Kasa Smart HS100 WiFi Smart Plug, Classic 1-Pack, White

OK, here is the scoop from a non-technical person. This is a great little gizmo although I think it is a bit expensive. The price I pay for being an early adopter of technology I suppose. It arrived packed well from Amazon. The product packaging is mostly recyclable cardboard and easy to open. The instructions are a bit vague, but with a little trial and error I got it working in about 10 minutes. Here are a few helpful bits of information. Yes, you have to download the KASA app to your phone. No, the KASA app is not available in the Amazon app store (shame on you Amazon); you must go to one of those other 2 app stores. Yes you have to create an account with KASA using your e-mail address, but so far I havent gotten any SPAM from them. Yes, you need your Wi-Fi password. Yes, it has to be 2.4 not 5.0. If you have X-finity (Comcast) you probably have both. Getting the outlet to work with my phone was really easy. Getting it to work with Alexa (Amazon Echo) was a bit confusing. There are all kinds of posts saying you no longer needed to enable the KASA skill. That is all wrong, you do. Once I figured out that was the issue, everything was easy. Problem for me was that I pushed the button to try and connect to Alexa and that restarted the discovery in the KASA app. No way out so I had to delete and redo. Not a big deal: hit the button, give it a name, pick an icon, done. HINT: Use a simple name when setting up the outlet. I named mine the lights. Now when I walk onto the room I simply say Alexa, turn on the lights. And like magic, the lights come on. If I had named it the northwest corner outlet then it wouldnt be nearly as much fun. As I get more of these, I may have to be a bit more clever in the names, but since I have just one, it all works out. As an aside, names are not lifelong commitments. If I ever want to change the name I can just push the button and pick a new name. What I thought was really cool was that I never had to tell Alexa the name. I enabled the KASA skill. I opened the Alexa app. From the home screen I opened the menu (the three lines in front of the word HOME) and then tapped Smart Home. It gives 3 choices, I picked discover devices. It asked me for the e-mail and password I created in the KASA app. Alexa took care of the rest. The usage data in the app is interesting, I guess. Like I said, I have a lamp plugged into it. It is kind of interesting to know how long the light was on, but I am having a hard time convincing myself I care. I also have not used any -f the timers or other features in the app. My main goal was to have a fairly cheap, easy way to use Alexa to turn lights on/off. And, although I think it is still a bit expensive, at least I didnt have to invest in any other hardware to make it work..

Here is my honest review of TP-Link Smart Plug: Pros: - Very Quick to respond from both the Kasa app, and Alexa. Have not tested with Google home - Has support for three pronged plugs, not just the two. - Very easy and quick to setup in the Kasa app! - The Kasa app has support to control the device anywhere in the world! Just need any kind of Internet connection or Cellular Service. - Sleek Design. Does not stick out like a sore thumb. Blends pretty well with most atmospheres. - Adds smart home control to any device with a plug! Whether it be a lamp, charger, light, or even a music player. - Very lightweight. Not too important, but thought I would add it just in case. Cons: - Very bulky. Will take up the entire outlet and the one above/below/adjacent to it. It is also very thick. If you are putting it behind a desk or a dresser, you would need to pull it away from the wall quite a bit. Not a compact device. - Makes a noticeable click noise when turned on and off. Not that big of a deal for me, but may bug some people. - The status LED on the device is not that big, so it is very hard to tell what color it is. Most of the time it just looks yellow. Overall Thoughts: I love this product. I have used this product for 10 months and still love it. There are very few cons, and the ones I listed dont bother me too much. They are just mainly me being picky. I think that this product could be used for a HUGE variety of products. It has so many uses. You can attach pretty much anything to it. I personally use it for a Himalayan Salt Lamp, and it works great. Do I recommend this product? Absolutely. Would I buy this product again? Yep! Should you buy this product? If the cons I listed do not bother you, then 100%! Go get this product!

