If your plan is to buy another networked audio system it’s likely to suffer the same fate. The problem almost certainly lies with your network.

Read the main post here 

‘Network’ what do you mean, “I’m not that savvy with computer lingo…...is that like ‘internet you’re referring??? please explain.

Your local network, which connects all the devices in your house together.

Read the linked post above. If it doesn’t make any sense, ask a friend or relative who understands this kind of thing. 

@fecalith1 

Ask yourself…”do I have a router and modem or a box that was supplied by my internet service provider that also creates a WiFi signal?” If the answer is yes (and it will be) that’s your network. There’s no simpler way to explain what comprises a home network.

Sonos speakers dropping out (audio loss or not showing in the Sonos app) is 99% of the time due to a network issue. Therein my friend lies your problem (and your answer).

If you need help to resolve the issue let us know. 

Thanx for the info but a simple ‘Yes’  would have sufficed, but I can now comprehend your explanation. My query now is “What to do to rectify the situation???

We will need some information from you. What network devices do you have? Which model router are you using? (This is the box that your Internet provider hooked up) Describe your SONOS system.

We are not trying to overwhelm you with jargon. To some extent you have stated that your car will not get you to your destination, then asked what to do. We do not know if the car will start or the tires are inflated.

Hi

I looked at your profile and it shows the last time you had a question posed to the community was 4 years ago. So I guess that’s good!

Please tell us this:

What Sonos products do you own (by name) and is a Sonos Bridge one of them. You can also post the in your profile under “Sonos Product I Own”. Members do look at profiles to get a quasi-understanding of your system. My profile shows my system components.

I’ve got a soundbar, 2 surround speakers and a sub….we’re on Rogers (I kno. Rogers sucks but we’re on a  bundle package with the rest of our Condo Units, I hate it, we’re goin’ to Bell soon).

Version 15.9….Sonos S2….Build 75146030…..I don’t kno. if this info. helps. If you need more info. then tell me where do I find this info.??

In a SONOS controller go to Settings → System → About My Sonos System, copy the response and include it here. I suggest that you mask the unit serial numbers. This will give us a better view of your SONOS components.

Hi

When you say you’re on a “bundled package” do you have your own router and modem inside your unit or do you share a WiFi signal with other units?

Oh yes, Iforgot to give the router info……..it’s called a ‘Hitron’, Model name - CODA-4582, it’s my own router (what’s the diff. between a modem and a router, I never understood that terminology??) I’ve only got this router, it’s stands about 10” high and is about 4”x 4”

That’s what I did at first,I gave you the Version, Sonos OS, the Build number my sonos id #-117081851

A “Modem” is the interface between the street, satellite dish, or whatever to the local network. This connection will support a single device -- not very useful in a modern context.

A “Router” splits this single connection in to multiple “local connections” (sometimes called the “LAN” -- local area network)

If WiFi is required, one or more “Access Points” will be connected to the LAN to support wireless WiFi clients.

A “Gateway” will incorporate all three of these functions into a single box. Typically the “ISP” (Internet Service Provider) supplies a Gateway because it’s a one box solution for their installation technicians. 

Here’s where it becomes confusing because we commonly call the Gateway a “router” or a “router” might include the router function and an access point.

Unfortunately, when someone in the community refers to their “router” we are often not exactly sure what they have. If the user gives a model number we can look it up and provide better advice. Some Gateway/Router/Access points have a known history of flustering SONOS or require a special configuration. Sometimes we are aware of this, sometimes not. There are thousands of potential combinations.

Ahhhh, OK, I think I understand you, I’ve heard the term ‘LAN before’….so what makes you believe that the problem with my system ‘cutting-out’ lies within my network??

Because it's always the network.  I've helped hundreds, if not thousands, of Sonos owners since 2008.  I can count on one hand the times problems like yours were not solved by fixing a wonky network.

SONOS requires more robust network support because the players must continuously chat with each other. A webpage or email only communicates with an external site in a one to one connection. If there is a delay of a few milliseconds, or even tens of milliseconds, no one will notice. A break in an audio stream between SONOS players of a few milliseconds is catastrophic. The feature of tightly synchronized play between stereo pairs or throughout the whole house requires constant sharing of data between players. All of the players must be aware of and react to packet transit times across the network and this is constantly changing.

With a Group of players, any player in the Group or any controller (up to 32 simultaneous controllers are supported) can issue commands, such as “skip to the next track”. These commands must be immediately sent to all members of the Group or the user will become frustrated. Imagine your frustration if the right speaker of a stereo pair responds to a Volume or Pause command several seconds after its mate.

Many users assume that their network is “perfect” if they can view web sites, send email, or watch videos. Another assumption is that a very fast connection to the Internet makes their network “perfect”. If packets are lost or delayed on the local network, the Gigabit connection to the external world is useless to SONOS.

There are a few configuration settings on the local network components that can impede or support a SONOS system. Sometimes these are the default settings for network components from manufacturer ‘A’ but not for manufacturer ‘B’. One setting in particular cannot be a default. We have helped many, many hundreds of users through this setting — rescuing their somewhat chaotic SONOS system.

I went through this in 2005, fixed my network, and it’s been smooth sailing since.

Keep a log of events. Back then I was having major issues. My logging showed that afternoons and some evenings were perfect. Sunday afternoon was nearly impossible. I slipped a copy of my log, along with a polite note, under my neighbor’s door. A couple days later the note returned with annotations. She sometimes traveled overnight for business and called Mom on Sundays. She was using a cordless telephone known to cause major issues for WiFi. I was as able to work through this by avoiding placing wireless players near her base station.

