Synchronous Playback Of Media Content By Off-Net Portable Playback Devices

A first playback device, wherein the first playback device comprises:

• one or more processors;
• one or more network interfaces configured to facilitate communication over at least one Personal Area Network (PAN) and at least one Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN);
• a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory;
• and
• program instructions stored on the tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory, wherein the program instructions are executable by the one or more processors such that the first playback device is configured to:
• after receiving an indication to operate in a synchrony group while the first playback device is connected to a network device via a PAN and not connected to a first WLAN, establish a second WLAN for the synchrony group, wherein the second WLAN has a Service Set Identifier (SSID) known by a second playback device;
• and
• after the second playback device has joined the second WLAN operated by the first playback device, stream audio content received via the PAN from the network device to the second playback device via the second WLAN operated by the first playback device, and play the audio content in synchrony with the second playback device.

A first playback device comprising:

• one or more processors;
• one or more network interfaces configured to communicate via at least one Personal Area Network (PAN) and at least one Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN);
• a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory;
• and
• program instructions stored on the tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory, wherein the program instructions are executable by the one or more processors such that the first playback device is configured to:
• after receiving an indication to operate in a synchrony group while the first playback device is not receiving audio content via a PAN communications session with a network device and not connected to a first WLAN, search for a second WLAN having a Service Set Identifier (SSID) known by the first playback device and operated by a second playback device to join;
• after identifying the second WLAN having the SSID known by the first playback device, and join the second WLAN operated by the second playback device using a password known by the first playback device;
• and
• after joining the second WLAN operated by the second playback device, (i) process a stream of audio content received from the second playback device via second WLAN, and (ii) play the audio content streamed from the second playback device in synchrony with playback of the audio content by the second playback device.