Two Sonos systems, all with the same speakers-dropping issue

  • 16 March 2024
  • 5 replies
  • 44 views

I have two Sonos systems: (i) one in a completely detached house, with high-speed internet (1gig download / 16 upload) consisting of two Play 1s and two Sonos Roams, 1 gateway router, and 1 additional hardwired router, and a Beacon; and (ii) a second system in a city apartment also with high speed internet (300mbps / 17 upload) consisting of 1 Sonos Beam, 2 Play One SL, one Roam, 1 gateway router, 2 additional hard-wired routers.

All of the residence were professionally wired, and not DIY.  In each case -- 5 years plus in the apartment, and 1 year plus in the house -- one or more speakers regularly lose connection without any discernible pattern, and Roams seems to totally disconnect from the system after a few days of non use.

TO ME, CLEARLY, ONE OR MORE OF SONOS SOFTWARE, FIRMWARE, OR APP IS FAULY AND CONTINUES TO BE FAULTY. I have a very demanding job and do not have additional hours to spend on the phone with Sonos Technical support...and so, I live with the frustration of the frequent speaker drops. As with all providers of high-tech products, issues that cannot be fixed by the provider are often said to lie with the consumer’s connections, network, user error, internet service provider, etc.

We all remember the problems that the like of AT&T, Verizon, etc. encountered over the years that were later shown to be the fault of the provider exposed by class action, FTC, or other litigation. I wouldn't be surprised if in the very near future, Sonos is shown to have knowingly failed to recognize and knowingly failed to remedy software and firmware issues. Until then, we the Sonos users grin and bear it because all the other consumer wireless speaker systems are equally buggy. [end]


5 replies

 1 gateway router, and 1 additional hardwired router, and a Beacon; and (ii) a second system in a city apartment also with high speed internet (300mbps / 17 upload) consisting of 1 Sonos Beam, 2 Play One SL, one Roam, 1 gateway router, 2 additional hard-wired routers.

All of the residence were professionally wired, and not DIY.  In each case -- 5 years plus in the apartment, and 1 year plus in the house

Two routers and a Beacon (What is a “Beacon”?) are likely to cause trouble in that house.

A gateway and two routers are likely to cause trouble in the apartment.

With proper configuration multiple routers can behave. A lot of WiFi improvements have occurred in five years. Replacing some or all of the network hardware might be in order.

You don’t seem to want to become involved with your network. Probably it is time to bring in a pro who understands the SONOS network requirements.

For the record my system and network are much more complicated than yours and I don’t have your issues.

Certainly could be as simple as duplicate IP addresses. Which is a network issue, and not the Sonos SOFTWARE, FIRMWARE OR APP (sic) at all. Or even simple WiFi interference, since the Roams can’t be ‘wired’, again having nothing to do with anything provided by Sonos, but your network environment. 

Just so you’re aware, the download/upload speeds between your router and the outside world have little to do with the internal network that the Sonos connects to. I can’t remember a single case in which those speeds had any impact on a Sonos system.

Userlevel 7
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Fix your local network(s), they sound like a Heath Robinson collection of disparate components, get something modern and reliable in there.

Fix your local network(s), they sound like a Heath Robinson collection of disparate components, get something modern and reliable in there.

Okay. Could you be more specific?
As an FYI. The NYC apt has concrete and plaster walls and it’s network was last upgraded in 2021 by a company then known as TechDad in NYC servicing residences and small businesses. The upstate house was built from foundation up and completed in 2022. 
Thank you.

Userlevel 7
Badge +23

Fix your local network(s), they sound like a Heath Robinson collection of disparate components, get something modern and reliable in there.

Okay. Could you be more specific?
As an FYI. The NYC apt has concrete and plaster walls and it’s network was last upgraded in 2021 by a company then known as TechDad in NYC servicing residences and small businesses. The upstate house was built from foundation up and completed in 2022. 
Thank you.

Hard to be totally specific given the lack of information provided, but generally:

Get a proper, modern mesh system, and quit using whatever random combination of routers and “beacons” you have right now. You should have ONE router.

Sounds like you are using your ISPs router: either get rid of it if you can, or put it into Bridge mode and let your new mesh system run everything.

You should end up with a single subnet, on one SSID, that works on both 2.4GHz and 5GHz, seamlessly. Then your Sonos problems will be gone.

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