I already have a Sonos 5.1 system which is great.
I’m now wondering about adding a Sonos One Alexa speaker in an outdoor room we are building for my wife’s therapy business. Only issue is the WiFi is marginal at best, although I can ‘see’ one of the play 1 speakers from the 5.1 setup. Would this work to transfer data through the mesh? Or do I need to work out a way of getting solid WiFi?
Thanks.
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That's a hard question to answer. You're much more likely to be successful if you are indeed using "SonosNet", which means that you either have a BOOST connected to your router with an ethernet cable, or one of the speakers in your 5.1 setup connected to the router with an ethernet cable. But it's hard for us to "know" the various factors around distance/signal strength in your particular situation.
If I were you, I'd be sure I was running in Boost mode (wire a component, doesn't have to be the BOOST, but any speaker is fine) and get the Sonos One, and do some testing. I suspect it will be fine, but am not able to guaranty that. And if it doesn't work, you can always return the Sonos One and figure something else out.
If I were you, I'd be sure I was running in Boost mode (wire a component, doesn't have to be the BOOST, but any speaker is fine) and get the Sonos One, and do some testing. I suspect it will be fine, but am not able to guaranty that. And if it doesn't work, you can always return the Sonos One and figure something else out.
Thanks, my playbar is connected on Ethernet to my router so fingers crossed it will be ok. The play1 and probable location for the one are about 15-20 feet apart, but with a brick wall and insulated shed wall in between them. As I’m a radio engineer, I have the tools to look at the signal strength at my intended location.
Laugh. Why am I responding to someone so knowledgeable already? Despite the brick wall and insulated shed, I do think you'll be OK, but you probably have more tools in your kit to evaluate it.
The nice thing about the SonosNet aspect is that if forces the Sonos speakers to become a mesh network system, so each of your speakers can accept and emit a signal to the next.
Just make sure that you don't have any wifi credentials in your Sonos system...it will always flip to the least cost route, and if that varies just slightly between wifi and SonosNet, you could have minor dropouts.
The nice thing about the SonosNet aspect is that if forces the Sonos speakers to become a mesh network system, so each of your speakers can accept and emit a signal to the next.
Just make sure that you don't have any wifi credentials in your Sonos system...it will always flip to the least cost route, and if that varies just slightly between wifi and SonosNet, you could have minor dropouts.
Why not use a PowerLine Wifi Extender? Assuming you must have power to the outdoor room to run the speaker from in the first place. 
Sonos isn't always happy with the various types of extenders.
If you find one that does work that is great but do your homework to get a good one first try.
If you find one that does work that is great but do your homework to get a good one first try.
I’ll just add to this so everyone knows the solution I came up with.
ended up putting a mesh WiFi system in (BT whole home) to increase WiFi coverage around the house and outbuildings. It works extremely well and the Sonos 1 is extremely reliable in the shed (therapy room) and has been known to entertain us in the garden on the odd evening we’ve spent outside.
ended up putting a mesh WiFi system in (BT whole home) to increase WiFi coverage around the house and outbuildings. It works extremely well and the Sonos 1 is extremely reliable in the shed (therapy room) and has been known to entertain us in the garden on the odd evening we’ve spent outside.
ended up putting a mesh WiFi system in (BT whole home) to increase WiFi coverage around the house and outbuildings. It works extremely well and the Sonos 1 is extremely reliable in the shed (therapy room) and has been known to entertain us in the garden on the odd evening we’ve spent outside.
Did you switch your entire Sonos system to the new WiFi by uncabling ALL your devices? If not you are likely still running things on SonosNet. You can check this by looking at the device list in ‘About my Sonos System’ in the Sonos App. If you see WM:0 next to a speaker, then it is running in SonosNet. If it says WM:1 then it is connected to your WiFi.
Hope that assists.
Thanks for that.
That particular speaker is WM1, the others in the house are WM0
That’s something new I’ve learned today!
That particular speaker is WM1, the others in the house are WM0
That’s something new I’ve learned today!
Reggit,
Ah right, you are running your system then in what is called 'mixed mode' .. partly on SonosNet and partly on your WiFi. If that works okay I would leave things as they are.
If you do ever encounter 'dropouts' in the future, then maybe consider switching them all over to your WiFi mesh. Note however, It’s usually best for Sonos to set a WiFi mesh system to use ‘fixed wifi channels’ on the router/hubs ...and to put them all on the same WiFi channel if you do ever decide to go down that route. I’m not sure if that is possible with the 'BT Whole Home' system, as it’s not a wireless setup I’m familiar with, but perhaps keep those things in mind if you do decide later to go down that path.
As your system is working okay right now though, I would perhaps just leave things as they are.
Ah right, you are running your system then in what is called 'mixed mode' .. partly on SonosNet and partly on your WiFi. If that works okay I would leave things as they are.
If you do ever encounter 'dropouts' in the future, then maybe consider switching them all over to your WiFi mesh. Note however, It’s usually best for Sonos to set a WiFi mesh system to use ‘fixed wifi channels’ on the router/hubs ...and to put them all on the same WiFi channel if you do ever decide to go down that route. I’m not sure if that is possible with the 'BT Whole Home' system, as it’s not a wireless setup I’m familiar with, but perhaps keep those things in mind if you do decide later to go down that path.
As your system is working okay right now though, I would perhaps just leave things as they are.
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