Sonos with Capsman not working

arjanwixx · Tue Sep 29, 2020 10:23 pm

Hi everyone

My friend ask me to help him with his WiFi network. So I used the following hardware:
Homerouter: hAPac - this one is acting as the capmanager and is connected to the ISP-router (wifi in ISP-router is disabled)
2x wAPac - these ones are acting as cAP's.
I use both 2,4 (bgn) and 5Ghz (ac) non-overlapping channels. In the datapath I enabled Client to Client forwarding. Multicast package installed.
His house has a now very good WiFi- coverage. Download speed average 100mbit. But his Sonos is not working good, the speakers don't play simultaneous. Strange behaviour.

If we then only use the WiFi from the standard ISP-router, the Sonos system is working flawless.
He has 2x Sonos One (2018), 1x Sonos Play 3 (2015), 1x Sub (2015) and 1x Playbar (2015).
Yes, all the upgrades are done.

Any suggestions?

ErikG · Wed Sep 30, 2020 4:27 am

Well I hope I'm right on this, but my experience in the past has been multicast helper is an issue.
In CAPsMAN set multicast helper to disabled and it is likely that the group play will work.
If not try this same method without CAPsMAN. That exact thing has solved that exact issue with Sonos in the past for myself.

rushlife · Wed Sep 30, 2020 7:59 am

local forwarding ?

erlinden · Wed Sep 30, 2020 8:53 am

Is the hAP ac working as router? Because then you have two networks...

arjanwixx · Wed Sep 30, 2020 9:44 am

Well I hope I'm right on this, but my experience in the past has been multicast helper is an issue.
In CAPsMAN set multicast helper to disabled and it is likely that the group play will work.
If not try this same method without CAPsMAN. That exact thing has solved that exact issue with Sonos in the past for myself.

Hi Erik, thanks for your reply, I disabled multicasthelper now. Lets see if this will help, I will keep you informed.

arjanwixx · Wed Sep 30, 2020 9:45 am

local forwarding ?

Hi Rushlife, local forwarding is enabled.

arjanwixx · Wed Sep 30, 2020 9:48 am

Is the hAP ac working as router? Because then you have two networks...

Hi Erlinden, Yes, but the router from ISP is giving internet to the hAPac. So wifi is disabled and no lan-cables connected. Nothing else.

UpRunTech · Fri Oct 02, 2020 3:05 am

Not strictly related but a gotcha for Sonos. Whenever I set up Mikrotik systems unless necessary I set 802.11n-only for 2.4GHz networks. The screams begin when clients have older Sonos hardware which needs 802.11g and all is well again when I set 802.11g/n. In 2020 you should never need to set 802.11b/g/n Nothing uses b any more and it will slow things down.

I haven't had complaints about out of sync audio yet. I always set multicast helper to Full and WMM enabled and have a mangle rule in all the AP's (or on the CAPSMAN controller if non-localforward is used) to set the priority for WMM to work properly.

/ip firewall mangle
add action=set-priority chain=postrouting comment="Set DSCP to interface priority for WMM" new-priority=from-dscp-high-3-bits passthrough=yes

The hAPAc has a weak CPU. Have a look at Tools->Profile, is the CPU close to 100%?

arjanwixx · Fri Oct 02, 2020 4:03 pm

Not strictly related but a gotcha for Sonos. Whenever I set up Mikrotik systems unless necessary I set 802.11n-only for 2.4GHz networks. The screams begin when clients have older Sonos hardware which needs 802.11g and all is well again when I set 802.11g/n. In 2020 you should never need to set 802.11b/g/n Nothing uses b any more and it will slow things down.

I haven't had complaints about out of sync audio yet. I always set multicast helper to Full and WMM enabled and have a mangle rule in all the AP's (or on the CAPSMAN controller if non-localforward is used) to set the priority for WMM to work properly.
Code: Select all
/ip firewall mangle
add action=set-priority chain=postrouting comment="Set DSCP to interface priority for WMM" new-priority=from-dscp-high-3-bits passthrough=yes
The hAPAc has a weak CPU. Have a look at Tools->Profile, is the CPU close to 100%?

