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

These things are awesome! I tend to not review as much anymore because...well...it is a time suck and priorities have doing other things. But in this case I feel compelled as I noticed the most helpful critical reviews had scared off a few would be purchases in describing issues when using high wattage. In my home I generally have lamp lighting and these things allow me to will lights on with must my voice (Echo Required) or the Kasa app manually or via the schedule. I also have gone a little overboard with Echos and Dots that allow me to speak just about anywhere and turn up the heat or have lights on and off. I am in the tech business, so this is the kind of thing that happens... But I just want to let people know that I have had no issues at all with these things...well...occasionally Alexa needs to be told twice to turn something on or off...but that is very much the exception. And my experience is with over 17 of these units...I did take advantage of the holiday pricing to ramp up...lol. With regard to wireless connectivity...I use this with my drive lights where the outlet is some 50 ft or so from the access point with no issues I had to purchase oversized outlet covers for the drive lights and the xmas lights I installed...but it is totally cool to have them all come on at the same moment via different outlets.. Their form factor could use some improvement, as you have to have a fairly small plug to use on the other outlet...as larger ones will not fit...about the only bone I have to pick. And what is great about these vs. wireless switches is they are mobile and my investment goes with me if I have to move. Cheers.

Purchased this item simply because the price was right and I like new gadgets. After getting it set up and using it, I truly love this item and have since bought two additional units. I am using these SmartPlugs with a Google Home Mini, although it is not required for the plugs to work. If you do not have a central controller such as Google Home or Echo, these plugs work perfectly right out of the box using the TP Link Kasa app on your smart phone. I went one step further to start creating a Smart Home environment. To do this, first you need to download the Kasa app and create a TP Link account. Once this is completed, you will need the Google Home app and a Google Account. When you launch the Google Home app, you can go to Home Control and link your TP Link account within the app. Once that is complete, you can import your TP Link devices into Google Home, and control them without the need to the launch the Kasa app again. Once imported, you can give the devices their nicknames to identify them when using your voice controls. For testing, I had a Blue Light and an Orange Light, so I named them that way. Once the nicknames were set, I can simply say hey google wait for the LED to come on, and then say turn on blue light upon which the light will turn on (or off). Sometimes there is a slight delay in the actual device switching states, this could be a network issue (devices communicate via your home wifi) or could be a processing power issue within the actual Google Home device. Overall, these plugs are made very well, inregrate easily into Google Home (once accounts are created) and work very well. I intend on buying several more and will also be picking up some of the light switches and any other devices that are introduced. Nothing more convenient that being able to control your home from the comfort of your couch either via voice commands or an easy to use app. 5 stars from me!

Im used to setting everything up via my computer. But you have to use your phone to set this up. At first, I couldnt get it to see the wireless account I needed. (My computer modem was seeing it but not my smart phone) I called the help line a few times and then I thought, Maybe I should restart my phone. This was after I tried everything else. I felt kind of dumb taking that long to realize that because Im usually pretty good around electronics. I did the turn off the phone, turn the phone back on thingie and it popped up. I also had to move the device closer to my modem to set it up, but its just a simple thing to move it to the room you want to use it in once you get it set up. It worked great... then my cat walked across my laptop and somehow turned it off. I must learn to close the lid when I walk out of the room.... Was able to reset it and its working great again. One thing to note.... I *think* that if you want to use the remote settings you must use the wireless account they give you. As it was, I used my own network address which works fine here. Not sure, need to check all that out. Ill come back and update this review once I do that. I know that it sounds like I had a lot of problems but they werent that bad and the help line people did their best to help. I plan on getting one or two more of these. Now that I know how to hook them up it will only take minutes set them up. I gave it 5 stars because of the help desk. Yes, they were all from another country but I could understand them and they did do their best to get me up and running. Now that Ive had it for awhile I have something to add. I moved to a new apartment building and thought Id have to set up my plugs again. Didnt happen. Just plugged them in and they worked fine. No re-setup needed. It could be because Im using the same modem and stuff but it was nice not having to do a re-set. Id like it enough Im saving up money to buy one more for the extra bedroom in my apartment.

