SONOS (local)

Updating existing projects

Old SONOS blocks (the variant using external additional software) that are still part of the project can continue to be used and will keep working. However, the old block can no longer be added to a project.

When the project is edited, the old blocks should be replaced by this new variant: no external software is required any more and more resources become available on the controller.

How to replace:

• Add a new "Sonos (local)" block and copy the parameters (zone name, function, trigger, data) from the old block — the settings are structured identically.
• Connect the trigger address to the TR input. The new block no longer has an enable input (FG); any enable logic configured there has to be moved in front of the trigger if required.
• Delete the old block afterwards. As long as both blocks with the same trigger and the same function are part of the project, the command is executed twice.

Network functions

The block uses the following network mechanisms:

• Automatic discovery (SSDP): The speakers are found via a multicast search (UDP to 239.255.255.250, port 1900). The speakers' replies are returned to the controller as regular UDP packets. Multicast only works within the same network segment — a router between the speakers and the controller does not forward the search.
• Control: Commands are sent as HTTP connections (TCP, port 1400) directly to the speakers.
• Text to Speech: The speakers download the announcement file from the controller (TCP, port 1402, or 1403-1410 if occupied). The connection is established from the speaker to the controller — the controller must be reachable from the speakers' point of view.
• Remembering the player address: One working speaker IP per Sonos system is stored and queried directly during the regular update (every 5 minutes). If the multicast search fails (e.g. after a restart in a network with blocked multicast), the speakers therefore remain reachable.
• Several Sonos systems: A speaker only knows the rooms of its own system. If several systems run in the same network (e.g. older S1 devices alongside S2, a second apartment), the rooms of all systems found are merged. If a configured zone is not found, the controller searches the network again (at most once per minute). If the same room name exists in two systems, the one found first is used. The zone sayall addresses the speakers of all systems.

Important: Speakers and controller should be in the same network (subnet). If they are separated by a router, a VLAN or a guest network, problems can occur: the automatic discovery does not find any speakers (multicast is not routed), NAT or firewall rules can block the control connections, and for Text to Speech the speakers cannot reach the controller. Devices with "IGMP snooping" (some switches) or wireless access points with client isolation enabled can also prevent the discovery or the control.

FAQ - what to test in case of problems

• No speakers are found (ER = 1 for every command):
  • Are the speakers and the controller in the same subnet? Compare IP addresses and subnet mask (e.g. both 192.168.1.x).
  • Ping a speaker from a PC in the same network or open http://<speaker IP>:1400/xml/device_description.xml in a browser — if an XML page is returned, the speaker is reachable.
  • Does the Sonos app work on a phone in the same WLAN? If not, the problem is in the network, not in the controller.
  • Temporarily disable IGMP snooping / multicast filters on the switch or access point, disable client/AP isolation in the WLAN.
  • Check the controller's firewall: incoming UDP replies of the discovery and incoming TCP connections on port 1402 (TTS) must be allowed (on Windows the Windows firewall).
• Zone is not found, other commands work: Enter the zone name exactly as shown in the Sonos app (case does not matter, but the name must match completely). After renaming in the app it can take up to 5 minutes until the change is adopted — or restart the controller. The error message "ZONE '…' NOT FOUND" in the diagnostic window lists all rooms known to the controller and the IPs they were queried from. If rooms are missing there, they belong to a Sonos system the controller cannot reach.
• Play/Next affects a different room: The speaker is part of a group — playback commands always affect the whole group (the group coordinator). Dissolve the group in the Sonos app if the room should be controlled individually.
• Text to Speech: no announcement audible:
  • To generate an announcement for the first time, the controller needs internet access to Google services (check firewall/proxy) and a runtime variant with SSL support. Without SSL the block reports an error for Text to Speech, all other functions work normally.
  • The speakers must be able to reach the controller on port 1402 (firewall on/in front of the controller, router/VLAN in between).
  • Shorten the text (max. approx. 200 characters) and remove special characters or invisible Unicode characters.
  • Limit of the Google service exceeded, e.g. if the trigger was fired continuously (error in the project). Announcements that have already been generated are not affected (local storage).
• Music does not resume after the announcement: With some sources (e.g. streaming via AirPlay or TV sound) the previous playback cannot be restored — this is a limitation of the speakers, not of the controller.
• Commands are delayed: After an error the block automatically performs a new discovery and repeats the command once — this can take a few seconds. Frequent errors indicate a network problem (see above).