The TP-Link is a nifty device once you get it up and running. I bought it specifically to start using with the Amazon Echo Dot 2nd gen with Alexa. The directions in the box are very simple but not as obvious as they should be with the two important points below. Before I go any further, this device will only work with the 2.4ghz wi-fi signal. It is very important for you to know your current equipment, that would have saved me a lot of frustration. It turns out my AT&T router will emit 2.4 or 5ghz, not both at the same time. After talking with an agent things improved rather quickly. One other important note, when you are trying to connect your phone via the Kasa app, you need to be within 3 feet, 2 is even better. Again, would have been nice to know upfront. If I had known those tidbits upfront, my total time to connect to my phone and using it with the Kasa app, 5 minutes tops. Connecting and voice controlling with Alexa, another 5 minutes tops. I am physically disabled and must admit, I am very thrilled to be independently controlling device. Not knowing how well the TP-Llink would work, I only purchased one at $22 vs regularly $45+. I am regretting that decision now. If it holds up well over time, this will be the first of many more to come. If it was clearer prior to purchasing it about only operating on 2.4ghz and a 2-foot range from my phone during the initial setup, I would have given it a 5 star. After all, I do really like it and it works great with the Amazon Dot 2nd gen with Alexa. It shouldnt be left out, that the Kasa app on the phone has plenty of options for those not interested in voice control. If over time things change, youll be the second to know.

UPDATE 10/22/16 Recently I wanted to do more things with my Smart plugs. I wanted things like a geo-fence, so my lights and stereo would come on when I arrive home, allowing me to walk into a welcoming home. What I discovered is that without a hub or IFTTT, this is impossible right now. So I looked into hubs, only to discover that the TP-Link products do not work with ANY hub! I was shocked. For such a great product to be incompatible with any popular hub on the market is inconceivable to me. The same story with IFTTT. So as much as I enjoy my 5 TP-Link Plugs, I may have to replace them to achieve a better smart home. CAVEAT EMPTOR!. I have written the company asking for them to upgrade the firmware to be HUB compatible. ORIGINAL REVIEW: I have only had this for a few weeks, but I absolutely love it. I currently have two of these and I am looking to buy more. This is incredibly easy to set up using the Kasa app on your phone. Once youve accomplished that, the next step is connecting it to Amazon Echo, which is just as easy. Just open Echos app on your phone, tap on Smart home, then Discover, and youre off to the races! The final step is to create a group in the Amazon echo app so that you turn multiple items on or off. I only wish it could change the channel on my TV! LOL. This is a definite recommended product to anyone, and if you have Amazon echo its a no-brainer. Especially since no hub is required for it to work with Echo.

I liked the fact that the price of this Smart Plug was about $10 cheaper than the other big brand one and seeing as how I really just wanted to plug in 1 floor lamp, I didnt need the fancy energy readings, etc. Does it work as stated? YES! Was it easy to install? Not really. Right out of the box, I downloaded the app, plugged in the Smart Plug and started following the directions. I hit a road block when I got to the part asking for WIFI password which would link the Smart Plug with my WIFI. I entered my password, and received an error message stating the password is not in the correct format for WEP. I am not a super techie person, so this is where I scratched my head and tried the password again. After numerous phone calls with my service provider and then TP-LINK which patched me through to what sounds like an overseas tech support person who ended up just saying the same thing to me password is not in correct format for WEP, I did more research and this is what happened: if you have WEP security on your WIFI, your password has to be either 5 or 13 characters long for this to work. If you have any other number of characters, it will not commute for some reason. My solution was to call my service provider and I had the security changed to WPA2 which did the trick. After it authenticated my password, the app indicated I was Almost Done and stayed on that screen for a good 2 minutes after which it stated it could not find my network. I looked at the Smart Plug and the power indicator is solid green and the WIFI indicator was also solid green - based off of the indicator chart that was provided, this mean the power was on and it was connected with my home WIFI network. I tried to turn on and off the floor lamp connected to the plug and it worked! So basically, the app itself is not the best, but the actual plug works well enough for me. I connected it to my Echo Dot and everything is a go!

I was very impressed with this product. I have written very few reviews of products but I felt compelled to relate my experience. Setup was incredibly easy. Download the app, go through the very simple instructions there. 15 minutes after opening the box it was working perfectly. I used the timer feature several times and it worked great. I have it set to turn on every weeknight at the same time, and so far (last night), that worked as well. I love that it stores all schedules, network information, and away mode setup directly on the device, so even if the app is not running, or you even move the plug to a different outlet, all your settings will be maintained. Away mode lets you set up certain times (including the possibility of sunset to sunrise or vice versa) where the plug will turn on and off randomly, so if a light (or TV) is attached to the plug and it is visible from a window, it will look like someone is home. Havent used this yet, but it looks like a great feature. I just set this up yesterday, so I dont have a lot of experience with it yet, but so far it has worked perfectly. The only downsides I have found so far, is that the plug is a little bulky, although its not really a problem (If you have it plugged into the top plug in a normal 2 plug outlet, it wont block the bottom plug). Also, if you are trying to trigger the plug from the app while you are not on the same network as the plug, it might take as long as 10 seconds the very first time. Every subsequent press of the power button will be nearly instantaneous. If you are connected to the same network, there are no delays.

