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

This review is for an item I just received. The setup is straightforward, TP-Link include a small card that takes you through the basics of setting up the switch on your home network. It took a lot longer to move the couch and physically install the switch than it did to do the network setup. To setup the device you do need a smart phone or tablet to instal the KASA app. Not sure why they call it KASA. The KASA app searches for devices and runs through the setup onto your WIFi. I checked for new Firmware using the KASA app but it the unit I received was up to date. Wemo devices need updating frequently, maybe TP-Link have simply got this right. Alexa integration worked first time without issues and has been solid since. TP-Link instructions on the web have you use the Alexa app on your phone to detect the devices, you can in fact do this by voice command by saying, Alexa, discover devices, wish the instructions had incuded the voice command. I attached two living room lamps to this one smart switch and it works fine. Using a smart switch without the need for a hub is a much simpler and cheaper way to control lamps than getting smart bulbs plus a hub. I was successful in controlling the switch away from home using my phone, but I found it doesnt work consistently like it does when at home. Id occasionally get a could not connect message. Waiting 10 seconds or so resolved the issue. It is possible to establish scheduled on/off events for each of your switches at different times of day and days of the week. It has an away Mode but this was kinda useless. You can say you will be away from 9am to 6pm for instance and schedules are modified, however much more useful would be an away mode over multiple days for when you are away on vacation. I was surprised that managing your switches cannot be done on the web. The Phone app works fine, but the limited screen size limits how much they can get on the scree at once. Id like the ability to manage the switch(s) from a web page. The Amazon Echo has both app and web page control, TP-Link need to do the same.

UPDATE: Because I liked the Smart Plug so much, I decided to buy the smaller TP-Link Smart Plug Mini and love it even more. The mini works just like the standard sized Smart Plug and uses the same app, but the smaller size allows you to access both of your outlet plugs without it blocking anything. You can plug in two Smart Plug Minis into the same outlet! Although its a little more pricey, its well worth the cost. The TP-Link Smart Plug: so good that I ordered a second unit a day later. After receiving an Echo Dot for Christmas, the family and I have been enjoying the many perks Alexa has - voice commanded music, daily weather and news updates, sport score updates, timers that could be set that didnt require me to wash my food prep messy hands...the list goes on. I was fortunate enough to get one Alexa enabled light bulb as a gift as well, but really didnt want to buy more bulbs since I knew once the bulb burned out that it was done. Enter the TP-Link Plug. This unit makes any three pronged outlet one that is Alexa enabled. Anything that can be plugged in can be used with this outlet, but must be able to stay in the on position. For those with newer televisions that will receive power, but not actually turn on when initially plugged in, this wont work for you. This also applies to coffee makers, toaster ovens, and so forth that require you to actually turn it on and cannot stay in a perpetual on position. I used my TP-Link as a switch for a lamp thats in a difficult to access corner of my house. Once the lamp was switched in the on position, it would go on and off depending on whether I commanded Alexa to turn the outlet on or off. In addition to being Alexa enabled, this switch can also be remotely controlled by your cell phone/tablet using the Kasa app. This is really useful when working late - I can turn on my lights on the drive home from work so my house wont be dark when I walk inside. This app also enables me to set my lights on using away timers while Im on vacation. For those who have multiple TP-Link products, you can make customized settings for turning on/off devices in the morning, the evening, for movie nights, and so forth. You can set schedules, on/off timer, and see how long youve left your devices plugged in and running. Installation takes less than five minutes - simply plug the unit in, download and install the Kasa App, then follow the directions on the app to connect to your wifi. Overall, this is a cost effective and clever unit to use if youre looking to control your electric and electronic devices from afar, whether using Alexa or your phone.

