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Forum Discussion
PiepeltjeNL
Jan 25, 2019Tutor
Sonos can't connect to Orbi
Hi there,
I'm in stress... ;-)
I bought myself an Orbi router+satellite last week. But after succesfull installation of my mesh-network, my Sonos play:1 (2 pcs) can't connect to the wifi-netw...
- Jul 01, 2019
Spent a few months figuring how to get my Sonos speakers working on a new Orbi Wifi. The changing of Wifi routers effectively bricked 2,500 bucks of Sonos products for me. It just wouldn't work on the new router. My setup is a Boost (connected by wire to Orbi router) and 5 Play Ones, a Playbar and Sub; all wifi connected.
The boost (and probably a speaker if it's hardwired into the Orbi router) will be seen by the Sonos Controller App, but the wireless connections would not transfer over or be seen by Sonos. Factory reset or no factory reset. The issue lies in my Orbi router. When I would try to add a wifi speaker in the Sonos App, it would time out and fail. Every time. Upon some sleuthing, for whatever reason, I noticed the Orbi router would allocate an IP to the speaker, but in the Orbi device settings, it would be set up as "disabled" and therefore the add new speaker would time out and fail in the Sonos App, then the speaker's IP address would disappear in the Orbi app as well since I didn't "enable" it in the device settings. You manually have to "approve"/slide the new Wifi Sonos speaker IP address to "enable" in the Orbi App to finish assignment of an IP address, which then allows the Sonos Controller App to finish seeing and capturing the Wifi Sonos speakers.
So my fix went like this:- Connect the boost by wire to the router (i'm guessing a speaker would work also)
- Open Sonos Controller App (it should see whatever is hardwired to the router, my Orbi auto enabled the Boost, but if it doesn't, keep reading, you will have to "enable" in the Orbi app).
- Factory reset the Wifi speaker (i know Sonos is all against this, i'm just showing you how it worked for me on 7 speakers and a Sub.; i factory reset all of them; i did this process individually for all speakers and sub)
- After the factory reset, I restarted the speaker and selected "add new speaker or sub" in the Sonos App. Follow the directions in the app.
- Have your Orbi app open on the same device or another device, you will need to enable the new speaker's IP address. This is key as you will have to toggle back and forth between the Sonos Controller app and the Orbi app.
- During the final setup stages of Sonos Controller installation of the new speaker it will "hang" a little. During this final part of the install step is where you will have to be vigilant at seeing when Orbi sees it and gives it a "disabled" IP address in the Orbi app.
- Keep refreshing your Orbi app's "device settings" page by going back and forth between the home screen and device settings. After about 15-40 seconds of the final installation part of the new speaker, a new Sonos speaker will show up in the Orbi device settings, with a unique IP address but will be "disabled". My orbi required me to approve the new IP address by sliding the toggle from "diabled" to the green "enable".
- Once enabled in the Orbi app - device settings, the Sonos Controller finished installing the new speaker, and since it was factory reset, updated the firmware. It was now visible in the Sonos Controller App.
So the issue was my Orbi requiring a manual approval of the IP address to give the wifi Sonos speakers. There's a key 30 seconds in the process above where the Sonos app is almost finished installing, but you have to get in the Orbi app to toggle the wifi IP address to "enable". That was the issue, not my speaker but the IP allocation process of my Orbi. I thinks it's a security feature of the Orbi to prevent subnetworks leaching onto a wired connection.
PiepeltjeNL
Jan 27, 2019Tutor
Tried it,but didn’t work!
Wired up, the Sonos works perfectly. But trying to connect wireless, it keeps failing.
I really have the feeling that there’s a problem hitting 2,4 GHz and 5 GHz.
It’s the last thing I can think about and I see on other post there are several products than have and error failing to connect to the Orbi on 2,4 GHz. It should split automatic, but isn’t always working. Is there a simple way (again, i’m not a computer expert) to test this. So a simple way to shut down 5ghz, connect the Sonos and after that re-activate 5 GHz?
ekhalil
Jan 27, 2019Master
PiepeltjeNL wrote:
......
I really have the feeling that there’s a problem hitting 2,4 GHz and 5 GHz.
......
... But Sonos support both 2.4 and 5 GHz bands, so it's not really the same issue that others see with devices that only support 2.4 GHz issue!!
Can this be a routing issue? Is Orbi set in AP or Router Mode? What ISP modem/router do you use?
- Chuck_MJan 27, 2019Mentor
Before poking around with Sonos and making things worse, I recommend you take the time to describe to us your setup
Be precise and include make/models/modes of modems, routers, etc.
- What type of internet do you have?
- What is make and model of your cable modem and/or router
- Is your Orbi in AP or Router Mode?
- Do you have a sonos Boost?
- What version of Orbi do you have and how many satellites?
- What firmware are you running?
- Anything else unusual about your setup?
- Side of home and positioning of Orbis
I have had a great deal of luck with Sonos, so I am sure it works... just a matter of getting all the settings correct.
Your answers to the above will help and prevent from fooling with stuff that doesnt need tweaking