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Incompatible Software Versions - S2

  • 29 February 2024
  • 13 replies
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I used to love Sonos. Now I only love their hardware…

 

I have 5 older speakers (4xPlay:1 and 1xPlay:5) that are not compatible with the new S2 system - but I don’t care. After many, many problems caused by relentless Sonos “upgrading” - I now drive my speakers through the Home Assistant integration which is magnificent. It does everything I want, and doesn’t bug me with extras I don’t care about. Unfortunately, it still requires the Sonos app to add a speaker to the system before I can use it in Home Assistant.

We just built an extension to the house and I wanted some more speakers in new areas. My investment in Sonos infrastructure was too great to move to another ecosystem. I was incorrectly advised by an Ikea salesperson, that their Sonos based Symphonisk range were S1 compatible - so I bought 3 of them. 2 x Bookshelf and 1 x Table Lamp.

When I installed the first of the Bookshelf speakers shortly afterwards I discovered they were S2 only. I was very annoyed - but after some research shut down all my S1 gear, installed the S2 app on my iPad Pro, and configured that speaker as a solo unit on its own “network”. Home Assistant didn’t care, and all 6 of them have been working together happily for many months now.

The builders have finally finished the construction so I’ve now gone to install the last two Symphonisk units. Again shut down my entire S1 network - and fired up the S2 app on the iPad. It found the Table Lamp speaker and installed it fine (fell over at the Registration system - but registration on the Sonos website is not required for the speaker to work in Home Assistant.)

Then it discovered the other Bookshelf speaker - but will not even attempt to install it - claiming the infamous “Incompatible Software Versions” error. All three Ikea speakers were bought on the same day, are installed on the same network, with the same App on the same iPad. Two of them worked, and one is apparently “incompatible”.

I checked the S2 App for updates (we all know how much Sonos loves updates) but it tells me there is no update available. All my S1 equipment is disconnected and so not relevant to the issue. And I can’t access the new Bookshelf speaker in any way to tell what is happening with it.

What can I do?

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Best answer by pcal 5 April 2024, 14:37

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Ken_Griffiths

Perhaps try temporarily wiring the speaker to the local router. From factory reset, it should install any new updates that it requires - when the setup is (hopefully) complete, you can uncable it and put it back and use it on its wireless signal. If the problems persist however, then it maybe best to reproduce the issue and immediately submit a Sonos system diagnostic report from within the Sonos App, note it’s reference and then contact/chat with Sonos Support Staff via this LINK and see what the Staff can perhaps suggest to resolve the matter.

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Thanks for the suggestion Ken. Unfortunately that only seems to have made matters worse.

The S2 App can’t even see the new Bookshelf speaker now, so there is nothing to attempt to connect - so presumably there is no longer anything for a Diagnostic report to be built from. Also the entire “Add Product” option in the System menu is greyed out with the Incompatible Software Version error if I even try to look for a new device.

The installed S2 App is version 16.0  Build 77449290 by the way. It tells me there is no update available - but my faith in Sonos software is, “limited”...

Ken_Griffiths

I think the last update was February 6th - the latest S2 App is available here:

https://support.sonos.com/en-us/downloads?language=en_US

I would power off your S1 setup, just temporarily, whilst you’re trying the speaker setup too and if you do install the App from above link don’t forget to check for updates again. The speaker status LED when reset should be flashing green for the setup too.

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Thanks Ken,

 

Checked that link - and version 16.0 is the current - and what is installed on my iPad. (Unless it worked with a previous version, and updated itself while the Table Lamp was being installed?...)

My S1 system is pre-wifi. All the devices communicate via Sonos Mesh, and I have a Sonos Bridge that connects them to the wired network - at least all but for a single Play:1 which is in an outbuilding too far away for the mesh to reach. That one is hard wired to a switch on the far end of a wifi point to point link. While attempting to install the new speakers, the network connections have been removed from both the bridge, and the remote Play:1. There is no connection path between the two. Once, I forgot to remove the network plug and the S2 App had a fit with all the old devices it suddenly saw. Shut it down - removed the network connection and tried again. The S2 App can definitely not see any S1 infrastructure.

Will try to phone Sonos Support tomorrow when they are open…

Appreciate the attempt to assist… :)

controlav
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Your Play:1s are compatible with S2, so the only S1-only device you have is the Play:5 Gen 1.

Author of the leading independent Sonos app for Windows, the only Sonos app for Xbox, and a Sonos app for iOS
Ken_Griffiths

Yes, as @controlav mentions, the only S1 devices are the Play:5 (gen1) and the old Bridge - everything else is perhaps better off connected to S2 - but that’s entirely up-to you. My son has Play:1’s operating on S2 and acting as surrounds to a Sonos Ray with his Kitchen TV.

