Question

Sonos affected by Wireless Access Point hardware change

  • 21 August 2020
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62 replies

ratty

Sonos seems back to its old self, but on investigating WA 850 RE I found this:

suggesting it won't work for me, per T5 above.

That probably refers to when the device is in extender mode.

It’s always been sold as an extender or access point. You’d have to work hard to convince my three TL-WA850RE access points that they’re not so. In fact the user guide has a section “4. 2. 1. To Set Up the Extender as an Access Point”.

 

K

This for sure works as a wired to main router 2.4 GHz WiFi access point; will it work fine as such without upsetting Sonos as the RE205 is almost certainly doing?

Much more convenient to locate than the WA830.

 

Asus/Netgear are not easily available online here.

K

Sonos seems back to its old self, but on investigating WA 850 RE I found this:

suggesting it won't work for me, per T5 above.

 

On the other hand, I also found this, for another model:

 

Which will work for me if it lets HD videos stream properly, although the form factor is clumsy. But will this leave Sonos trouble free? How does one know in advance? 

Seems to me that installing a wired AP should not be something that is rare, so does everyone that installs one and runs Sonos have to go through hoops?

K

I live in an apartment complex as is common here and that is probably why Firestick works better on 5 GHz at my place. Which also must be why Netflix India suggest 5 GHz for best results.

I noticed that the WA won't serve - we will find a way to soldier on with the AEX in 5 Ghz mode - fortunately the PS4 needs Internet only for game updates and it can be relocated for the times that has to be done. 

But this means that when any of my 2011 AEX access points die, I will have to search for what is available at the time that won't bugger up Sonos. Or run Sonos via line in jacks and rely on source unit grouping for multi room.

ratty

WiFi bandwidth at 2.4GHz must be pretty compromised then. HD video only requires about 4-5Mbps.

The WA850RE is 2.4GHz only. I’ve also had generally good results from Asus and Netgear APs/extenders.

K

HD video streams are more solid/stable with 5 GHz.

Let me see if the simpler device is available here, and does simultaneous dual band.

ratty

it means that the TP Link, whose simultaneous dual band feature was useful to my son with his PS4 that has no 5 GHz - while his Firestick needs 5 - cannot be used and only AEX units will serve. 

Firesticks don’t ‘need’ 5GHz. They can be connected to either band. 

 

It also means that even what should be simple devices like access points can fox Sonos. Even where Sonos is wired to the core network.

Well, at least two of us here have reported misgivings about some of the RE2xx devices. On the other hand I’ve used the simpler WA850RE in several locations for years with Sonos and never had any problems.

K

No joy. I saw a different wired to core network Sonos unit in the balcony drop off.

I got tired and thought to see what happens if I pull the TP link out of the network completely by detaching it physically and powering it off.

And although this needs a couple of days use to be 100% sure, it does feel like Sonos is back to its old stable self right away. 

Over the next day or two I will see if this stable Sonos state continues as I suspect it will having seen it so for many months now.

But this is disappointing because it means that the TP Link, whose simultaneous dual band feature was useful to my son with his PS4 that has no 5 GHz - while his Firestick needs 5 - cannot be used and only AEX units will serve. 

It also means that even what should be simple devices like access points can fox Sonos. Even where Sonos is wired to the core network.

K

Looks like this now, instead of saying dynamic IP it now says static IP

 

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K

@ratty: done. I gave it the same address and the Wifi bit of the TP link is working. Now to see what happens to Sonos over the next day or so.

ratty

Give the TP-Link device a static IP -- in the Network section -- and see if the problem goes away.

 

(BTW the 2019-01-01 items in the log would have been recorded before the unit was able to reach an NTP server on the internet and set its clock correctly.)

K

This is getting murkier to me!


The above is all I see when I call up the log.

I have no idea why items 3 and down have the strange date that they do.

10.0.*.** is the IP address reserved for the TP Link Mac address in the main router.

And the DHCP server seem to be starting, though at the weird date/time, per item 8 for example.

PS: all Sonos units also have IP addresses reserved in the same router, preceding 10.0.*.**.

 

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ratty

I’m wondering whether the DHCP server in the TP-Link unit might be activating, perhaps just for a short while.