* Edit: updated to add extra stars because TP-Link support has been very helpful and I resolved the issue with them Ive had the same exact problem as Tom happen with mine, it consistently drops off the network. See Toms comment on the link below: http://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-Amazon-Electronics-Anywhere-HS100/product-reviews/B0178IC734/ref=cm_cr_dp_qt_hist_one?ie=UTF8&filterByStar=one_star&showViewpoints=0 I can watch it on the Kasa app, it will drop off from availability in Kasa something like 70% of the time Im looking at it. Going to try to reinstall the Kasa app like customer support has suggested, but if this doesnt work Id really like to get this working instead of returning it and waiting for another. Here is my situation: - Smart Plug is connected to my 2.4GHz connection. - SSID is hidden but I got Kasa to connect by temporarily showing the network SSID, connecting, then re-hiding the SSID. - This connection is secured by WPA2-AES and is using 802.11 b, g, and n protocols (all of which are supposedly supported by the HS100). - DHCP has more than enough IP address allocation for this device to join the network. - HS100 is plugged in directly below the shelf where the router sits. This means it is about a foot away from the router and rules out any chance that out of range errors are valid. Possible issues: - If any ports need to be opened to allow this traffic through the router, I have not been informed about them (there shouldnt be anyway). - Are the TP-Link servers experiencing connectivity issues on their end? If the plug is unable to reach them because their servers are having problems, that would explain why I keep seeing Local only when I want to use the Remote services. - The app seems to be not quite 100% polished, could there be some flawed logic in it? I did notice a spelling mistake of youre instead of youre, are there other things that need to be fixed in the app? I will continue working with customer support on this, and will change my review if we get it working.

