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Sonos App Won't Find System After Multiple Setups and Factory Resets

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I am having another Sonos love/hate relationship that we are all so familiar with. I love these products but why do they have to fail so hard with setup?

So, I got a new router…..(I know that’s how it always starts)….

I have tried literally everything and I am several hours in.

I disabled all the old networks. I disabled wifi-assist and cellular data on my phone. I closed the Sonos App on my computer so that it wouldn’t interfere and I was only operating on the IOS app on the phone. I unplugged my other Sonos devices. I plugged the One SL into the router with a hardwired ethernet cable. I made sure the phone was on the right WiFi network. I did reset the Sonos S2 app in App Preferences. I did a factory reset on the One SL. I tried to install the One SL as a new system. I did all of these things multiple times. EVERY SINGLE TIME IT IS THE SAME PROBLEM--it finds the One SL and says I added it to the system successfully, but that the system might not find it. It tells me that if the system doesn’t find it right away, to unplug the One SL and my router and then allow the router to reboot, then plug the One SL back in and complete setup in the “System Tab”. Sure enough, it doesn’t see it, but when I follow these instructions, app won’t even find the system after setup. The System Tab is greyed out and not clickable. When I search for the system, it’s still not found.

The Wifi network is my primary network, not a guest network. It is a 5ghz network, if any of that matters.

I want to throw this thing at the wall. Can SOMEBODY, please help me install this thing?

I did run a systems diagnostic report and submitted it to Sonos. The ticket # is 108534059.

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buzzAnswer

Grand Maestro

it finally detected the new router on its own which I had left plugged in for some odd reason. It just prompted me out of the blue on its own to see if I wanted to set it up on this new router after about a day of doing nothing but using it on the old system.

While some very sophisticated enterprise level networks might tolerate multiple routers, the intent of home networking is that there is only one router. The “fault” was that the two routers and elements of the SONOS system could not figure out which router you intended to use long term. Some SONOS units were using router ‘A’, some were using router ‘B’ and the controller phone/pad was probably hopping between ‘A’ and ‘B’. Further, as you rebooted and Factory Reset this-n-that, units may have flipped between ‘A’ and ‘B’ or there could have been duplicate IP addresses.

In a word: chaos

buzz

Grand Maestro

The Factory Reset complicated your issue. I suggest that you refrain from Factory Reset without further consult. If you have other SONOS units that have not been Factory Reset, I suggest that you power down the ONE SL that you have been struggling with and wire one or more of the other units to your router.

Describe your system and network for us. Which model router are you using? Are there any repeaters or mesh points? Network switches? What is wired? Wireless? Have you disabled the WiFi on any SONOS units? Note that some of the SONOS units will not use 5GHz.

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TryingReallyHardToAbideAuthor

Trending Lyricist I

I don’t know why this reply was duplicated, but I deleted the duplicate.

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TryingReallyHardToAbideAuthor

Trending Lyricist I

The Factory Reset complicated your issue. I suggest that you refrain from Factory Reset without further consult. If you have other SONOS units that have not been Factory Reset, I suggest that you power down the ONE SL that you have been struggling with and wire one or more of the other units to your router.

Describe your system and network for us. Which model router are you using? Are there any repeaters or mesh points? Network switches? What is wired? Wireless? Have you disabled the WiFi on any SONOS units? Note that some of the SONOS units will not use 5GHz.

I was following advice that a SONOS rep gave to someone else on these boards about the same issue.

I will try to work with the other device, which I did not factory reset. I still can’t imagine why they would have a factory reset that wouldn’t install like a fresh product. That seems ridiculously dumb. But I will work with the other device for now and be sure not to factory reset that one.

I am aware that some Sonos devices don’t do 5ghz, but the One SL does, according to Sonos.

There is a cable modem with no wifi capabilities with an ethernet cable right into the WAN on a TP-Link Archer AX73/AX5400. I actually used this router with a different Sonos system at my house, so I know it works. The router has 2x 5g and 2.4g networks, one of each for guests and one of each for me. I am trying to install the Sonos system on the 5ghz primary network. There are no switches, no mesh points, nothing complicated. It is an office building and there are other wifi networks in the vicinity with Sonos devices. But it seems to detect my devices during setup. It just won’t find the system or devices after saying setup was successful.

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TryingReallyHardToAbideAuthor

Trending Lyricist I

The Factory Reset complicated your issue. I suggest that you refrain from Factory Reset without further consult. If you have other SONOS units that have not been Factory Reset, I suggest that you power down the ONE SL that you have been struggling with and wire one or more of the other units to your router.

