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I’ve just bought 6 Fives and set them up around my bar to do nothing else but stream Spotify..  Some days they’ll work fine all day - now that I think about it, that only happens when I’m there alone and we’re closed, so no other traffic on the router.

Anyway what happens routinely is the music goes dead, even though the timeline is still indicating the track is playing.  If I pause-then-play, it comes back, but only on one speaker - strangely, the one furthest from the router.  The speaker list shows they’re all still connected.  To get the other speakers back I have to power them down to reset, wait a couple of minutes, then pull up the speaker list and reselect the ones I’ve reset.  

At other times, some of the speakers will suddenly start playing a different track.  I haven’t quite figured out any consistency to that but it may be be a track I previously searched on Spotify.  This is another source of confusion.  I can launch Spotify directly as an app, or the Spotify app from within Sonos, and they behave differently - some stuff can be found on one and not the other.

I have changed the iPad I use to run the system and even bought a new router, thinking that was the weak link.  But the problem persists.

I’ve looked through some of the suggested topics and I can see references to similar issues going back years, and that it may be related to Airplay.  Is there a definitive solution?  It’s not an option to hardwire the speakers or install a NAS and manually load songs.  We need to use Spotify’s “radio” feature. 

Thanks for any good advice!  My business partner is furious and telling me to rip them out and send them back.  I have to say my confidence in the product is very low at this point.

If you can’t wire one speaker directly to the router with an ethernet cable, you should consider adding a Sonos Boost.

I don’t follow, how would wiring one speaker help?

The problem isn’t lack of signal.  We have a Netgear Nighthawk within a few metres of the speakers.

Wiring one speaker completely transforms the way Sonos works.  All the Sonos traffic is shifted onto a dedicated mesh system called SonosNet.  You should definitely try this.

However, your real problem is probably people, who absorb WiFi signals.  At what height are the speakers?  If they are not already above head height then placing them there may help.  Wireless just isn’t good in crowded commercial settings and Sonos is fundamentally designed for a domestic setting.

But I would try wiring a speaker experimentally then report back on how it goes.  After wiring one speaker, give Sonos a couple of minutes to reconfigure.  In About My System you should see WM=0 next to every speaker.  (If you look on your current setup they should say WM=1.)

Ok thanks I’ll try that.  After wiring one, what do I need to do in the app?

It’s definitely not an issue with WiFi signal strength.  The speakers are 3m off the ground and close to the router with only one thin plasterboard wall sheet between.  My new router is known to be very powerful and we have no other wifi issues.  Also, the one speaker which usually stays connected, is the furthest from the router.  

It isn’t a question of WiFi strength.  And all your other wireless devices don’t require constant communication between multiple devices.  Another possibility is that there is a source of wireless interference, which again would be more difficult for Sonos than for individual devices.

Please don’t rip it out until we have had a proper chance to troubleshoot!  If it can’t be sorted quickly here, Sonos Support can look at system diagnoses and if necessary remote access your system to see what is going on.  But one step at a time. 

You don’t need to do anything to the app.  You may need to power cycle the speakers.  To give it the best chance, power off your router and all Sonos devices.  Power the router fully on, then power up the wired speaker, then the others.

Also, I suggest you (for the moment) play Spotify from the Sonos app only.  Plus when you group the speakers start the group with the wired speaker, then group the others to it.

Edit: Keep the wired device at least a metre from the router if possible to minimise the chance of interference. 

Ok thanks I’ll give that a try.

 

I’ve just bought 6 Fives and set them up around my bar to do nothing else but stream Spotify..  Some days they’ll work fine all day - now that I think about it, that only happens when I’m there alone and we’re closed, so no other traffic on the router.

People contain a lot of water, making them very good at absorbing WiFi radio signals. That might explain the difference when your bar is busy.

Edit: Ah, just realised that John had made the same point.

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