my sonos wifi password so that the speaker was not able to connect to any wifi networks.

After that new wifi network appeared Sonos_xxxx. I selected this this one on the controller to connect to but.... no way. After trying to obtain the IP address it failed. After a few tries I've got a popup with information that "AP currently not in use. Internet connection slow." That is all about SonosNet. See attachments.

I put the Ethernet cable to the speaker and the the smartphone got the IP address immediately swhowing that I am connected to the wifi SonosNet - very strage.

I have repeated the whole sequence 3 times turning the speaker off and on and got the same result every time.

It was impossible to connect to the speaker using SonosNet. Maybe I did something wrong. Any hint?



Anyway the solution from BCM seems to be the best one for me at the moment.



The alternative would be to setup the sonos system afresh every time I want to connect to new wifi. This works without cable but all my play lists and added services are removed from the controller what is a big disadventage.

Maybe you have another tip what should I do to keep all my stuff on the controller and be able to connect to another sonos systems?



Thanks,

Marcin
@msanecki. I really couldn't follow your last post and you do seem to be making rather heavy weather of something that is fundamentally simple (despite the fact that Sonos is not intended to be a portable system). It just comes down to this:



1. If you are able to wire a Sonos component temporarily or permanently to the router in the new location, all you have to do is follow the instructions given here:



https://sonos.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1072/kw/change%20wifi%20router



2. If it is not going to be possible to connect by Ethernet to the router, then you need a travel router. I use a Netgear Trek N300.



That's it.
@John B well everything what is designed to to be moved from one place to another is portable. You are not trying to say that Sonos Play1 is not portable. Yes it is portable. Thanks for your tip about the travel router. I was hoping I get it working without any additional device. It is a pity that it's impossible.



It could looks like I make simple thing complcated but look I am just checking the features that sonos provide, that is all. I described my step by step approach so that every one can understand what I did. Someone wrote about the SonosNet so I tried this way. That's all.
It all starts with your access to the router, m. Plain and simple. Talk to the one who owns it... Maybe they will allow you access for a few minutes to wire in the device to complete the setup.



I look at it as a security measure. If Sonos simply allowed any speaker to jump onto any router, the access to the owner's stuff would be out there for anyone with a speaker. I take my system on the road in my RV, along with my meticulously curated album collection. I would not want anyone having unfettered access to any of my stuff, including my online subscriptions (when they are working).
@msanecki. The suggestion that if something can be physically lifted then that makes it a portable system is hilariously literal. If Sonos started marketing the system as portable this forum would drown in complaints from disappointed customers.



And based on your description in the post I referred to, I'm not sure you really understand what SonosNet is or what it had been suggested you try.



My previous post sets out what your options actually are and how to achieve what you want fairly simply.
@John B I have realized I somehow did't really get what SonosNet is for before I tried it today and ready the sonos docs again.



Regarding portability I overused this term a bit. I made it portable (without battery ;)) for myself because I needed it.



So guys thanks for all your posts. I know the sonos much better now. Many thanks again.

I am going to treat my sonos play1 speakers as portable speakers. I will buy the travel router and all should be fine.



Take care

Marcin
SonosNet - with single Play1 speaker

Using the controller I have allowed the connections to SonosNet then I have changed my sonos wifi password so that the speaker was not able to connect to any wifi networks.

After that new wifi network appeared Sonos_xxxx. I selected this this one on the controller to connect to but.... no way. After trying to obtain the IP address it failed.

There's no DHCP server available. I already covered this in my earlier post:

An Android which has been preconfigured -- whilst the system was wired -- to attach to SonosNet will be able to join the 'island', but to do so it must be manually configured to use an Auto-IP address as well.

An IP address of 169.254.1.1 with a subnet mask of 255.255.0.0 will usually work. (Gateway and DNS are irrelevant.)
Maybe you have another tip what should I do to keep all my stuff on the controller and be able to connect to another sonos systems?

Just so there's no misunderstanding: there's no 'stuff' on your controller per se. Obviously music stored on the phone is, well, stored on the phone. However a Sonos controller stores virtually nothing other than the ID of the system with which it's associated and a few local settings. All the music index, Sonos playlists, streaming accounts and so forth are held on the players.
This is the travel router I use. I think its features are fairly standard, but I like it because:

It can connect to the target wireless network by Ethernet or wirelessly.

It has an Ethernet LAN port (two if you don't use one to make the connection to the target network)

It has a USB slot. I use this to take a 64GB flash drive with a chunk of my music collection on it.



http://www.netgear.co.uk/home/products/networking/wifi-routers/PR2000.aspx?cid=wmt_netgear_organic
Terms & ConditionsCookie settings