topic Re: SkyQ and Sonos interfering with each other in Archive

SkyQ and Sonos interfering with each other

woodchal — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 14:27:24 GMT

I had a SkyQ box/mini installed 5 days ago and have experienced several problems with interaction with the Sonos system.

The issue

I have Sonos App on the IMac which sees the whole Sonos system (this took a reinstall of Sonos to get working)

I have Sonos App on IPad (IOS 12.5.1) and on Iphone (IOS 14.3). Both of these will connect and see the whole Sonos system if I am in the vicinity of the co-located Modem/router/Wifi Hub and cabled Play1 and also if I am close to the Wifi Play 1 which is not close to either Sky box.

However, if I am in the same room as the Sonos 5 (close to Sky mini box) or TV Beam (close to the SkyQ box) then the Sonos App will not connect to the Sonos system. If I, then move to vicinity of the Modem/router/Wifi Hub it magically finds the Sonos system and connects.

There is clearly a problem with interaction between Sky mesh and Sonos. The minor irritation is that in order to pair/change inputs/control speakers in rooms from the IOS App I have to walk to another part of the house.

The more major concern is that the Internet maybe (or become) flaky and will produce other conflicts in the future, hence why I want to understand this issue. There is some anecdotal feedback from family members working from home that they have dropped out of on-line meeting systems since the SkyQ install

The Internet and Sonos predated the installation of Sky Q and had been very stable and reliable. It is the introduction of SkyQ that has caused the issue

Internet -

Broadband Provider: Sky

Modem/router/Wifi Hub: Model SR203

Network

There is a Cat5 cable serving parts of the house and also the Sky Modem/Router acts as the primary Wifi hub. It is using channel 11.

There are two switches in the Cat5 cabled network.

My understanding is that SkyQ and Sky mini boxes provide some king of “internet mesh”, so for information

The SkyQ box is physically connected to the network by Ethernet. I have never installed it on the Wifi (ie I have never given it the Wifi password - it was installed from scratch in its current configuration)

Sky mini box is Wifi, no cable connected - again no Wifi password given, so it is only talking to the SkyQ box.

SkyQ box and Sky mini box are currently 3m apart (through a brick wall)

Sonos - I have tried various permutations, but the current set up is

Play 1 on Ethernet - providing Sonosnet (positioned near Modem/router/Wifi Hub, but actually connected to a netgear switch, rather than the Modem/router/Wifi Hub

The second Play 1 is on Wifi

Sonos 5 on Wifi - positioned 2m from Sky mini box

TV Beam on Wifi - positioned close to SkyQ box

I have moved Sonos to channel 1 and the Sonos devices say WM0 (so using Sonosnet)

This is what I have done

I have limited what I have done to avoid creating issues for my homeworking family.

I have powered down all Sonos devices, rebooted Modem/Router Hub and reconnected the Sonos devices (Ethernet connect Play 1 first).

My Thoughts

I have seen suggestions that you should avoid mixing networks by keep the Sky Mesh, SonosNet and cable connected devices separate

I have moved Sonos system to Sonosnet - it had been purely Wifi before.

I had wanted to keep Sky Q on Ethernet for speed of downloads and Sky mini box on Wifi for the ability to move to several locations/TVs in the house. I could try moving SkyQ box to a Wifi connection.

Before I do this are there any other thoughts as to what might be going on?

Re: SkyQ and Sonos interfering with each other

Piesarus — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 14:48:22 GMT

@woodchal I have to say I've not seen this behaviour from my Sonos setup at all. I do not use Sonosnet but rely on my BT Wholehome mesh which handles all our WiFi needs brilliantly. I suspect your router is at the limit of what it's able to handle. The Sky routers don't have the best of reputations with regards to WiFi. A check of your devices -dBn values might reveal if this is the issue. Anything above -60 is not good. Between -30 and -50 then great.

Re: SkyQ and Sonos interfering with each other

woodchal — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 17:32:16 GMT

Can not answer the numeric question atm (how do you check). All I can say that before SkyQ WiFi connectivity was good throughout the house.

Re: SkyQ and Sonos interfering with each other

Piesarus — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 22:30:57 GMT

@woodchal to measure dBm values you need to download something like WiFi Analyser which is free.