Hi UpRunTech,
I totally agree with only n on 2,4 GHz, but I read somewhere that Sonos works with b-standard. Thanks for the other tips, I will give it a try this weekend

gotsprings · Sun Oct 04, 2020 4:18 pm

I have owned Sonos gear since it first came out. Configured hundreds over the years for work.

Always wire one unit to the network and let the rest connect to the Sonos Mesh Wifi.

Once you do that... Make sure that caps-man allows client to client and local forwarding.

Don't put the Sonos on the house WiFi.

Wire the caps to the switch, where the one Sonos is connected.

arjanwixx · Thu Oct 15, 2020 7:21 pm

Always wire one unit to the network and let the rest connect to the Sonos Mesh Wifi.
Only during setup?

Once you do that... Make sure that caps-man allows client to client and local forwarding.
I did that

Don't put the Sonos on the house WiFi.
Why not? What is your suggestion? on a vAP? or perhaps on guest-network?

Wire the caps to the switch, where the one Sonos is connected.
This is not possible, Router is on the roof, only during setup?

arjanwixx · Thu Oct 15, 2020 7:43 pm

Hi all, here is my config.

# oct/15/2020 18:29:49 by RouterOS 6.47.4
# software id
#
# model = RB962UiGS-5HacT2HnT
# serial number =xxx
/caps-man channel
add band=5ghz-onlyac control-channel-width=20mhz extension-channel=Ce \
    frequency=5180,5220,5260 name="channel 36-44-52" tx-power=30
/interface bridge
add disabled=yes name=bridge-Guest
add name=bridge/Router protocol-mode=stp
/interface ethernet
set [ find default-name=ether1 ] comment=WAN
set [ find default-name=ether2 ] comment=AP241
set [ find default-name=ether3 ] comment=AP242
/interface wireless
# managed by CAPsMAN
# channel: 2412/20/gn(17dBm), SSID: HYPERKSJ24, local forwarding
set [ find default-name=wlan1 ] band=2ghz-b/g/n channel-width=20/40mhz-XX \
    disabled=no distance=indoors frequency=auto installation=indoor mode=\
    ap-bridge ssid=MikroTik-166E3F station-roaming=enabled wireless-protocol=\
    802.11
# managed by CAPsMAN
# channel: 5260/20-Ce/ac/DP(18dBm), SSID: HYPERKSJ5, local forwarding
set [ find default-name=wlan2 ] band=5ghz-a/n/ac channel-width=\
    20/40/80mhz-XXXX disabled=no distance=indoors frequency=auto \
    installation=indoor mode=ap-bridge ssid=MikroTik-166E3E station-roaming=\
    enabled wireless-protocol=802.11
/caps-man security
add authentication-types=wpa2-psk disable-pmkid=yes encryption=aes-ccm name=\
    wpaowner
add authentication-types=wpa2-psk encryption=aes-ccm name=wpaguest
/caps-man configuration
add channel.band=2ghz-g/n channel.control-channel-width=20mhz \
    channel.extension-channel=disabled channel.frequency=2412,2437,2462 \
    channel.save-selected=yes country=denmark \
    datapath.client-to-client-forwarding=yes datapath.local-forwarding=yes \
    hw-retries=7 mode=ap multicast-helper=full name=2.4Ghz-WPA-Owner \
    rx-chains=0,1,2 security=wpaowner security.disable-pmkid=yes ssid=\
    HYPERKSJ24 tx-chains=0,1,2
add channel="channel 36-44-52" channel.save-selected=no country=denmark \
    datapath.client-to-client-forwarding=yes datapath.local-forwarding=yes \
    distance=indoors hw-retries=7 installation=indoor mode=ap \
    multicast-helper=full name=5Ghz-WPA-Owner rx-chains=0,1,2 security=\
    wpaowner ssid=HYPERKSJ5 tx-chains=0,1,2
/caps-man interface
add configuration=5Ghz-WPA-Owner disabled=no l2mtu=1600 mac-address=\
    64:D1:54:87:6D:28 master-interface=none name="Klaus AP1-2" radio-mac=\
    64:D1:54:87:6D:28 radio-name=64D154876D28
add configuration=5Ghz-WPA-Owner disabled=no l2mtu=1600 mac-address=\
    64:D1:54:88:BA:B9 master-interface=none name="Klaus AP2-2" radio-mac=\
    64:D1:54:88:BA:B9 radio-name=64D15488BAB9
add configuration=2.4Ghz-WPA-Owner disabled=no l2mtu=1600 mac-address=\
    48:8F:5A:16:6E:3F master-interface=none name="WIXX hAPac 254-1" \
    radio-mac=48:8F:5A:16:6E:3F radio-name=488F5A166E3F
add configuration=5Ghz-WPA-Owner disabled=no l2mtu=1600 mac-address=\
    48:8F:5A:16:6E:3E master-interface=none name="WIXX hAPac 254-2" \
    radio-mac=48:8F:5A:16:6E:3E radio-name=488F5A166E3E
/interface list
add name=WAN
add include=dynamic name=No-Discover
/interface wireless security-profiles
set [ find default=yes ] supplicant-identity=MikroTik
/ip pool
add name=dhcp_pool0 ranges=10.1.0.1-10.1.0.175
add name=dhcp_pool1 ranges=172.16.15.1-172.16.15.175
/ip dhcp-server
add address-pool=dhcp_pool0 always-broadcast=yes disabled=no interface=\