I cant imagine life without this plug. It brings the future and the present together and I live in a world where Benjamin Franklin would be so jealous. I can start off by telling you why I purchase this. The main reasons are because it integrates with Alexa and its smart. Does it work well with Alexa? 95% of the time yes. Is it smart? If I take advantage of the mobile apps capability then yes. This device only works if you can manage to leave the the device you want to plug in always on. For example, leave the switch on for a lamp to be able to control its power with the smart plug. This is a pretty fat plug that is going to cover up two of your regular outlets. One way around this is to purchase a small surge protector and plug this smart plug into one of the surge protectors outlet. This way you can still have a couple of free outlets. Of course after you find an outlet for this smart plug, you also need the mobile application on iOS and Android to set up the plug. Set up is very easy and takes up to a minute. After you finish setting up, prepare for a new beginning to a better life. The plug has an easy to reach button thats fun to click to decide whether to provide power or not to the plug. Its easier to click this button rather than finding the switch on your lamp. Another feature is to be able to turn the power on or off using the mobile app. It only takes a few simple presses to find your smart plug in the app and then click the power button. Theres also a scheduler and a timer to have even more control over the plug using time. The plug can also periodically turn on and off to trick people into thinking youre home. I mean how else are you supposed to sneak away without fooling that crazy friend of yours? I cant talk about the smart plug without talking about its friends, the app and Alexa. The app is very easy to use and designed very nicely. It takes up to a minute to learn where everything is located in the app such as where are the features. And Alexa... She plays well with this plug. Theres a couple of need to know commands and those are turn on device name and turn off device name. Thats it! Easy to use. What do I use it for though? I mostly use it for light control. I have a lamp hooked up to the plug and I dont even bother using my ceiling lights anymore. Thats too much work to get up out of my cozy office chair, walk probably 6 feet, and smack the switch to turn on/off the ceiling lights. Nahhhh this is the 21st century and we need to enjoy it. I use my voice to command my servant if I need light. I use my app to command my servant if I need light. That lamp doesnt own me anymore. I dont go to the lamp and ask it for light. I tell that lamp I want light. I tell it to turn on. I tell it to turn off. This is my house and that lamp works for me! Thats how you use the plug!

During the month of December I purchased three of these items. Two were hardware version 2.0. One of them was hardware version 1.0. Supposedly, according to TP-Link, the only difference between the two versions is the newer logo. I beg to differ. Both items that are hardware version 2.0 work perfectly with no issues. The one that is hardware version 1.0 works terribly. Its hard to connect to my network. It falls off my network all the time. And its nearly impossible to get it back on my network when it falls off. The plug is literally 10 feet away from my wireless router. The other two that work properly are farther away from the router. If I had purchased only one item and it was hardware version 1.0, I would have concluded these plugs suck in performance. If I had received only one plug that was hardware version 2.0 I would be offering nothing but praise. But, because I received two hardware version 2.0 plugs and one hardware version 1.0 plug, it was easy to conclude there was a tremendous difference between the two hardware versions. You can determine the hardware version in the app used to control the devices. If you have a hardware version 1.0 plug and are having problems with it, I highly encourage you to return it and get the hardware version 2.0. I can only hope the replacement in transit to me right now will be hardware version 2.0. If not its going right back to Amazon.

This review is more about the provider than the Plug. Purchased this item in December 2016 shortly after obtaining my first of 3 Amazon Dots/1 Amazon Flex. Installed the KASA plug shortly after receiving it. It was a little complicated, but then AI in general was new to me. Plug has worked FLAWLESSLY. I upgraded my internet somewhere in between 2106 and now. The gentleman from the internet service helped me update the few AI devices I had at that time. All were a piece of cake for him, except the KASA plug. It took him longer to get that one updated than all the others combined. I recently upgraded my modem and router when increasing my internet speed. The provider installed the new modem/router. I upgraded all of the 12 devices I currently have as peripherals for the Alexa Dots. Absolutely NO PROBLEM with my phone, thermostat, multiple Alexa plugs, Roku, TV, etc. etc. I checked with Amazon/Alexa department if they had any information about how to update the address info on the KASA HS100 plug. Unfortunately they did not, but they did provide an telephone number for the KASA Company. After being disconnected three times following long hold sessions to reach an a representative, I finally was on the phone with someone at KASA. Explained my need for instructions to reconnect the plug so it could be recognized by Alexa. After being given multiple. serially changing directions, 49 minutes on the floor under my desk in order to have plug within less than 1 of the modem, the plug was still not connected. The representative said that since I seemed to be confused he was going to send me an e-mail with written instructions. I asked two questions: If I couldnt follow directions with an expert talking me through the procedure, was it likely I could follow written ones? He ignored that question. I also asked more than once; how, since at no time during your fluid directions did we do ANYTHING that included providing the plug with my new wifi name/password, could we expect this to be a successful effort; which surprisingly he ignored every time I asked. I had successfully added a KASA app on my phone and opened what appeared to be a new KASA account during this time; neither of which helped with my problem. The second sentence of the e-mailed directions told me (without any directions as to how to do so) to create a cloud account. I have successfully avoided having a cloud account for years and years and alas thus didnt have a clue, nor understand the need since the plug has worked for years without the presence of one. I called back to the KASA Company and received a new representative who from direction #1 gave me an ENTIRELY DIFFERENT SET OF DIRECTIONS THROUGH THE ENSUING 50 more minutes under my desk. (Did I mention Ill be 79 next month?). One of the directions the 2nd fellow gave me this time was to enter the new WIFI name/password into the plugs memory. Hallelujah! I was optimistic. He also had me touching, pushing, holding etc entirely different parts of the plug this time. Another hopeful indication. He then told me we had added the plug to the KASA list. But what about Amazons list I asked. Not necessary he replied. I asked him to please give me 3 more minutes of his time while I toted the newly updated plug to the room where it was going to be used to see if it would communicate with Alexa. He said we didnt need to do that. It was added to KASA and it was going to work and could he help me in any other way. I am thinking I dont need to tell you that Alexa still could not recognize a link to a foyer lamp, though she dutifully kept asking me did I mean couch light. I quickly received an e-mail Survey regarding my satisfaction. I responded pretty much as above. One question was do I still need to be contacted. YES was the reply. Today I received another e-mail asking why I had not replied to the first one and was I satisfied. They did not receive my Survey response and apparently cant receive my response from today either. They wont let you respond via your regular e-mail, they provided an alternate system which obviously I also havent mastered. Ive only worked at a job for 23 years using a computer 12 hours a day for anywhere from 4-7 days a week. And I have used a home computer, sometimes two at a time, for 39 years more days than I probably should have. So it is understandable I suppose that I dont have a Degree in technology, and apparently only have a passing ability to follow directions that even a child would recognize as not going to be successful as provided. I am going to send the KASA Plug back to the company and buy yet another Alexa plug. To get them connected and working you need about 5 minutes tops and NO PHD in Technology. I recommend if you need workable, easy to use, understand, set up, and connect plugs to for Alexa to communicate with you START from Day 1 with only ALEXA Plugs. I have multiple ones connected to multiple items around my home and they NEVER fail and when you update you ALEXA WIFI information, it covers all your specific devices, all your plugs, etc. Separate items like Roku boxes, speakers, TV, etc are pretty easy on their own. Please save your self much grief, aggravation, and possibly a near serious brush with a stroke and buy ONLY ALEXA plugs. Alexa will appreciate you and so will your blood pressure.

