Sonos network question

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Discussion

Mars

Original Poster:

9,108 posts

221 months

Thursday 15th September 2022
quotequote all
My TV has an ethernet connection but it doesn't have WiFi and it's not convenient to plug a cable in between the TV and the router.

I have a Sonos Playbar. My Sonos system uses the house WiFi rather than the Sonos mesh network. I understand that's the preferential configuration Sonos tells it's users these days (cant remember where I read that, so please challenge it if wrong).

Previously, if you had one Sonos device physically connected to your router, you would opt for the Sonos mesh network and then all the other Sonos devices acted like ethernet repeaters.

Is this still the case, and to set this up, do I still need to physically connect a device to my router?

And if the answer to all that is yes, can I pick up one of those cheap bridge devices and integrate it with my gen2 system?

TIA.

Mars

Original Poster:

9,108 posts

221 months

Thursday 15th September 2022
quotequote all
Oh, I have part of an answer - all bridges are legacy so I'd need either a boost of to connect one of my other devices to the router.

Road2Ruin

5,492 posts

223 months

Saturday 17th September 2022
quotequote all
Mars said:
My TV has an ethernet connection but it doesn't have WiFi and it's not convenient to plug a cable in between the TV and the router.

I have a Sonos Playbar. My Sonos system uses the house WiFi rather than the Sonos mesh network. I understand that's the preferential configuration Sonos tells it's users these days (cant remember where I read that, so please challenge it if wrong).

Previously, if you had one Sonos device physically connected to your router, you would opt for the Sonos mesh network and then all the other Sonos devices acted like ethernet repeaters.

Is this still the case, and to set this up, do I still need to physically connect a device to my router?

And if the answer to all that is yes, can I pick up one of those cheap bridge devices and integrate it with my gen2 system?

TIA.
Just use two powerline adapters, with one behind the TV and the other next to the router.

Mars

Original Poster:

9,108 posts

221 months

Tuesday 20th September 2022
quotequote all
Over the weekend I received a (cheap eBay) Sonos Boost but I haven't yet got any further than introducing it into my system and ensuring the rest of the devices are connecting via the Sonos network (WM:0 network) rather than the house WiFi (WM:1 network). The next action is to connect the TV to the Playbar and see if it'll serve internet traffic to the TV... which I'll do after work this evening.

I have powerline adapters but they stick out of the wall a long way, which pushes my TV furniture away from the wall. I could use a trailing 4-way adapter but I always found Powerlines are more successful when plugged directly into the wall.

Anyway, the Boost was cheap and could be a neat solution if it works.

Edited by Mars on Tuesday 20th September 13:46

Mars

Original Poster:

9,108 posts

221 months

Tuesday 20th September 2022
quotequote all
Yep - works.

Except it doesn't. I mean, the network is passed through, yes so the Sonos "fix" does exactly what I needed it to do. It's just my 11yo TV is no longer supported by Samsung so this connection is mostly useless.

I have a Firestick, so the screen still has merit.

I have a feeling the Boost isn't actually required for Sonos devices to pass network traffic but it only cost me about the same as a couple of pints (at today's "pub" rate) and it'll definitely help with my range issues now that I'm starting to set up my garage/workshop (with music).

NorthDave

2,413 posts

239 months

Saturday 24th September 2022
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The ethernet port on the Sonos isn't designed to allow you to plug kit in - it is designed for you to connect the Sonos device to the network rather than using wifi.

If you have to have the TV ethernet connected then you would need to use powerline or a mesh wifi type system with an ethernet port on the device at the TV. As I think you have realised it would be easier, if you already have wifi, to add a firestick or Apple TV and stream with that instead.