    bridge/Router lease-time=3d name=dhcp1
add address-pool=dhcp_pool1 always-broadcast=yes interface=bridge-Guest \
    lease-time=3h name=dhcp2
/interface sstp-client
add connect-to=xxx disabled=no name=sstp-out1 \
    profile=default-encryption user=xxx
/user group
set full policy="local,telnet,ssh,ftp,reboot,read,write,policy,test,winbox,pas\
    sword,web,sniff,sensitive,api,romon,dude,tikapp"
/caps-man manager
set ca-certificate=auto certificate=auto enabled=yes upgrade-policy=\
    suggest-same-version
/caps-man manager interface
add disabled=no forbid=yes interface=ether1
add disabled=no interface=bridge/Router
add disabled=no forbid=yes interface=bridge-Guest
/caps-man provisioning
add action=create-dynamic-enabled master-configuration=2.4Ghz-WPA-Owner \
    name-format=prefix-identity
add action=create-dynamic-enabled master-configuration=5Ghz-WPA-Owner \
    name-format=prefix-identity
/interface bridge port
add bridge=bridge/Router interface=ether2
add bridge=bridge/Router interface=ether3
add bridge=bridge/Router interface=ether4
add bridge=bridge/Router interface=ether5
add bridge=bridge/Router interface=sfp1
add bridge=bridge/Router interface=wlan1
add bridge=bridge/Router interface=wlan2
/ip neighbor discovery-settings
set discover-interface-list=all
/interface list member
add interface=bridge-Guest list=No-Discover
add interface=ether1 list=WAN
add interface=wlan1 list=No-Discover
/interface wireless cap
# 
set bridge=bridge/Router discovery-interfaces=bridge/Router enabled=yes \
    interfaces=wlan1,wlan2
/ip address
add address=10.1.0.254/24 interface=bridge/Router network=10.1.0.0
add address=172.16.15.254/24 interface=bridge-Guest network=172.16.15.0
/ip dhcp-client
add comment=defconf disabled=no interface=ether1
/ip dhcp-server network
add address=10.1.0.0/24 dns-server=8.8.8.8 domain=8.8.4.4 gateway=10.1.0.254
add address=172.16.15.0/24 dns-server=8.8.8.8 domain=8.8.4.4 gateway=\
    172.16.15.254
/ip dns
set allow-remote-requests=yes
/ip dns static
add address=192.168.88.1 comment=defconf name=router.lan
/ip firewall address-list
add address=783d07cbf9d4.sn.mynetname.net list=whitelist
/ip firewall filter
add action=accept chain=forward comment="Allow forwards on these ports" \
    in-interface-list=WAN protocol=tcp
add action=accept chain=forward comment="Allow forwards on these ports" \
    in-interface-list=WAN protocol=udp
add action=drop chain=forward comment="Drop all forwarded traffic from WAN" \
    connection-state=new in-interface-list=WAN
add action=accept chain=input comment="PCB-01-Whitelist allowed TCP-Ports" \
    connection-state=new dst-port=443,1723,2121,8291,2222 in-interface-list=\
    WAN protocol=tcp
add action=jump chain=input comment="PCB-02-Whitelist allowed UDP-Ports" \
    connection-state=new dst-port=161,500,4500,1701 in-interface-list=WAN \
    jump-target="Public Connection Block" log-prefix=PCB-02-UDP-Jump \
    protocol=udp src-address-list=whitelist
add action=accept chain="Public Connection Block" comment=\
    "PCB-04-Allow Whitelisted Connection on PCB ports" in-interface-list=WAN \
    log-prefix="PCB-04-Allowed Whitelisted" src-address-list=whitelist
add action=accept chain=input comment=\
    "PCB-04-Allow Whitelisted Connection on PCB ports" log-prefix=PCB-04-ICMP \
    protocol=icmp src-address-list=whitelist
add action=accept chain=input comment=\
    "PCB-05 - Allow Established Connections" connection-state=\
    established,related in-interface-list=WAN log-prefix=PCB-05-Established
add action=drop chain=input comment="PCB-06 Drop all trafic" \
    in-interface-list=WAN
/ip firewall mangle
add action=set-priority chain=postrouting comment="Set priority for WMM" \
    new-priority=from-dscp-high-3-bits passthrough=yes
/ip firewall nat
add action=masquerade chain=srcnat ipsec-policy=out,none out-interface=ether1 \
    src-address=172.16.15.0/24
add action=masquerade chain=srcnat out-interface=ether1 src-address=\
    10.1.0.0/24
/ip service
set telnet port=xx
set ftp disabled=yes
set www disabled=yes
set ssh disabled=yes
set api disabled=yes
set api-ssl disabled=yes
/ppp secret
add name=admin profile=default-encryption
/system clock
set time-zone-name=Europe/Copenhagen
/system identity
set name=xxx
/system watchdog
set watchdog-timer=no
/tool mac-server
set allowed-interface-list=No-Discover
/tool mac-server mac-winbox
set allowed-interface-list=No-Discover
/tool romon
set enabled=yes