I purchased the TP-Link HS100 Smart Plug from Amazon and paid $19.99. This was my first step into home automation and a bit of an experiment to see if it would be helpful to me. Right now, I use the Smart Plug to power on and off a lamp in my bedroom, and I control it with the kasa app on my Android phone and with an Echo Dot. Overall the device works extremely well--both with the kasa app and the Echo Dot. A few miscellaneous notes: * Setting up the Smart Plug to work with my Echo Dot was a little complicated (at least for me), but, once set up, it has worked flawlessly. I will primarily use the Echo Dot to control the Smart Plug but I like having the ability to use the Kasa app when I find that more convenient. * The kasa app is easy to use and has many helpful device management and scheduling features. * The Smart Plug only supports the 2.4GHz WiFi band, and I thought I would have to switch my phone to that frequency. This hasnt been the case. * The maximum power rating is 1.8KW, which is enough to allow me to use it with a moderately-sized Lasko floor heater. Im waiting for the Smart Plug to go on sale again so I can purchase one for this use. Anyways, because of the somewhat complicated setup with my Echo Dot, Ive given the Smart Plug 4 stars rather than 5.

The Good: Setup is a breeze. I had this thing up and running within 5 minutes. I didnt have to deal with port-forwarding from my router or any complicated setup process. If youre not very good with computer or technology, you should still be able to set this up without too much hassle. I did not connect this to an Alexa device, so I cant comment on how complex that process it. Im only using this as a way to remotely turn on/off an electronic device in my bedroom. The Bad: There is no web interface that you can access from a computer. The only way to control this device from via the Kasa app. It appears if you set up any customization, they are stored on Kasa servers. If this is truly the case, then this means if Kasa or your own internet connection are ever offline, so are these functions. Furthermore, because custom settings are stored remotely, the device has also opened up certain ports on your router for you, for communication between the device and the server. While this is good for people who arent technically-savvy, its bad for internet security. Personally, I wish that TP-Link would have made a more secure and less cloud-dependent version of the device. Id be willing to pay an extra $10 for that. As long as my home has a connection to the Kasa servers, though, the device appears to function flawlessly. One thing to note: Sometimes if you turn on the device remotely (via the app), the ON icon displayed in the app may not reflect that. Im not sure why. However, it appears the app pings for the status of the device every 10-15 seconds. So, if you hit ON and you dont see the ON icon on your app turn green, but you know for a fact that device is actually on, give it about 10-15 seconds to refresh and itll turn green.