Heres a link showing device compatibility with S1/S2:

https://support.sonos.com/en-us/article/sonos-s2-compatibility

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Thank you for the advice about what I have that can be “upgraded”- unfortunately that does kind of miss the point of my enquiry. I actively “do not want” to jump back onto the Sonos upgrade everything all the time bandwagon. I have got more value (and enjoyment) out of my Sonos equipment in the last several years since I’ve not used any Sonos software system - they have just worked every time and done what I want them to do. It has been heaven! The ONLY problems my Sonos kit ever give me, are when I am forced to use the Sonos App for something - like now…

I have no  plans to extend the house any further, so there will be nowhere else that needs any new speakers going forward -so once this last new one is connected to the network - I can delete the Sonos App from my iPad and live happily ever after… ;) The hardware is wonderful - I just wish the rest of it would blend invisibly into the background and leave me alone!

Didn’t get a chance to call anyone or try anything else today (still have to work for a living) - but will get back to it before too long.

P
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Perhaps try temporarily wiring the speaker to the local router. From factory reset, it should install any new updates that it requires - when the setup is (hopefully) complete, you can uncable it and put it back and use it on its wireless signal. If the problems persist however, then it maybe best to reproduce the issue and immediately submit a Sonos system diagnostic report from within the Sonos App, note it’s reference and then contact/chat with Sonos Support Staff via this LINK and see what the Staff can perhaps suggest to resolve the matter.

 

I don’t know who marked this as the Best Answer - but it wasn’t me. (Thought Police perhaps?) It has not helped at all, and as noted in my first reply to it - has actually made matters worse. Before I followed Ken’s advice I could at least “see” the new speaker in the App (if not actually be able to set it up). Now the new speaker is completely invisible - so there is nothing there to attempt to set up, so a snapshot is pointless as there will be no error log from a process that never had an opportunity to start. Additionally, about 90% of everything else the S2 App is supposed to do is now also greyed out with the Incompatible Versions error (including for all the other S2 speakers in my network).

Sonos demanded another App Update, and also demanded another update for the Table Lamp Speaker through this process, but still immediately insists both that the App is an Incompatible version, and also that everything is up to date with no other update available for either the App or the Speakers. These statements can’t both be true!

The new Bookshelf speaker has been factory reset several times - which always ends with the flashing green light - but it is still invisible in the App.

I have followed every bit of advice offered (my S1 network of speakers are completely disconnected from everything at the moment) but none of it has had a single piece of positive impact.

buzz

BRIDGE is obsolete and known to cause hard to describe, intermittent network issues when it is feeling naughty. I recommend that you power down BRIDGE. If you really need the function, replace BRIDGE with BOOST. BRIDGE is S1 only when it works.

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OK. So I have fixed my own problem - which had nothing whatsoever to do with the Bridge, or the existence of an S1 system or anything else I got pointed to here…

For the benefit of any others beating their heads against this same wall:

The “Incompatible Software Versions” error does not necessarily mean there are incompatible software versions in the system at all. Make sure your router is allowing connections (at least temporarily) to the Amazon address 52.52.194.122. This is where the system is hosted that determines if your software is compatible or not. If data can’t get through, your software is deemed incompatible no matter if is or not.

This address is also involved somehow in the APP being able to find your speakers on your own network. Missing speakers magically reappear when this address is unblocked.

Corry P
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Hi @pcal 

Thanks for updating this thread with your discovery, and I am glad to hear that you have resolved the issue.

Out of curiosity (and in case it helps anyone else with similar issues), how was it that the stated Amazon address was being blocked on your network? Are you using Pi-hole, or something similar? Or does your router have an in-built filtering system of some kind - if so, what make/model router do you have?

"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen." - Albert Einstein
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Out of curiosity (and in case it helps anyone else with similar issues), how was it that the stated Amazon address was being blocked on your network?

I’m using a Fritzbox router (7490 - but trying to transition to a 7590 - another long story!) with everything set to maximum stealth / security.

I’m also at the very far end of a FTTN connection on Australia’s NBN network which means my connection to the net is just a tad less than I used to get out of my old ADSL service. I do have a new fiber connection coming that should relieve that situation, but it isn’t here yet. As I have had no bandwidth to spare, in the early days I ran regular network scans with tools like EtherApe looking for systems that were hogging bandwidth - especially when I didn’t request anything from the machines in question. Pages of bandwidth hogging IP addresses got added to the http filters in the Fritzbox - and if no adverse consequences followed - there they stayed.

I haven’t added anything to those lists for several years so this address has been blocked for some time.

Curiously, adding the first 2 of my new S2 speakers worked without a hitch. It was only after a construction delay of a few months when I tried to add the 3rd that this issue arose, so logically one had no reason to assume a router setting that had been in place for many years would have had anything to do with it. I can only assume there was also some other change at the Sonos end that elevated the importance of this particular data pathway.

Perhaps Corry you could illuminate that issue for us?

Corry P
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Hi @pcal 

Thanks for sharing those details!

Yes - we recently made the whole speaker setup procedure more secure, so things are a little different now than they were back when you set up your other speakers. The IP address you report is AWS (Amazon web Services) rather than, say amazon.com, as that is where the servers are hosted. So, nothing to worry about, over all.

I hope this helps.

"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen." - Albert Einstein

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