gotsprings · Thu Oct 15, 2020 9:05 pm

Sonos makes its own mesh network. Wire a boost to your systems, and Sonos stops being an issue.

arjanwixx · Fri Oct 16, 2020 9:19 am

Sonos makes its own mesh network. Wire a boost to your systems, and Sonos stops being an issue.

Thanks, but the Sonos system works perfect before with one random wireless router. No wires connected.
Now, I am using Mikrotik with 3 cAP's, having a much better WiFi- coverage, but the Sonos is not working well.

Fri Oct 16, 2020 11:51 am

I also have a CAPsMAN system and sonos speakers that connect to different WiFI APs in my house. They work flawlessly. I didn't know Sonos could have synchronisation issues like you describe. Did you upgrade, try to re-start the setup, change speaker locations etc? From my experience, Sonos and CAPsMAN work fine together.

arjanwixx · Fri Oct 16, 2020 1:46 pm

I also have a CAPsMAN system and sonos speakers that connect to different WiFI APs in my house. They work flawlessly. I didn't know Sonos could have synchronisation issues like you describe. Did you upgrade, try to re-start the setup, change speaker locations etc? From my experience, Sonos and CAPsMAN work fine together.

Thanks Normis for your reply....the strange thing is that I just talked to Sonos Support, he told me: All my Ap's should be on the same 2.4 channel !!! This can't be true...is it?
Just for your info: none of the Sonos speakers are now wired connected.

gotsprings · Fri Oct 16, 2020 2:19 pm

I also have a CAPsMAN system and sonos speakers that connect to different WiFI APs in my house. They work flawlessly. I didn't know Sonos could have synchronisation issues like you describe. Did you upgrade, try to re-start the setup, change speaker locations etc? From my experience, Sonos and CAPsMAN work fine together.
Thanks Normis for your reply....the strange thing is that I just talked to Sonos Support, he told me: All my Ap's should be on the same 2.4 channel !!! This can't be true...is it?
Just for your info: none of the Sonos speakers are now wired connected.

The reason support told you they should be on the same channel... That's how their Sonos Mesh Works.

Now the next issue you may run into STP issues.
If a Sonos can communicate on Sonos Mesh... It sometimes makes a nice little loop between it's 2 interfaces.

The answer used to be... Hardwire the units and turn of their radios. But every update turned the radio back on. And a call to Sonos for any sort of support had the same effect. Ofcourse... Adding a new Sonos device to an existing network... Also kicked on the radio.