I love these little plugs! I have two of them set up in my living room, one for each light. I have them tied into Alexa so I can turn on and off my lights with my voice, which I think is the coolest thing. There was only one time where Alexa could not turn on or off the light and she responded by saying TP-Link is not responding when I issued the commands to turn the lights on and off. I think this is because Alexa requires that you enable remote access to be able to use Alexa with the plug, which means any commands Alexa send to the plugs are being sent to TP-Links cloud. This is ok as long as the cloud works, which it does 99% of the time, but my one concern is that if TP-Link ever shuts down their cloud the plug will turn from being a smart device into a dumb device. As far as setup, these were super easy to set up. I added them via the TP-Link Kasa app and gave them each a name, then added them in the Alexa app. I can use the plugs either with Alexa or via the Kasa app on my phone. If you enable remote access for the plugs, you can use the app to turn the plug on or off from away from home, which is nice so that I can turn on my lights before I get home so I never have to come home to a dark house again.

I have been using this product after experiencing a lot of difficulty with a competitors product. I started with one basic, over sized switch and was impressed with its ease of setup and use as well as the features for the price. I then added a wall switch (great price for a similarity easy to use and function product), and then a mini switch. The mini was where I had issues, but I think they are easily resolved. More on that in a moment. I also tried the over sized energy monitoring switch and it worked great as well. Easy setup and easy to use, with a basic set of features I would expect for the price. So for the minis. I tried one and had the same 24 hour reset issue several people are noting. I thought maybe it was a bad switch, so I tried two more since I have been automating my home anyway. Same issue. I contacted customer support and they provided me a quick tool to upgrade the firmware. After completing that step (and upgrading my router, which was a separate issue that most will not experience if you only have a couple devices on your network), the issue appears to be resolved. I would recommend that if you have an issue with the switch dropping off the network, get the tool to upgrade the firmware to at least 1.0.0 or higher (all my switches that were working originally were 1.0.0 or higher, all the minis were less than 1.0.0). Now I have no issues. I think if you have more than say 15-20 devices on your network and your relying on the standard cable company modem/router, you may need to look into upgrading. I started having a lot of issues with devices on my network with my cable company provided equipment past about 20 devices (cable company said really 16 is the max), but now that I have upgraded (in addition to the firmware fix), everything is running very smoothly. Four stars because I think this switch should have some sort of energy monitoring for the price, but the ease of use and functionality still makes it worth purchasing. I have purchases several more.

I got these smart plug outlets so I could get Alexa to cut my nightlights and christmas tree on and off. They work like they say and require no hub however sometimes Alexa wont cut them on even though see says ok after I tell her to cut on kitchen. If this happens you click on the reset button on the smart plug and it fixes the issue. You need the Kasa Phone App to get these to work. You have to set them up there and then for the Alexa you need an amazon echo,tap or dot and you need to get Alexa to discover the smartplug devices in the alexa app. You can plug anything into these for example to test after Alexa discovered the Living Room Plug I plugged a fan into it. Worked like a charm she cut the fan on and off. Update Decided to buy the Smart Switch HS200 to cut my porch lights on and off when Im not home. Dont waste your money on this product. It doesnt work. It says cant be reached and it wont work on my own wifi signal it wants to use its own on Kasa even after setting it up. Alexa cant find these devices either. I got 2 and had an electrician install them for $172. For some reason Amazon has smart switch under my smart plug review. I recommend the smart plugs but the Smart Switches are defective and poorly made. I give them 1 star. Im no better off now then I was before I bought these switches. I just wasted over $300. Switch continues to alternate between orange and green. Update Again I now recommend this product. I put in the wrong password and thats why it wouldnt work. I am now able to tell Alexa to cut my Front and Back Porch lights off and am able to use the Kasa App to cut them on and off. This will hopefully help with my electric bill since Ill no longer have to worry about leaving the porch light on when I go to work. Note Switch must be turned on for the app and alexa to work. When its off you see a white circle. You dont need Alexa though you can turn your devices on and off from the kasa app and dont even need to be home. I recommend unplugging these smart plugs during Thunderstorms because Lightning Strikes arnt covered under the warrenty. The smart plugs are a cheap way to automate your house and you dont need to hire an electrician to install them because you just plug them in. I eventually plan to get the smart switches for my porch lights . On a side note if you unplug these smart plugs and plug them back in they will hook back up to wifi within 5 seconds. When you see the green light your good to go. When you cut devices on or off thru the Kasa App or thru Alexa you hear a click which is normal. Finally this device works with the amazon tap though with the tap you have to mash the button to tell it to cut on kitchen for example or cut off kitchen. I prefer the echo since my voice can activate it without having to mash a button. The smart plugs by the way come nicely packaged and with a quick set up guide. I highly recommend TP Link Smart Plugs. I now have 3 and you cant find these at Lowes or Homedepot so your best bet is amazon and if you have prime shipping is free.