# Forum Home Renovation Home Theatres  Sonos and Google WiFi

## METRIX

This is not technically a Home Theater question but a network query. 
I have a Sonos system setup, the Sonos bridge is hard wired Cat6 to the switch, the rest of the Sonos devices are wireless back to the bridge..
Optus Cable modem using in Bridge mode, WiFi disabled on the Optus modem, the Dlink AC1900 is the DHCP and existing wireless everything works fine through the Dlink Wired and wireless devices can control Sonos. 
Only problem is the typical dead spots in the house for WiFi even the Dlink struggles to get through all the brick walls, so added a Google Wifi with 3 satellites, this has completely fixed the Wifi dead spots as now there are none. 
But now the Sonos won't connect through any WiFi devices, it still works from hardwired devices. 
Have tried many things such as enabling Wireless connection on the Sonos Bridge and connecting through the Google WiFi, this then works fine for any wireless devices, problem is when you enable wireless on the Sonos it cut's off the wired connection, so then any wired PC'S cant see the Sonos !!!!!  
The Google Pod has a wired connection, and the Sonos has 2 wired connections, tried plugging Sonos into this and I thought it fixed the problem, but it didn't unfortunately. 
2nd part of the problem which is related to the above one, if I connect to the Google WiFi with a laptop, I cannot see the rest of the network resources such as the NAS etc, it;s like it's on a different subnet, but it's not as it's getting an IP address in the same range as the rest of the network. 
I read up a few others having some issues, and when you add the extra pods onto the main Google pod it activates MESH and this causes some issues because the Google WiFi can't work in bridge mode once MESH is enabled. 
The main pod gets a 192.168.1 ?? address but it hands out 192.168.86.?? address to the other units, this should not have any effect as they all communicate back through the main unt because it is hardwired and it has an address the same as the rest of the network. 
I am not sure what to try now, Any suggestions.

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## METRIX

Solved 
Took quite a while but I solved it.
If anyone is thinking about getting a Google Wifi and you have a combination of Wired and Wifi this is how you have to connect it or you won't see the hardwired network. 
From your Modem hard wire it to the first WiFi point via the WAN port
Hard wire the first WiFi point from the LAN port to the switch
Hard wire all other WiFi points to the WAN port (you can plug your PC into the LAN port on the WiFi point) 
I can say if you have dead WiFi spots at home, I can recommend one of these newer multi unit MESH WiFi setups. 
I now have full WiFi power upstairs downstairs out the front and back yard, prior it was lucky to get half of upstairs barely covered..

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## Marc

Mm ... I have no idea what you just said.
But it sounds like you could tell me what to do with my WiFi black spots.
What do I use to extend the TPG modem reach to the TV corner for netflix and the back veranda for wifi? 
I was thinking in plugging an ethernet cable in the modem and get it under the house to the TV and then may be also some form or repeater for WiFi.
??????
No idea really. 
Bought  a Google Chromecast when they first came out but it never worked and I left it too late to return it to JB.

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## METRIX

Running a cable is the best from the modem to wherever such as smart TV or media player, you will always get uninterrupted speed.
But if you got something like a 3 pack Google Wifi, you disable the WiFi on the existing modem / Router, and plug one of these directly into the Modem / Router this will act as the new WiFi. 
The way it works is the first WiFi point acts as a wired to WiFi connection point, this one has to be wired into the router as it needs an Internet connection to function, the first one talks to the second WiFi point via what's called MESH networking, the 2nd one talks to the third one, and if you added a 4th the chain will continue, once configured they all talk to each other depending on what's happening to always give you the best connection 
What this means for you is it's like having three wireless routers throughout the house and you will basically have 100% wireless strength throughout the entire house, but you connect to one WiFi network, these look after the rest. 
You can also plug in a hard wired device to each of the WiFi points, to share a network printer etc if you want, or a Smart TV. 
In a 2 story house the three pack is enough to give you very good coverage everywhere (depends on where you place the units), the 2nd and 3rd WiFi points only need a power point, plug them in and let it do it's thing.  
In my case one is downstairs at the router, the next one is upstairs in the living room, and the third is in one of the furthest bedrooms, I now have WiFi coverage everywhere, even in the front and backyard without black spots. 
There are many routers out there that look like aliens with 20 antenna, that is old technology, the MESH system is the way to go for uninterrupted WiFi coverage throughout the whole house.
You can pick the 3 pack up on ebay (AUS Versions) cheaper then JB or Hardly Normal etc. 
For the Netflix TV, I would preference a cable back to the modem first, but these MESH systems will provide enough bandwidth to stream 4K movies, so you could look at one of the many systems available such as ORBI, Google WiFi, Eero, Velop, Luma, AmpliFI, the Google one seems to be the best for price vs performance, you will need to sign up for a free Google Account to activate and use it. 
To solve the Wireless problem at your house you can stuff around with a WiFi extender, these sometimes work but are older technology and problematic.
I would look at one of the newer MESH systems as these have made all the older Wifi stuff defunct and will probably solve both your problems.

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## Marc

Thank you Metrix, I'll see if I can knit a MESH as you describe ...  :Smilie:

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## METRIX

If yo do decide on the Google offering, and you stuff up the setup like I did when I was fault finding the Sonos problem, and was reconfiguration so many times, this completely confused these things, press the button on the back of each device and plug them in, hold for a while to completely reset the units

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## r3nov8or

Just like everything from Google, configure your privacy settings   https://support.google.com/wifi/answer/6246642?hl=en

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