Describe your system and network for us. Which model router are you using? Are there any repeaters or mesh points? Network switches? What is wired? Wireless? Have you disabled the WiFi on any SONOS units? Note that some of the SONOS units will not use 5GHz.

I was following advice that a SONOS rep gave to someone else on these boards about the same issue.

I will try to work with the other device, which I did not factory reset. I still can’t imagine why they would have a factory reset that wouldn’t install like a fresh product. That seems ridiculously dumb. But I will work with the other device for now and be sure not to factory reset that one.

I am aware that some Sonos devices don’t do 5ghz, but the One SL does, according to Sonos.

There is a cable modem with no wifi capabilities with an ethernet cable right into the WAN on a TP-Link Archer AX73/AX5400. I actually used this router with a different Sonos system at my house, so I know it works. The router has 2x 5g and 2.4g networks, one of each for guests and one of each for me. I am trying to install the Sonos system on the 5ghz primary network. There are no switches, no mesh points, nothing complicated. It is an office building and there are other wifi networks in the vicinity with Sonos devices. But it seems to detect my devices during setup. It just won’t find the system or devices after saying setup was successful.

Now, after unplugging the problem device and plugging in the other device (without an ethernet so far), I am getting alternating messages. It says it found my system. When I click “Join a nearby Sonos System” and then click “Continue” it says it found multiple systems on my WiFi network. When I click that second “Continue” button it comes back around and says “No Sonos System Found”. When I click “Done” it continues searching before coming back and saying “We can’t find a Sonos systom on <name of my WiFi network>. Make sure your sonos system is powered on and connected to the network.”

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TryingReallyHardToAbideAuthor

Trending Lyricist I

Now, with the other speaker which was not factor reset, I get this every time I am queued to type in my WiFi password.

This is maddening. 6 hours now.

All my other devices work fine with this router. I previously had a Sonos Arc on this router.

This is what the other device kept doing that led me down this rabbit hole to begin with.

buzz

Grand Maestro

The controllers don’t store anything critical. Try uninstalling then re-installing the controller.

I still can’t imagine why they would have a factory reset that wouldn’t install like a fresh product.

That’s the problem. If you install a unit as “new”, it will establish a fresh “household” for that unit. A controller can only work with one household at a time. The controller is aware when there are multiple households on the network. With multiple Factory Reset’s, you probably confused the controller. During the fresh controller install, have only one household powered. After you are satisfied that this unit(s) function reliably, then you can power up and deal with the other units -- one at a time. If a unit belongs to another household, you’ll need to Factory Reset that unit and add it to the household.

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TryingReallyHardToAbideAuthor

Trending Lyricist I

The controllers don’t store anything critical. Try uninstalling then re-installing the controller.

I still can’t imagine why they would have a factory reset that wouldn’t install like a fresh product.

That’s the problem. If you install a unit as “new”, it will establish a fresh “household” for that unit. A controller can only work with one household at a time. The controller is aware when there are multiple households on the network. With multiple Factory Reset’s, you probably confused the controller. During the fresh controller install, have only one household powered. After you are satisfied that this unit(s) function reliably, then you can power up and deal with the other units -- one at a time. If a unit belongs to another household, you’ll need to Factory Reset that unit and add it to the household.

I have managed to restore functionality to the unit which I did NOT factory reset, but only on the old router and network so far and on the old system. I am trying to go through the process of adding back the factory reset unit to the system. My thinking was, if I can get them back on the system together, then perhaps I can add a new wifi signal for my new router, to the old system. However, I am failing at both. The factory reset unit will not add on to the old system, even on the old router. The old system seems to not want to connect to the new router either.

106rallye

Have you tried to set the old wifi name and password to the new router? This way a speaker you did not reset might not even know there's a new router…..

buzz

Grand Maestro

Factory Reset that Factory Reset unit again and add it to the system with the functioning unit.(s). I recommend wiring both this newly Factory Reset unit and a working unit while you do this. If you don’t have enough network ports to do this, wire the working unit. While you have the units wired, make sure that the WiFi SSID and password are correct.

As you swap routers it would be best to reboot EVERYTHING on the network. Yes, I know that you might get away with skipping this reboot 100 times in a row, but on 101 you can run into the issues that you are experiencing.

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TryingReallyHardToAbideAuthor

Trending Lyricist I

Have you tried to set the old wifi name and password to the new router? This way a speaker you did not reset might not even know there's a new router…..

That’s a genius workaround.

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