Always wanted some home automation system, but in reading the horror stories of the past always made me back off. Happened across this device here at Amazon. For the reduced price, I took the risk and ordered one. WOW -- what a plug. NO special hub needed. This unit connects directly to your home 2.4 Ghz Wi-Fi router and controlled by the Kasa Android/iOS app that programs and controls your switches. More later. Unboxed and set up my plug. You will need to have an Android or iOS device to perform the set up. If you do not have one, there is NO way to properly install or use this plug. There is NO web site to perform this task. I give fair warning to you and you can continue your search for a different type of connection set-up. Downloaded the Kasa app from the Google Play Store to both my Android devices. Proceeded to register for a TP Link remote access account. An email will be sent to the address you provide. After confirming this is really your email account, set up continues. Since I had only one light switch, programming one name was easy. After the app finds your home network (Wi-Fi) enter your security password. Mine is connected to a WPA2-AES Netgear routed network. With the correct password, my router recognized the TP Link plug right off. Once done, I manually changed the plug IP address in my LAN settings to a static address, so the plug will always connect to the same connection address. Less work for the router to do when a reboot happens. Testing this plug further, I played with a light unplugging and replugging the outlet in different wall sockets in the house. All locations were found and connected to my wireless network. Testing, I was able to turn the light on and off at will. Next up was a remote test off premises and away from my Wi-Fi network. Walked down the the end of my street and turned on the light -- failure. What went wrong? Walked down the street again -- the 4G LTE signal took additional time to connect with the TP Link servers via the Kasa app. The first try failed giving me a message of connection failed, please try again later Tried again a couple seconds later -- success. If you have connections issues, try a second time, this should be successful. Dont lose the installation instruction. There is no replacement instructions for this model plug on the TP Link support web site. Both my wife and I are happy with this plug that we just ordered two more for different devices we have here at the house. The ability to control lights and appliances remotely, in town or away is great. I have to play with this plug more and will supplement this review after a brief time to conduct additional testing under varied conditions. Im pleased with the purchase and this product deserves, rightful so, my 5 star rating. ******* 05/12/2016 - Update I now have three (3) of these wall plugs connected to my home Wi-Fi network. All three (3) with static IP addresses on my LAN network. All having reconnected with my network after one power outage and several plug movements from their originating and paring positions. If you want to use these plug remotely (the very reason you buy them), you have to change the identifying name on your router. The default name is HS-100 and they will show up as HS-100, but the router is confused when the Kasa app is opened (even though the MAC addresses are different for each plug). It will allow for only one switch to work remotely and the other two to be under local Wi-Fi network control. When I changed the names on my router and gave them separate static addresses at the same time, all plugs worked remotely. A helpful tip. Unlike other home security items controlled by remote (like IP cameras), NO need to do any fancy port forwarding and router tricks to make them work. They are plug-n-play after you find them on your network through the Kasa app. Manual turn on provision is the easy part. Programmed time works just as will, programming the plug from the Kasa app. You have to program one separate on time and a second separate off time. I understand that up to 50 separate times can be stored per plug. I have not tried it. One reviewer blasted the security, or the lack thereof these plugs. He brings up several points, but overall, someone has to have some pretty sophisticated hardware and programming skills to catch these plugs passing your Wi-Fi password info across the local network. Nothing is absolutely secure. If somebody really wants that info, they will get it -- plain and simple. The statistical chances of your Wi-Fi network being hacked by these plugs are very remote at best. I would far more worried about a smash and grab theft/robbery of your computer hardware, compromising your network directly, or an armed robbery of your cell phone with the Kasa app than a sniffer outside waiting, waiting, waiting to capture your plugs talking with your network. More paranoia than anything else. Use these plugs in good health. I enjoy knowing that they just work, locally and remotely, with the ability to verify that your lights are working properly and at your programmed times. Nuff said. ******* 05/22/2016 - Update I created a monster! My wife plays with these wall plugs all the time with her Android phone. On, off, on, off. Such small things bring that much pleasure cannot be all bad. Hey, if she uses them like this, Im happy and just confirms that I made the right purchase. ******* 06/15/2016 - Update Just returned from a week long trip out-of-state. Put these plugs through a more thorough test while away from home. Viewing and switching remotely, on both Wifi and 4G LTE from my phone, they worked as represented. I was able to verify this remotely with my IP cams in the house. Changing my pre-programed settings remotely worked also. A nice convenience. Thus far, with over a month of use, these plugs just work. I also understand (with the last Kasa app update), TP-Link is rereleasing a wall switch based upon the same technology as these wall plugs. The model will be the HS-200. No release date has been set as of this time. When they come out, I will upgrade several wall switches for my lights with the HS-200 switches. ******** 09/29/2016 - HS200 wall switch installation Discount Coupon time ($5.00 off), picked one up from Amazon as phase two (2) of operation Home Automation w/o a Hub project continues. Came today and just finished installing it. Unboxed the switch. Nicely packed with foam protection surrounding the face plate. Four (4) wires to connect: * Green for ground * White for neutral * Black (2 wires) for line and load (neither one marked for line or load) * Extra wire nuts were included - a nice touch I have mine connected to a 50 watt Track-Light set up with 5 LED BR30 bulbs. Lower wattage, but there are NO issues with flicker on power up/down. The dark side of my installation: Then the fun began. The wall switch cover (one pole/switch cover) is attached to the mounting tangs of the switch with plastic clasp hooks molded onto the face plate. I have two switches at the installed location so the included face plate had to be removed. The back side face plate hooks snap over the plastic mounting tangs on the switch and are very tough to separate. It took some careful prying to separate the faceplate from the switch so as not to break the plastic mounting tangs on the switch. Remember that when you get your switch. A bad design by TP-Link. Further, the mounting tangs on the wall switch are thicker plastic than a regular metal framed switch, so a standard wall plate may or may not fit. Mine barely fits, but there is a gap around the side edge of the wall plate. I will have to buy a deeper clearance wall plate to close the now obvious gap. Also, the switch plate cover mounting screws (the small ones that are exposed) are NOT drilled to accept the switch plate mounting screws. It took some force to get the screws started into the plastic mounting tangs on the switch. Another issue with this switch and TP-Links bad design. This switch also did something I didnt see with the wall plugs. When I went to add the switch to the Kasa app, it took over my cell phone Wi-Fi connection. Once installation was completely configured, the wall switch released my phone Wi-Fi and let it reset to my home router. A minor distraction and why it happened is beyond me. Normal, but some warning should have been given. Now, it was not all bad. Once installed from my cell phone, other Android devices found this switch and automatically entered it into the Kasa program. All devices work remotely without an issue. Like my wall plugs, I configured this switch to a static IP address on my LAN. Reconfiguration was painless and it works just fine. All 4 plugs and switched play nice on the Kasa app. I knocked off one star for the plastic construction of the wall tangs, mounting points and packaging of the wall plate cover. The mounting tangs should have been metal and the wall plate should have rested on top of the switch, not mounted to it. NO note in the box of how to take the wall plate off the switch -- an oversight by some engineer, but not to the end user. I plan to purchase a couple more wall switches. Even with the flaws I described, they work as intended and my wife continues to play with them every day. ******* 01/02/2017 - Update I am now up to two (2) HS-200 wall switches and three (3) HS-100 wall plugs. All are connected to a second Linksys AP router (more in a minute). The switches and wall plugs continue to work flawlessly. I also have an