Conditions change, you could be the victim of a neighbor’s newly updated network. My current situation is scary. I’m in an urban setting and a scan can show 70 nearby WiFi access points. Ten or twenty year old WiFi cannot deal with such a situation as well as current technology.

Well, thank you for the very detailed and thorough explanation of the possibilities of technical issues I’m experiencing. Although my comprehension in the field of computers/technology/networks is limited I think I’ve received the gist of your point.

When listening to my stions now on my Sonos I still finding the system does still ‘cut-out’ but much less. I’m wondering if the system will slowly correct itself???? 

Thank you for your time and efforts.

Probably not significantly, without intervention of some type. I’d recommend that you submit a system diagnostic within 10 minutes of experiencing this problem, and call Sonos Support to discuss it.

There may be information included in the diagnostic that will help Sonos pinpoint the issue and help you find a solution.

When you speak directly to the phone folks, they have tools at their disposal that will allow them to give you advice specific to your network and Sonos system.

I’d also recommend a network refresh, to eliminate the possibility of IP conflicts.  These often show up after a power outage or an update because a reboot requires the device to request a new IP, and the router, having lost track of prior IP assignments, issues a new IP that is in use by another device.  To cure this, do the following:

Reboot/power cycle your devices in the following order:

Modem
Router
Switches or hubs
Wired Sonos units
Wireless Sonos units
Computers/printers
Wireless devices - phones/tablets etc.

Allow each device to come back up before proceeding to the next.  Note that you can permanently prevent duplicate IP addresses by assigning an IP to each device's MAC address in the router setup.  See your router manual for details.

OK, I’ll do that, thanx a bunch for your expertise advice concerning this issue.

Usually the router settings for static/reserved IP addresses are on the DHCP Settings page and it often has a Help screen too, It is usually a quick and painless process that doesn’t need any technical skills.

If you get stuck post the brand and model of the router and someone will likely be able to get you going.

fecalirh1,

 In an attempt to help you with the lingo:

As you enter many buildings a receptionist gives you a number. On a LAN this is a router function (“DHCP” server) and each device is given an “IP Address”. This address must be unique, else there will be spats: “I didn’t order that”, “where is my order”, “xxx didn’t receive my message”, and on and on. In a building if someone spills coffee into the little box the receptionist uses to track numbers or she runs off to get married, the box is emptied and the numbering is restarted. Unfortunately, there is no general message issued asking clients to return to the desk and be assigned a new number. A power failure, rebooting, or a SONOS update might (notice I said “might”) result in a device being assigned a duplicate IP address that conflicts with another device. It’s possible that a user gets lucky 100 times in a row, then the phantom strikes and the user incorrectly blames the last added program, update, or new device. An additional complication is that IP addresses are “leased” and the lease must be renewed periodically. Over a period of days duplicate addresses might (notice that I said “might”) be eliminated as devices renew their leases. This incorrectly convinces users that the network is intermittent — again blaming that last modified or introduced device.

The solution to this mess is to “reserve”, make “static”, or “fix” (depending on how your router identifies the function) IP addresses for a device. Essentially this gives SONOS and other regular network clients a VIP status and they will always be assigned the same IP address. The reserved addresses will not be given out to other clients.

I'm sorry if this makes your head spin a bit. You’ll need to check with your router documentation for the reservation instructions and most routers turn this into a somewhat arduous task. Fortunately, this only needs to be done once for each reserved network client. If you replace the router, you’ll need to repeat the process for the new router. 

I appreciate all this information, but with all the possibilities and variables involved with the ‘cutting-out’/interruptions in service that may occur with ones Sonos, is there not a 1, 2 or 3 step solution that the manufacturer can implement to avoid this annoyance?? I forget what I paid but it was in the area of 2G’s for this system and no one even mentioned this.

So what’s this ‘DHCP Settings’ page...”where”, how do I arrive at that page”??

When personal computers first started to become available, they arrived with a thick manual. The helpful manuals were not much fun to read and were filled with unfamiliar terms. Apple earned much of its market traction by omitting these manuals, then claiming that their computers were “easy”, “just look at the skimpy manual”. The Apple computers frustrated me (and still frustrate me) because it is so difficult to find comprehensive documentation. I grew up in the mainframe world and we had a large room with wall to wall manuals. The operators console would throw a numbered error message at us and we could go to the library and discover exactly what was required to fix the issue. (the concept of online ‘help’ had not yet developed) At one point I was struggling to help someone with their Apple computer and it finally threw a numbered message onto the screen. I was elated until I discovered that the number was not covered in any documentation available to the public.

Your Gateway is trying to be “easy” and I’m frustrated. Anyway, this web page might help you to “Reserve” IP addresses. I couldn’t find a router login procedure specific to your Gateway, but here is a relatively generic procedure. The required user name and password are often printed on a label attached to the bottom of the Gateway. A common default user name is “admin” with a password of “admin”. Other combinations might be “admin” “password”, or “admin” “Password”,  “admin” “Password2”. The sign-in web IP address given in the above web page may not be appropriate for your model. I’d be tempted to use 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1. If either of these don’t work, you can try 10.0.0.1. If none of these work use your SONOS controller to go to Settings → System → About My System. Here you will see the IP addresses used by each of your SONOS units. They will be of the form xxx.xxx.xxx.yyy. Likely your Gateway configuration page will be at xxx.xxx.xxx.1, but this is only a custom, not a hard requirement. You may need to contact HITRON support. Hopefully they have not locked users out of the administration pages. Once you’ve logged-in, you can reserve IP addresses. You’ll need to step through the process for each SONOS device. I like to reserve addresses for all regular network clients, such as cameras, thermostats, TV’s, etc.