Those intermittent cut-outs will ruin any listening experience. If you have encountered them even once, you know how annoying they can be. Since it is a streaming speaker, most cutout problems are related to wireless connectivity.
Sketchy WiFi Connectivity
Sonos uses WiFi when streaming music from the many streaming services it supports. To achieve this, the speaker needs a WiFi network or an ethernet internet connection. Once your speaker system is connected, you can then control if from the Sonos App on your phone or beam music straight from your favorite music app – as long as it is supported. Your music will keep cutting out if:
No Strong WiFi Connection
If the WiFi signal is weak, the Sonos won’t make a reliable connection to your home network. It will work sometimes but cut out when interference goes high, or it has to download and play a fast bitrate song. Your WiFi’s strength and reliability weaken as you move further away from the router or an access point. That is why you will notice the cutting out increasing if you take your speaker further away – for instance when you try using it at the far end of the backyard or deck. You can fix this by:
Running an ethernet cable and using a wired connection, especially if it is in a spot you will be using the speaker often, for instance, a shed, a far-flung room, the attic or a basementMoving the Sonos speaker closer to your router or access points for better connectivityGetting WiFi extenders or investing in a mesh network to increase your WiFi’s range
Wireless Interference and Congestion
If your speaker works perfectly in a spot but only begins cutting out when you have more people with more devices over or just cuts out at specific times, then something is interfering with your home network. Interference makes WiFi networks less efficient as they spend more time accommodating corrupted data packets. Think of it as an ambulance trying to race through rush-hour traffic. It will have a harder time moving fast than making the same trip when the roads are less congested. You can fix this by:
Changing the WiFi channel on your router – if it can allow you. Don’t bother if you use the ISP router. They rarely let you modify the bandGetting WiFi extenders – you can always beat interference by delivering stronger WiFiHaving some people disconnect from the WiFi network to reduce congestionConnecting the Sonos to your home network via an ethernet LAN cable
Use Sonos Boost Installation
Sonos acknowledges the WiFi connectivity problem and offers a boost solution to people using more than one speaker in their system. To accomplish this, you must hard-wire one or more speakers through a LAN cable. The hardwired Sonos speaker or speakers will then create a Sonos WiFi network that other speakers can hook up to and access the internet. This is great news if you don’t want to invest in WiFi repeaters and have multiple Sonos speakers – some of which occupy fixed positions in different parts of the house. Once this is set up, all you have to do is ensure that all Sonos speakers are within a good range of each other and will always have a stable WiFi connection.
Confirm that You Have a Strong Internet Connection to the ISP
Since your Sonos will be streaming the music from online providers like Spotify, Apple Music, or Deezer, you have to confirm that you don’t have downtime in your connectivity with your ISP. A good way to check this includes the following:
Check if other devices can access the internet and stream content. You can do this by trying to stream something on YouTube from your smartphone.Do an internet speed check to confirm that your connectivity by the Sonos speaker you are using is close to your normal paid-for speed.
If you have no connection or the download speeds are very low with long ping times, expect some troubles when streaming. You can check if you have paid your subscription. If you have checked if your service has a downtime. You can even call your ISP to get insight into why your connection is so slow.
Confirm that Your Streaming Service is Working
Sometimes, the streaming service you use on your Sonos can collapse. If there is downtime, you will get no service, or the music will keep stuttering. A good way to confirm downtime is to check if other music streaming services are working without cutting out. Some of the streaming services available on Sonos include:
Spotify TidalSpotifySiriusXMTuneInPandoraPlexBBC SoundsiHearRadio
Cycle through these to check if they are cutting off too. If they are not, then the music platform you were using is the problem.
Reset Your Sonos Speakers
If everything fails, you can try resetting your Sonos speakers and restarting it. This could fix a glitch in the software causing your speaker’s problem.
Disconnect the power cord to shut down the speakerIf you have a Sonos move, you will have to press and hold the power button until the power light goes offWhen the device is off, press and hold the reset button on your Sonos for around thirty seconds or until the indicator light goes orangeThe reset button is the infinity button with infinity arrows pointing at each other. First-generation Sonos use the Play/Pause button as the reset buttonWait until the Orange light blinks green before plugging back power and restarting the speaker
If your Sonos speakers are still cutting out even after trying the above fixes, it could be ruined. It could be a software or a hardware problem. Contact Sonos for further assistance before thinking of getting replacements.