The Body: Its 2019 and this plug cannot be used in a wall outlet with other plugs. The bottom of the device is rounded to give a sleek, aesthetic look but prevents any use of the outlet below it. I dont understand why its 2019 and we still have cable/cord manufacturers who cannot design a product or adapter that doesnt hinder the user of adjacent plugs. This device can only be used in one orientation, meaning on a standard US plug, with two outlets, you have to use the top one and because of the extended bottom, you cannot use the second outlet. Wifi: So far, the connection seems alright but the setup in the app required the first plug to update firmware. After waiting, it failed to update. When I found the place to try it again, the device no longer needed a firmware update. I have no idea if the update passed but didnt send the right code for the app to confirm it installed, or what. I guess well never know. Kasa App: During the setup process, youre asked to create an account. It also asks for your location so it can sync the time. You can skip it at that point but you are REQUIRED to enable location services in the app to add a device, with no option to skip. I also dont trust the reason provided for needing the permission as you could allow manual timezone additions. I might return the product just for this fact as theres no reason an app on my device needs location services turned on for a smart plug that wont be moving. If you truly needed the location for time settings then you would let us manually enter the timezone. Conclusion: I have no idea why this has the star count it does. I was frustrated by the design, frustrated by the app, and frustrated by the permissions. I wish electrical cable manufacturers would care about their customers enough to design their products in a way that doesnt prevent the use of adjacent outlets. Either you dont want to or you simply dont care. Based on the design of this product, I can see no reason the bottom of the device had to be the way it is but I guess Ill break out the Dremel and shave off the bottom of the outlet (if I can) so I am not out two different outlets.

April 3 Update. Seldom do I give up. So, after I wrote this review I: - deleted the Kasa App - reset each of my three Smart Plugs to Factory - power on reset of my iphone (6s) - install Kasa App - set up each smart plug per guided instructions - power on reset my iphone And...yes. The Away function works for all three plugs now! The sunrise/sunset still doesnt but thats a documented item so it is a just a bit of discord in the documentation. I can also say that the Away function actually is working, lights are off and on in a good way. Upping a Star. These plugs come beautifully and wastefully packaged. They are very well made, and as attractive as a largish power plug can be. They do hog up outlet space, you can squeeze a three prong grounded plug into the open outlet, but it is right against the Smart Plugs bottom. The LED indicator lights are a nice, visible green but dont light up an entire room at night, good! Installation is easy, the Kasa app walks you thru the process and it worked fine for all three of the plugs I purchased. For me, there was an uncomfortable amount of time from when the installation was complete until the app came back and said things where ready to use, and the first time I tried to cycle each outlet, no communication. After that, immediate on and offs upon command. So good! Integration with the Amazon Echo is easy, and it works reliably and quickly. I named my Smart Plugs Lamp, Lamp 1, Lamp 2 and Alexa wouldnt cycle the plugs with those names, so I changed the names to simpler ones and it now works perfectly. OK, beyond that. The scheduled times, and the countdown timers work fine and are nice features. However, the Away function only starts on one of the plugs. Two of the plugs wont start Away, rather they say unknown error. I deleted and reinstalled the Kasa app, I reset and reinstalled the plugs, same issue. It seems like the Kasa app wont support multiple Away settings on a single account? Other issue: there are instructions online to set up the Away function from Sunset to Sunrise, which would be a nice feature but it also does not work as the Away feature needs to be in the same day...you cant go dusk to dawn with the random Away function. Overall, a good product. It is newer and TP-Link is a good company, so I expect a few software upgrades and theyll work out the issues Ive found so far. I would like to see TP-Link work with Amazon on Frustration Free eco-friendly packaging, really no reason to have as much plastic and paperboard go into protecting this product.