I bought one and liked it so much, I went out and bought several more. It was equally easy to set up either using the included Kasa app, which was very intuitive and great for easy scheduling and simply turning on and off. But I really purchased it for the Amazon Echo integration and this was seamless. I admit, I couldnt get it to work at first so I called TP LInk customer support which was excellent and they lead me through the problem very quickly. When I bought more, I again couldnt remember and this time I called Amazon Echo customer support. They too were able to quickly help. Both times the problem was that I forgot to check off that I wanted remote access enabled. I use these on several devices but mainly for my AC units. I didnt think it would work since they are all digital but they do - The AC units (which are all 5 years old and from several different makers including both off-brands and major brand names) are designed to recognize when the power has been cut and will turn back on once the power has been restored, making these smart plugs ideal to use for scheduling purposes. The only con is that they take up both sockets which is problematic. Even on most power strips. The solution for myself was to buy a 10 pack of these short extension cords which were on sale for $13.99 and were great for these and many other devices that take up too much room on a power strip: https://www.amazon.com/Etekcity-Extension-Listed-Upgraded-Version/dp/B00CEJW0WQ

REVIEW FOR TP-LINK SMART PLUG (HS100) A FEW FRUSTRATING MOMENTS SETTING UP, BUT WORKS GREAT ONE I FIGURED OUT THE APP. USAGE: Replacement for manual Christmas tree timer. It took me a while to set these up, more than I care to admit. However, once I understood how the android app worked, it was OK. I can’t tell you exactly when it clicked how the interface worked. Once the device is found and connected, you click on the device (nothing seems to happen), but there is a “settings icon” that appears in the upper right corner. That is where you go to rename the device, change the icon, set up the stand alone timer schedule. I assumed it was app settings, not device settings. After that realization everything was fine. PRO’s: - Affordable ~ $20 on sale. - Quick to react to commands - Easy to use after learning curve - No problems with Alexa compatibility at all. - Can set up a schedule (from the phone app) that is stored locally in the unit so it does not require a hub to manage the schedule. - No Hub Required. CON’s: - Big (covers both plugs no way around it) - Only supports 2Ghz WiFi (I had to re-enable it on my router just for these plugs) - Does not Dim, but I knew that going in. SIDE NOTE: - After a power outage it does not automatically figure out the state it is supposed to be in. It waits until the next scheduled event. So if the power was out when it was supposed to turn on the lights, and it missed that event, then they just don’t come on until next time. As Christmas wraps up, I plan to repurpose these for use on some table lamps where I just want on/off and not dimming. One thing to keep in mind is that the manual on/off is on the plug so if you put a lamp on a schedule but you want to override the schedule then you need to use an app or Alexa to turn it back on, or climb around the floor to hit the manual switch. So I won’t widely deploy these for every day usage. For my normal house lights I’ll use Lutron. Why 5 stars ? Well in general, they just seem to work as expected and for the price point they do exactly what I wanted. (A modern replacement for an ancient mechanical light timer). Anything else I can get them to do (such as Alexa integration, etc) is just a bonus in my mind. I will also use the random schedule feature when I travel from home.

The new Echo compatibility works very well and allows grouping controllers under a single group name. I just set up three controllers and now I can say Alexa, turn on the living room lights and viola, theyre on! Much easier than finding each lamps on/off switch on a cord behind a piece of furniture. I can also schedule them to turn on and off when were away from home. Go to the TP-LINK support site for full instructions and to the Alexa app if youre using an Echo to control the switches. The set up was mostly straight forward once I read the TP-LINK full instructions, but below is an more detailed hint for part of the instructions that werent clear to me at first. I spent about 30 minutes puzzling this out, but the rest was fast and easy. The controllers can be configured with Kasa to be local or remote connected. To be controlled by Echo each individual controller must be set to Remote Control ON, in the Device Settings menu. That menu is accessed in Kasa with this process after the controller is initially set up: From Kasas home page tap the device name; a screen for that device appears, with selections for Schedule, Away, Timer, an off/on button and at the top right corner an icon that looks like three little sliders. Tap that icon to open the Device Settings screen and then slide the Remote Control slider icon to the right so that it lights green. Do that for all controllers you want to be controlled through Echo.

I bought this to control a TV & Satellite box but after reading some others reviews I realized that it would not do the job I was expecting it to do in that capacity. Im grateful and thankful to those people for their reviews detailing why it wont work to control your TV (basically the device thinks its unplugged from the wall if turned off from a smart plug so turning it back on means rebooting tvs & satellite boxes) before I started unplugging and setting things back up only to find my dreams dashed. Seriously, search TV in the reviews search and see their knowledge and save yourself the hassle. I figured I might as well try plugging an awkward to access lamp into one of the two plugs I bought before I initiated a return and was happy to find that the set up and connection process was effortless and fast. The app was easy to use on my phone, I literally just plugged the plug in, waited for lights to turn colors per the apps on screen directions and within a few minutes, it worked. I then connected my Google Home to it in another seamless & simple set up connection process and now I no longer have to contort my arm to find the switch for this lamp, I just say Hey Google, turn on the lights and on it goes. Theres an audible click when it goes on and off that comes from the plug itself, its a satisfying sound to me. So I was bummed I couldnt use these for what I intended, but am thrilled that I was able to simplify something and expand my Google Homes capabilities. This was my first Smart Home purchase and Im very pleased with the ease of this system. So trust the reviews, dont use this for your TV, but do use it for lamps or other appliances that dont need to reboot to be used. Also trust us that youre going to want the Mini plug if you want second outlet access. This one hangs too low over the bottom outlet if you plug into the top. Lesson learned. If I ever decide to add more smart plugs, I will go with the mini.