Re: SkyQ and Sonos interfering with each other

Rhonny — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 23:24:54 GMT

@woodchal

Your Sonos is set up as it should be, on SonosNet. This keeps it off the wifi network. You have one Sonos connected by ethernet, so that is the point at which it is joined to your network.

All your Sonos app needs to do to speak to the speakers is to be connected to the same network that your Sonos is joined to by the ethernet. When you're at your router, it talks to the network fine. But when you're near your Play 5 or Beam, the phone with your Sonos app can no longer speak to your network.

When you're near your Sonos 5, which wifi access point is your phone connected to?

And likewise when you're near your Beam, which wifi access point is your phone using?

It seems that for some reason, those access points are not allowing your phone to speak to the network in the same way it does when the router is your access point.

Re: SkyQ and Sonos interfering with each other

woodchal — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 23:44:13 GMT

@Rhonny

Indeed I have shown that when the App doesn’t see the Sonos system the iPhone is connected to either of the two Sky boxes (mainly Sky).

For clarity when the App does see the Sonos system and works the iPhone is connected to the main Sky modem/router/hub.

Re: SkyQ and Sonos interfering with each other

woodchal — Tue, 26 Jan 2021 00:07:07 GMT

@Piesarus

I have used Net Analyser but get see that information

Re: SkyQ and Sonos interfering with each other

woodchal — Tue, 26 Jan 2021 00:09:56 GMT

Mis-typed should have been (mainly SkyQ)

Re: SkyQ and Sonos interfering with each other

Piesarus — Tue, 26 Jan 2021 08:49:43 GMT

@woodchal Not one I have used but I know that using the one I mentioned on a Laptop does provide dBm values.

Re: SkyQ and Sonos interfering with each other

woodchal — Tue, 26 Jan 2021 10:15:54 GMT

@Piesarus

Just googled and see that I can use the Airport Utility App on the Iphone

Re: SkyQ and Sonos interfering with each other

woodchal — Tue, 26 Jan 2021 10:33:41 GMT

@Rhonny

"It seems that for some reason, those access points are not allowing your phone to speak to the network in the same way it does when the router is your access point. "

Exactly

Sonos community want to blame Sky, around SSDP issues.

I have seen issues on these forums where SSDP issues cause interference and excessive Wifi slow down once SkyQ installed - fortunatly (fingers crossed) this isn't my problem, but I am obviously concerned that there might be an issue like this waiting to bite me if I don't understand the root cause.

The Iphone is on the network, the Sonos system is on the network - I can see both from the sky modem/router/hub. I can use the App from devices connected to the router/hub (IMac is cabled, Iphone wifi). So there is a problem with some kind of "handshake".

I don't know enough to understand if this is something Sky is not passing to the App or if it is something the App is not reading from the Sky broadcast - or put another way is it Skys fault or Sonos's fault!

Re: SkyQ and Sonos interfering with each other

Dunshavin — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 14:52:22 GMT

I have exactly the same issue as the OP. Depending on which access point my devices connect to will depend whether I can see them or not. Currently my Sonos Move is playing Radio 5 Live across WiFi. However, if I open my Sonos app on my iPhone I cannot see the Move. My app is on the same WiFi network (name) but probably not the same access point. I expect my Sonos Move is connected to the Sky Q box's WiFi access point, and my phone is connected to my main Sky Q router. I could probably move my Move nearer to the router, flick to Bluetooth, then back to WiFi to make it search again, and the Move would probably be visible to my phone It's all very annoying, and means my Sonos app is often pointless, forcing me to resort to Bluetooth. I have no idea if it's Sonos or Sky Q to blame but I wish one of them would sort it out.

Re: SkyQ and Sonos interfering with each other

Sam333 — Tue, 23 Mar 2021 21:33:40 GMT

Has anyone found a solution to this? I have the same problem. Right next to my router the app on my iPhone can't see the Sonos system, in living room near my Sky Q it picks up all the speakers. The sound bar is connected by Ethernet cable and everything else is on the wireless network. I've tried everything. Any help would be gratefully appreciated.

