How do I connect a Sonos 1/5 play to a hotspot?

Hi @valerie_1.

Welcome, thank you for reaching out to Sonos Community, We appreciate your time and effort in posting your concern here in our community.

You might want to check this link for supported network setup in Sonos.

Unsupported network setups and devices:

• Wireless internet connections such as satellite, mobile hotspots, or LTE routers
• Guest networks or networks that use a portal login page
• Networks using wireless range extenders 2
• Ethernet over Power (EOP) devices

Let us know if it works. If you need help with any other information, please be sure to let us know.

Ok thanks for the info. So you're saying I can't use my Sonos at all if I don't have a router?

For Sonos devices to work, the device and the controller (your phone) need to be able to “see” eachother. I’m not sure what “hotspot” you are referring to, but if it does not allow two users to see eachother it is not going to work.

It is worth trying.  ‘Unsupported’ does not necessarily mean that it won’t work.  It means Sonos have not made any special effort to make it work, and think it is too unpredictable for them to guarantee that it will.  Sonos is a networked music system and is designed to work with a proper router and network.  And, as you have discovered, ‘unsupported’ means that Sonos won’t help you with a hotspot implementation.

If you want to try then you need a second mobile device for the Sonos app.  Connect your controller device to the hotspot wifi created by the hotspot device, power up your first speaker and choose to set up a new system.

Please let us know how it goes.