Drastic action - Reset and go back to S1 App - Hints/tips appreciated

Hi ​@GMR,

I’m sorry to hear that you’re having trouble getting your system to work.

Before you look at downgrading your system, I would suggest you look at our support articles for Reducing Wireless Interference and Speakers missing from the app. If they don’t help, then I’d next suggest contacting our support team after you’ve submitted a diagnostics.

Since your system is having issues with your speakers not playing, dropping out, or going missing from the Sonos app, then an S1 system will likely show the same issues. Support can look into the diagnostics to see what’s going wrong and can provide troubleshooting steps to resolve this.

If you’re still looking to downgrade your system to S1, then please follow the steps listed in our Downgrade a Sonos product to S1 support article. You’ll need both the new Sonos app and the S1 app to perform the downgrade, you don’t need to delete the Windows app for the downgrade to work, and I would recommend downgrading one device at a time just in case any issues arise.

If you have any trouble with the downgrade and are certain you want to proceed, our support team can also help guide you through this process.

I hope this information helps!

Hi Jamie

As an aside, when I first started with Sonos I did hard wire all of my speakers to my LAN to be assured that Wi-Fi could not be causing any problems. The system worked perfectly for years. Only after doing some decorating and having to move my speakers to a temporary location (not hard wired) did I realise that they were all still working. Surprised, yes!

Once the room updates were done all the speakers were moved back to their original locations, minus the LAN cable. They still all worked, up to the dreaded S2 update.

Since then its been rather “hit n miss”

Currently 4 speakers are playing my music, the app says nothing is playing in the queue. The Beam says its playing a Black Sabbath album, I can assure you it’s not.

Would you suggest I connect everything back to the LAN and see what happens?

Cheers

The challenge is, as always, that WiFi can be troubled by external sources, it never exists ‘in a vacuum’. I’d certainly consider the information in those links that ​@Jamie A provided. 

​@Airgetlam 

​@Jamie A 

I will consider/try anything from anybody. I was just thinking I could possibly rule out the Wi-Fi by going back to the LAN.

Could it be a situation that the speakers are all working as expected, its the app that’s not reporting what is actually going on in the real world?

Have you looked at the Network section for each speaker?

What quality link are they showing? What channel(s) are in use? 

Have you set static/reserved IP addresses for all Sonos? Usually from the router's DHCP page.

Once done power down all Sonos, reboot router and controller and power the Sonos back up. 

I can't imagine going back to S1 is going to solve most connection problems. Some other issues, yes, but not connectivity. 

​@Stanley_4 

I have had a good physical look at my systems connections:-

Rightly or wrongly I may be using the Sonosnet style mesh system to connect everything together.

My Beam is hard wired, I will assume the speakers are using their own mesh network, but I am not sure.

Could you explain how I view the info you mention:-

Have you looked at the Network section for each speaker?

What quality link are they showing? What channel(s) are in use? 

I am in the dark when it comes to static/reserved IP addresses, I know what you are getting at, but not how to implement it.

The Network information: Settings, Room, Product (pick a speaker) and scroll down a bit.

Your router's DHCP Settings page should have instructions on reserving addresses, if it does not the user's manual will. It is normally just a few clicks per speaker and typing in the addresses. 

​@Stanley_4 

I assume we are on the app?

I do not see a screen as shown in your message 

Stupid forum ate another long post. Short version:

If you wire a speaker and don't disable wifi you have SonosNet. SonosNet compatible speakers will connect to that, others will use wifi.

Your profile only shows a Play 1, makes giving a definitive answer impossible.

Wi-Fi only is usually your best setup with the least issues. Save wired connections for after consulting Support about the need for them.

Did you follow the steps I gave to get there?

You are on S2 software?

​@Stanley_4 

I am using the “black coloured App” I understand that is S2

My system is

3 x Play 1

1 x Beam

1 x One

I clicked on settings,  picked the “button” for Kitchen which is a Play 1

It gives me a description, the product in question.

Asks if i want to connect a sub or Set up a stereo Pair

then options about sound

and then Hardware

Network

asks if I want to manage the network, then update network.

and confirms SonosNet is channel 6

You have to follow the steps I posted above.

To put it differently, I'm telling you to go to the bathroom and look at the toilet, you are going to the kitchen and only finding a sink.

From above: "The Network information: Settings, Room, Product (pick a speaker) and scroll down a bit."

You may not be clicking the speaker under the Product heading?

All the Sonos you listed will do Sonosnet, that isn't usually what you want unless there are Wi-Fi issues support can't solve.

​@Stanley_4 

I fully appreciate your time and patience.

I am doing my best to follow your instructions, You are clearly fully versed on this subject, whereas I am not. Perhaps treat me like a child and do a line by line instruction:

I will start by clicking the sun emblem next to the “my account button”...

Maybe someone could make a video of where to click, a bit beyond my skills. 

​@Stanley_4 

I note from your earlier post you mention my profile only showing a Play 1. Why is that the case as I have numerous speakers?

How can you see my profile?

Click on your ‘name’ in the Sonos forums. 

It shows the data that you set on your profile under ‘about’, not anything else. 

First fix the network. S1 will behave the same if and only if the playback state is wrong and room disappear. And the app experience will get improved automatically if the systems gets stable on Wi-Fi or clean SonosNet.

​@Airgetlam 

Many thanks, I have learnt something new today.

So many times the only possible response to a problem post is "what Sonos, what country" as the answer depends on both. If that is not in the original post sometimes the profile helps.

​@Stanley_4 

Cheers Stanley. I have never had to dig into the Sonos environment as it has typically always worked, be that to some lesser degree these last few months.

I just can’t get my head around what is going on. Being from an electrical engineering background I know NOT to just plug and unplug things for a laugh, it must be methodical approach, but I am still at a loss.

I would have assumed having everything hard wired to my LAN would be a good place to start, but apparently not. I will keep on reading and thinking.

While un/re-plugging rarely solves a Sonos issue it is amazing the percentage of the time it kicks the can down the road.

Well actually, unplugging, rebooting router and controller  and replugging.

I'm more recently from the software side myself although I have a lot of electronic tech skills too. Networking, beyond the basics is probably my weakest skill when it comes to Sonos. When I got started I had so many problems, I turned to these forums for help. Stupidly I ignored the advice here that "just worked" and wanted a "proper" solution. Well here I sit 20 plus years later and still on the just worked option, even with many, many hours spent seeking a proper solution. The most frustrating bit for me is the "black-box" design where we have very limited (more so today than when I started) visibility inside the system. That makes effective diagnosis and troubleshooting very difficult.

​@Stanley_4 

When it comes to networking I haven't got a clue and its showing. 

​@Stanley_4 

I hope you don't mind me asking you questions. If I am being a pain please say so.

I have hard wired a second speaker to my LAN

I have checked all my speakers, they are on WM:0, this I understand to mean they are working on     “their own SonosNet”. Does the SonosNet have an SSID for identification purposes. I ask as I am running a network scanner and only my house network is shown on the 2.4Hhz band?

What are you using for WiFi ignoring any Sonos kit? 

Yes it does, although it’s encrypted and hidden within the firmware, for security reasons.