Re: SkyQ and Sonos interfering with each other

ChrisWil58 — Thu, 25 Mar 2021 13:38:03 GMT

If you have 2 wifi bands in your house, you will only see the one which your Sonos kit is connected to. So if you are on, say, BT and have their wifi, and Sonos is on that, then when you connect to the BT wifi then all is well. If however, you connect to the Sky wifi, the Sonos kit is not seen by the Sky wifi hence you can't control your Sonos kit.

If you connect a single Sonos box (or Boost) back to the router via an ethernet cable, then Sonos will operate on its own SonosNet mesh wifi. As it's connected to the router, the common node for your wifi, all wifi networks should see it.

Re: SkyQ and Sonos interfering with each other

Sam333 — Thu, 25 Mar 2021 13:48:09 GMT

Thanks for your reply. Do you mean connect it to the router via an ethernet cable and then leave it connected to it via the ethernet cable?

Re: SkyQ and Sonos interfering with each other

ChrisWil58 — Thu, 25 Mar 2021 13:55:12 GMT

Yes - just one of your boxes needs to be on the ethernet. It then creates the SonosNet which al your Sonos kit will link to. You need to leave it connected to the router from then on. It that is not possible, consider buying a Sonos Boost which you connect to your ethernet and it does the same thing.

Note that the Move (and the new Roam) are wifi and bluetooth and do not appear on the SonosNet so they will link to whatever wifi band you have set them up with only.

Re: SkyQ and Sonos interfering with each other

Dunshavin — Thu, 25 Mar 2021 14:07:56 GMT

Thanks @ChrisWil58 , but that's not the problem in my case. I only have one Wifi network, created by the Sky Q Router that I connect to. I do have my Sonos Beam connected by PowerLine to the router, so that should be creating the SonosNet mesh that you mentioned.

I suspect the problem is because the Sky Q kit also creates it's own Mesh network for all the Sky Q devices to talk to eachother. I didn't used to have the SonosNet mesh, and the problem was still there. I connected the Beam to ethernet to try to alleviate the problem, but it didn't help.

I just think that the Sonos networking does not work properly when there is a Sky Q mesh network involved. Something is probably on the same channel or frequency or something, and causing interference and stopping stuff working.

Re: SkyQ and Sonos interfering with each other

Piesarus — Thu, 25 Mar 2021 14:10:44 GMT

@Dunshavin wrote:
Thanks @ChrisWil58 , but that's not the problem in my case. I only have one Wifi network, created by the Sky Q Router that I connect to. I do have my Sonos Beam connected by PowerLine to the router, so that should be creating the SonosNet mesh that you mentioned.

I suspect the problem is because the Sky Q kit also creates it's own Mesh network for all the Sky Q devices to talk to eachother. I didn't used to have the SonosNet mesh, and the problem was still there. I connected the Beam to ethernet to try to alleviate the problem, but it didn't help.

I just think that the Sonos networking does not work properly when there is a Sky Q mesh network involved. Something is probably on the same channel or frequency or something, and causing interference and stopping stuff working.

Why bother with Sonos Net when Sonos kit works perfectly fine with ordinary home WiFi.

Re: SkyQ and Sonos interfering with each other

ChrisWil58 — Thu, 25 Mar 2021 14:25:05 GMT

I have an ASUS router, and Sky Q and Mini Q. Sky has it's own mesh, Sonos has it's own mesh. I have the ASUS XT8 controlling my wifi (wifi turned off in the router). Sonos Boost, and first XT8 are direct ethernet links to the router. I don't have an issue.

Have you contacted Sonos support. I have found them to be very capable and helpful, and even helped diagnose a faulty ethernet cable in the past?

Re: SkyQ and Sonos interfering with each other

woodchal — Thu, 25 Mar 2021 15:07:13 GMT

@Piesarus

Why bother with Sonos Net when Sonos kit works perfectly fine with ordinary home WiFi.

Answer - No true. Yes it does work as a sound system if they are all connected to the same "access point". If you have anykind of mesh then only those devices connected to that access point will work as a network and the "controller app" will only see those devices that are on connected to the same access point.

The wifi has a SSID and each access point has a subsidiary BSSID and Sonos cannot cope with devices being with different BSSID. Sonos support say this is because the access point are not transmitting the right SSPD protocol.

I have spent hours with Sonos support - no solutions. I would not buy Sonos kit again!