Question

Sonos affected by Wireless Access Point hardware change

  • 21 August 2020
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62 replies

K

@jishi :As a networking layman, I had thought that WiFi access points will be simple things to do a simple job - and this was borne out by the AEX doing just that in access point mode - with router mode set to off -  without troubling Sonos.

Clearly this is not quite the case, but the WA850 has not troubled Sonos since my last post a day ago, so I am hoping that the one glitch after it replaced the RE205 was a one off caused by something else.

Finger crossed for now! 

K

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”.

 

In more than one place, I am seeing that the ethernet port on the 850 works to wire an end device like a computer to a 850 wirelessly connected back to a router. Perhaps there has been a version change that has brought this about. The available user guides online no longer have the section you have quoted in them.

In any case, if I was to try another TP product it would be the  855 RE, picture posted above, that is definitely an access point and also more convenient to install directly into a mains socket.

But would it leave Sonos undisturbed? That is what I don't know.

ratty

In more than one place, I am seeing that the ethernet port on the 850 works to wire an end device like a computer to a 850 wirelessly connected back to a router. Perhaps there has been a version change that has brought this about. The available user guides online no longer have the section you have quoted in them.

They do. https://static.tp-link.com/2020/202004/20200422/1910012794_TL-WA850RE_UG_REV7.0.1.pdf

In extender mode the port on that unit functions as a wireless Ethernet bridge, as does just about every such device.

K

@ratty:

So if I bought the attached, it can be set up wired back to the router as a 2.4 GHz WiFi access point and it would not disturb Sonos performance?

 

 

ratty

I already said that I’ve used up to three of such APs with Sonos without issue.

Some wired to a router, some wired to wireless Sonos units.

K

Fair enough, just double checking on the one I will add to my cart. It isn't that expensive either, so there is that. 

I suppose I should also do the IP address reservation in the router and set the IP selection in the TP Link menu to static IP as I did for the RE 205?

K

A glitch again with the wired Connect Amp, and a strange one. I had disabled the WiFi on it, and this morning it was missing in the Matrix although the port LEDs were flashing as usual. I then turned on another wired unit and the Connect Amp reappeared on the Matrix with it. After some time I turned off the other unit, and Connect Amp is still on the Matrix, with WiFi now enabled to see how things fare in that status.

I shall also take a look at the 850 log and see what is there.

K

The 850 has not been turned off for over 24 hours now, and times are correctly set. The recent glitch happened some time in the last 12 hours, and for what its worth, this all that the 850 log shows:

The black mask shows the reserved IP address/subnet mask for 850, which has another question to ask per below.

I notice that the mods have deleted these IP addresses in the past in this thread as personal information - but is the reserved IP address disclosure - addresses that go 10.x.y.z - personal inasmuch as disclosing it will subject my device to be vulnerable to access from outside my network? I think not...

K

 

This device also has a builtin DHCP-server. This is odd both from a range extender point if view, but as an access point equally weird. It is on by default apparently, and needs to be shut off. It has some auto setting which I assume would identify if there is another dhcp server on the network, but I wouldn’t trust it. The only sensible setting here should be Off. 
 

Screenshot shows that server is off; I don’t remember what it was set to before I reserved the 10.0.*.** address in my router for the TP, but it seems to be in the right state now. 

 

**Moderator Note: Please censor personal information when posting.**

ratty

I suppose I should also do the IP address reservation in the router and set the IP selection in the TP Link menu to static IP as I did for the RE 205?

Better practice would be to assign a static IP outside the DHCP pool. There’d then be no need to reserve it.

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

Reverting back to topic: since one 2011 AEX is getting glitchy, the basic reason to look for alternatives - we switched back to RE205 for my son’s room with no overt connection to Sonos except wiring back to the core network. And within 5 minutes, my balcony wired to core network Sonos stopped playing.

So there is something definitely not suited to Sonos with RE205.

Hopefully, the WA850 due to come on Saturday, will do better with Sonos.

S
Userlevel 7
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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).

ratty

A glitch again with the wired Connect Amp, and a strange one. I had disabled the WiFi on it, and this morning it was missing in the Matrix although the port LEDs were flashing as usual. I then turned on another wired unit and the Connect Amp reappeared on the Matrix with it. After some time I turned off the other unit, and Connect Amp is still on the Matrix, with WiFi now enabled to see how things fare in that status.

I shall also take a look at the 850 log and see what is there.

The /support/review request goes to one device, which polls the others before collating the results. It’s not unusual for it to run out of patience. If you want to see if a specific unit is responding try http://x.x.x.x:1400/status. This contains the raw data compiled by /support/review.

K

When it was missing in the Matrix, the Connect Amp was missing in the Sonos Controllers as well - both in the Mac and the Android. And when the other wired unit was powered on and it booted, both became visible in the Controllers.

If this happens again, I will see if the unit responds to the kind of request you suggest, but I suspect this wasn't just a matrix polling delay seeing the Controllers reflect it.

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.

K

Also: I invoked the matrix only because I saw the unit missing in the controller.

All of today, there is nothing wrong in Sonos with the 850 having remained on all the time. So perhaps something else disturbed Sonos - these things can confuse by having more than one reason at times. 

S
Userlevel 7
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Have you tried switching the 2.4GHz off (or at least moving it further from the Sonos Channel)?

J
Userlevel 4
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When invoking the matrix, it calls all players and asks for a snapshot of the current signal state. If one of the players have a poor connection, this page will take longer to load. 

Which TP-link access point did install?

Is that access point hard-wired to the Boost? 

Are they in close proximity with each other?

Does your Connect:AMP show no green box against the Boost in your network diagram (meaning, it is actually using the wired link?)

 

Since the Connect:AMP is wired, wireless interference shouldn’t show this behavior, but you need to verify that it is actually using the hard-wired link.

K

The TP Link RE 205, configured to work in access point mode.

It is wired to the boost and is therefore effectively also wired back to the main router. 

Distance between the two is 6 feet.

Connect Amp shows no box to show any wireless connection to the Boost - it is therefore using the wired link.

And as stated, the issue of the Connect Amp disappearing was not there for the Airport Express for which the TP Link is a drop in replacement - electrically and physically.

J
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Ok. I have used that repeater (in repeat mode) and it had some strange issues for me. But, in access point mode it might fare better (i had trouble with the wireless link between the router and the extender).

Some worthy notes though:

The default IP for that device is 192.168.0.254, make sure that is not conflicting with any of your devices (mainly the Connect:AMP). Configure the extender to get ip via DHCP if not already. Even so, I think it defaults back to said address if it doesn’t get an IP from DHCP.

This device also has a builtin DHCP-server. This is odd both from a range extender point if view, but as an access point equally weird. It is on by default apparently, and needs to be shut off. It has some auto setting which I assume would identify if there is another dhcp server on the network, but I wouldn’t trust it. The only sensible setting here should be Off. 

Where is the Connect:AMP and the Boost connected? To a switch? 

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
Userlevel 7
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Still worth trying IMHO. If only to eliminate simple WiFi interference.

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.

K

The TP link itself worked flawlessly from the start, but I only used in in AP mode - so no issues in any wireless back connections to the router since I never even investigated that aspect.

I have set a reserved IP address for it in the Apple Time Capsule router, as I had for the Airport Express that it replaced. Tp Link is now picking up that address every time. The Connect Amp has its own reserved address, as do all my Sonos components.

Connect Amp is connected to a switch, while the Boost is connected to the router. The switch is connected to the router, so in effect, both are connected by wire to the core network. 

The strange thing is why all of the above was/is not an issue with the AEX. 

I will investigate the DHCP server thing and revert.

 

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