The safe move... Like I stated before and have done at home for around 10 years...
Get a Boost and wire it to your switch. Setup all Sonos to use SonosNet. You will get YEARS of uptime out of a system like this. I have had to pull the power for cause 2 times in 10 years.

I used to use the first ZP as the wired point.
Then moved to a ZB.
Years later... The boost.

mozerd · Fri Oct 16, 2020 3:44 pm

The safe move... Like I stated before and have done at home for around 10 years...
Get a Boost and wire it to your switch. Setup all Sonos to use SonosNet. You will get YEARS of uptime out of a system like this. I have had to pull the power for cause 2 times in 10 years.

I used to use the first ZP as the wired point.
Then moved to a ZB.
Years later... The boost.

@gotsprings -- provides the absolute correct suggestion and smart people will use that suggestion.
Boost creates a separate wireless network for Sonos and eliminates interference from other devices so you can listen free from interruptions and dropouts

NathanBush · Tue Dec 29, 2020 2:00 pm

I've the same system including Sonos speakers and they are working perfectly. I don't know why you're having the synchronization issues. Try updating.. From my experience, I can surely say that Sonos and CAPsMAN work fine together.

gotsprings · Tue Dec 29, 2020 5:53 pm

Did a couple dozen installs since my last post on this thread...

Had one Sonos problem and it was because the installer hardwired the Sonos, when I told him not too.

The built in radios on the Sonos Connects and Amps made connections via mesh as well... And all hell broke loose.

NathanBush · Tue Dec 29, 2020 7:27 pm

Can these center speakers works with Capsman? I'm thinking to buy one from Klipsch. Just wondering to know if there are any issues.

PavelRadvan · Mon Jul 19, 2021 1:20 pm

Hi,
I have some solution for SONOS devices - it is not so much good but it helped me.
Situation:
My customer has 7 SONOS devices(latest versions) and wanted them connected to CAPSMAN network in his house.
SONOS units connected to his network which was CAPSMAN forwarding mode + client to client forwarding in datapath.
It worked but with strange behaviour. When he wanted to play on all SONOS devices it showed in SONOS app they are playing but played only that which were connected on same AP as he with his mobile. Sometimes it was possible to play only one SONOS device or another, but never all of them.
I changed CAPSMAN to local forwarding mode and it was same.
I have also included in firewall that mangle rule to prioritise SONOS traffic - no help.
There was firmware update on all SONOS HW - no help.
Solution:
I connected one of the SONOS devices to network by cable (hardwired) and in SONOS app removed customer wifi network and set to use SONOS network.
It is special autonomous MESH network which SONOS devices automatically create and handles any problems.
After that it worked very quickly and there was no problem with streaming music and managing whole SONOS HW.
It is also out of CAPSMAN network and it has its own wireless life.
This is also good when communication with SONOS support, because they recommend to use it.

Hope this helps to somebody ;-)

For other not using SONOS I really recommend to use HEOS system and devices. It is much more flexible.

toxicfusion · Mon Jul 19, 2021 4:08 pm

Not strictly related but a gotcha for Sonos. Whenever I set up Mikrotik systems unless necessary I set 802.11n-only for 2.4GHz networks. The screams begin when clients have older Sonos hardware which needs 802.11g and all is well again when I set 802.11g/n. In 2020 you should never need to set 802.11b/g/n Nothing uses b any more and it will slow things down.

I haven't had complaints about out of sync audio yet. I always set multicast helper to Full and WMM enabled and have a mangle rule in all the AP's (or on the CAPSMAN controller if non-localforward is used) to set the priority for WMM to work properly.
Code: Select all
/ip firewall mangle
add action=set-priority chain=postrouting comment="Set DSCP to interface priority for WMM" new-priority=from-dscp-high-3-bits passthrough=yes
The hAPAc has a weak CPU. Have a look at Tools->Profile, is the CPU close to 100%?

@UpRunTech -

Thank you for this mangle tip for setting WMM priority!! I'm going to borrow this.

Question - How are you able to enable WMM via CapsMan - it is not an option with configuration. I've only been able to set multicast helper to "full". Are you going in and configuring WMM on each CAPS access points AFTER they're put into CAPS mode?

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