What are the optimum Network Settings for RJ45 Sonos Devices?

If every Sonos device is wired and your Ethernet LAN is accessible from your WiFi, you can turn off the WiFi on the Sonos devices to prevent any STP issues.  Otherwise, you need to configure STP on any managed switches you have on your network. 

Unfortunately there are two 100’s that are wireless connected to an ARC and Sub. When we installed that, we fitted RJ45’s to the 100’s in left and right configuration but found setting it up a real problem. Sonos support talked us through the setup and I’m fairly sure from memory said not to use RJ45’s on the 100’s …. I never honestly properly understood why. Is a shame as they the only wireless devices on our Sonos installation. 

Thanks for the advice though, that does seem to agree with the linked article and indeed the advice I was given by a networking guy. I’m not sure what STP is in reality but a bit of reading to do and I should be able to work it out. The Netgear switches have a year’s worth of Insight NW management Sw and support. So I might able get a little bit of help from Netgear on it.

Are there any Sonos forum articles on this that you know of jgatie? It sounds like the sort of thing that might have come up before ….. relating to STP or indeed if the 100’s can be added to an ARC and SuB on RJ45 cables?

Thanks

In fact, this is almost a better question that I should have asked ….. can I add a pair of 100’s on RJ45 connections to a room with an Arc and a Sub Gen 3 that are also RJ45  connected? 

This would be the perfect solution, to keep all Sonos items on wired connection.

Maybe I should be asking this on a new post? Not sure.

You do not need to have the Sub and surrounds hardwired if you have the Arc hardwired. The Sub and surrounds connect to a private WIFI transmitted by the Arc in order for them to bond and become a single room. It’s fine to have the Era 100s wireless. This will not affect your network. 
This is how I have my HY system configured with no issues.

And that will not create any potential performance overheads on the wider network? As mentioned in first post, we ‘think’ we could have a possible performance issue created by Sonos in a 95% wired, 5% wireless network configuration that could require STP options setting. 

Hope I’ve explained that well …  slightly new stuff for me. Thanks for sharing your config and understanding.

If you have an STP problem your whole network crashes. If I remember correctly, this will only occur  on wired networks, not on wireless network. You do not mention your network crashing, so what “performance problem” do you think is caused by Sonos?

No no crashing as such ever that I recall. It have over the years been like a rock. Ironically yesterday afternoon it did for a few mins but we think that was the VM service itself.

At present I don’t think STP is on. The Netgear switches are brand new GS752TPPV3 switches …. totally vanilla and no options other than ‘out of the box’ evoked so far. 

My limited (very limited) network knowledge suggested that it is usually off as a default. But I’m guessing a bit there.

The original issue identified was (in fault finding) was that when we disconnected the cable between Orbi router and switch, the internet connect dropped …. as you would expect. But it dropped from 1GB to 4mb!!! It should have been zero. And we are still trying to find out why when the router disconnected we still have a connection to the internet. ????

But get this ….. tonight testing options, we disconnected a wired Sonos Play 5 from the switch and the 4mb internet connection disappeared!!! Take a look at the screens below …. with Play 5 wired to switch and disconnected but in both instances, the router was connected …..

Play 5 connected to switch and router connected

Then Play 5 connected to switch but router disconnected ……

Is almost like the Play 5 has a wireless connection on it …. I’m lost 😉