In “automatic” mode it’s supposed to spring to life if the device can’t see a connection to another DHCP server (in order to allow clients to continue to connect to it). If, for some reason, it thinks its backhaul has dropped the DHCP server might be starting and, for a while at least, handing out IP addresses that are in the wrong subnet.

If by chance a Sonos unit picked up one such address it would effectively vanish.

I think I’d start by digging in the TP-Link unit’s system log.

S
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Still worth trying IMHO. If only to eliminate simple WiFi interference.

K

No, because the Connect Amp that dropped has its radio turned off and is running on a wired connection to the core network. 

So the TP link radios should not be a factor but as good practice the 2.4 is set on channel 1 and 20 bandwidth while Sonos is on 11.

S
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Have you tried switching the 2.4GHz off (or at least moving it further from the Sonos Channel)?

K

Yes, TP is a dual band device, broadcasting on both frequencies at the same time. Unlike the AEX which has dual band, but only one at a time, and that is set to 5 GHz.

S
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Does the AP also broadcast a 2.4GHz signal too?  I have a TP-Link Re650 that broadcasts both 2.4 & 5GHz (although it doesn't give me any issues) - but allows the channel to be selected. (sorry if already covered, I only speed read above).

K

A possible clue?

I find that invoking the matrix takes time ranging from less than a second at times to over a minute at other times; sometimes it takes a second click to get it to start the process. 

This, from the same device/location, in the bedroom, with the Mac host signed on to the AEX access point.

When there is a delay, often the information about the Sonos units does not show up in the Sonos controller, under the about my system.

Is this related to the topic issue?

K

The Connect Amp dropped off again, and I suspect this happened after the TP Link on the other side of the wall was powered on by my son on his arrival. 

Very frustrating. The system as is consists of the Boost and few other units including the same Connect Amp wired to the core network. The TP link just has the one wire running back to the router anchoring the core network, no connection to any Sonos unit except via being connected to the same router/switch. To avoid WiFi interference from the TP Link, I have even disabled WiFi on the Connect Amp. 

As soon as it was rebooted, the Connect Amp came up again, and perhaps it will now stay that way until the next time the TP Link is power cycled!

K

@buzz yes, but that has not been a constraint in the six months that I am using them to extend wired internet within a room. I consistently get speeds of 50 Mbps broadband per my plan from the access point so wired, just the way I get these speeds from the main router. Firestick HD Video streams are solid and there is no effect on Sonos music play. I suspect the missing gigabit port feature is one that is rarely needed in domestic environments in practice.

The problem with Sonos raised its head only when I replaced the Airport Express with the TP Link as the wired from Sonos Port WiFi propagator in a remote bedroom.

PS: Note that Sonos net is not in use here, the Sonos unit is being used just as simple switch where the access point is concerned. 

buzz

Keep in mind that the SONOS network ports are 10/100. 

K

Thanks gents, for all the inputs.

A question for access points in general. If one was to buy an access point that works only as that when wired back to the router - assuming that such devices exist - can one assume that if it is added to the core network via a wire from a Sonos unit wired to said network, it can be assumed safely that it will work without any hiccups in Sonos?

ratty

I’ve had mixed results with the TP-Link RE2xx units (which is why they’re out of use). 

There have been no issues using the older (single-band) TP-Link WA850RE, or a small ASUS RP-AC52, hung off a wireless Sonos unit. In both cases I disabled the back-up DHCP server.

K

 

Also found some people that actually had DHCP trouble on their forum: https://community.tp-link.com/en/home/forum/topic/192368

 

Interesting…

I have found a workaround of sorts. I have moved the RE 205 to replace another AEX access point in my son’s room, where there is no Sonos, and moved that AEX to my bedroom where there is Sonos and Firestick/Macbook. 

All is now working fine in both rooms. 

A question: if I need to replace this AEX in future, what are recommended replacements that will be a drop in such that Sonos will not be affected? All I need is a AP that can be fed by the second port of a connected to main network via wire Sonos unit, such that WiFi signals in the room are 5 GHz and stable/fast.

That is what the AEX is doing, set up in access point mode.

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