Oh my god, it was like buttah! setting the TP-Link up with the Amazon Echo. Thank you so much TP-Link Support for responding to another persons review, because that made me more inclined to purchase this! I along with my mother - who is on the other side of Texas - have been having weird problems with the Wemo plug and Echo, where it only works when it wants to. The times you need the Wemo, it wouldnt work and I would have to go into the Alex app and have to discover the Wemo plug again - it wouldnt be discovered if I simply asked Alexa to do it. Seems that that lots of people started having this problem starting @ 4-6 weeks ago. So the TP-Link was at the top of my list, but I didnt know if it worked with the Amazon Echo. After seeing a reply from TP-Link support regarding the echo and saying it now works, I thought I would give it a try. I set up the TP-Link Kasa for iPhone on my iPad, signed up, followed instructions, and the app itself was breeze - especially compared to the Wemo app. Remeber, you have to start in the TP-Link Kasa app and be signed in. Follow instructions. When it tells you to leave the app, that means that you then go to your settings for wifi and then select the TP-Link device as your wifi. Then, go back to the TP-Link Kasa app to finish. After you are done in the Kasa app, go into the Alexa app. In the Alexa App, go to the menu and select Smart Home, then go to Device Links - find and select Link with TP-Link Kasa. This will bring up a menu where you put in your TP-Link Kasa email & password. When you are done with that, go back to Smart Home in the Alexa app, then Devices, where you will then select Discover Devices. Let Alexa discover the TP-Link and Viola, youre done!!!

Love this for use at home or traveling. I primarily use these smart plugs for lamps also for some kitchen appliances. It makes it easy to turn off lights if I forget and I am in a different part of the house using Alexa or set the coffee pot up and set the smart plug to turn it on in the morning. I can also turn lights on and off when I am away or from home using the Kasa app and check to make sure the coffee pot is off. TP-Link has a section on how to connect your smart plug and use it with Amazon Echo. It requires downloading and using the Kasa app and it is easy if you follow the directions posted on their website. You can name each plug so that you know where and what it controls this is especially helpful if you are using it for a lamp. The Kasa app also has a feature to randomly turn on your lights when you are traveling and it works well. I had neighbors express surprise that I was not home when I used this feature while traveling. These work well I had one smart plug lose the connection I reinstalled it and no more issues. Nothing works perfectly but this has worked well and as expected since I purchased and installed them. The information on TP-Links website is a big help with setup and to learn how to use this with Echo. A useful item that makes things a bit easier for busy people.

I am fully satisfied with my Kasa HS100 smart plug. My first smart plugs were Belkin Wemo. I changed to these Kasa plugs because they reconnect to my WiFi *reliably* after a power outage. My Wemo plugs requires usually a unplug/plug cycle with the latest firmware before they connect - very annoying! I have an iPhone so I use the free IOS Kasa app from the iTunes store. Once installed on my phone setup is very easy and the app walks me through the process. I had my switch up and running in just a few minutes. You will need to create a Kasa account and being a bit paranoid I was sure to use a strong password. Happily the IOS app and Alexa skill remember the password so a long/complicated password is no hardship for the typing impaired like me! Getting it voice enabled with Alexa just required enabling the Kasa skill from the smart home settings in the Alexa app, connecting to me Kasa account and discovering devices again just a few minutes. Like my Wemo plugs the HS100 can be connected to IFTTT for more advanced control and can also be scheduled for convenience. I like having these options available, but in my use I pretty much and must telling Alexa to turn on or off the reading light plugged into this switch. Sometimes I turn it on/off from the app or just check if I think I may have left the light on when Ive left home. In conclusion Kasa is very much like the Wemo plugs I started with in terms of function and features. What makes Kasa much better for me is how well it handles recovering after a power outage. When I got mine I wasnt expecting to like it so much. It has exceeded my original expectations and thats a 5 star performance to me. Ive not had a single problem with mine.