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

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.

Initially I left a horrible review. Im not ashamed to retract and admit it was my User error. I mixed and matched with Wemo light switch and didnt realize I choose a less expensive TP Link outlet plug. I tried connecting it via Wemo app periodically for 2 days with no sucess. I decided to write a bad review and return it. I began looking for a different brand when I realized the price difference between Wemo and this tp link. It hit me I did pay the lesser of the two, I mixed the two product brands! Duh!!! Immediately I went on YouTube , viewed the directions and set this up in 5 minutes. I linked it to my network and my Alexa. The easiest thing Ive ever done. I purchased this for my young son who was scared to go to the bathroom at night because of the dark. He would wake my wife and I up at night to escort him to the restroom. That started getting old quick. Now he tells Alexa to turn on the lights; no longer afraid and goes on his own. This is an awesome product and made me feel like a great Dad. As a young child I too was afraid of the dark, sometimes still am, lol. My father use to scold me, be a man, there are no monsters. I didnt want to take any chances, so like many kids, I suffered some nights holding it in. As parents, I feel we must be more understanding and not unintentionally traumatize our children by becoming an unsympathetic monster. I am so great full we have this technology. I hope to make my entire house Smart. This is the way of the future, embrace it! I highly recommend this product.

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..

These plugs work great. They are a little bulky but more affordable than other brands. I have at least 7 smart plugs and 6 smart switches in my home. Set them all up in the Kasa app. Enable kasa in the Amazon app. Search for device. Make groups. Easy. When you want to put things on timers, open the Kasa app and use the schedule feature which is individual to each device (click the device to open the options in Kasa). I have installed 2 and 3 switches in the same gang box. You will not use the TP link plate cover. It makes for a tight squeeze to install multiple ones. You can install multiple ones and even leave some original switches. I found this information about installing switches hard to find so Im sharing. Wiring multiple switches into your multi gang box - the green ground wires from the switches need to be wired all together into the ground. They will all be connected to each other and to your house. The white neutral wires need to do the same - all of them will feed into the neutral white bundle coming from your house. You will probably need to do like I did and buy larger twist on wire connectors/caps. The hardest part is fitting all those wires and the bulk of the switch back into your box, and then aligning the plate perfectly - without overtightening and breaking your plate. Take my advice. Buy yourself a new nylon unbreakable electrical plate (unless you plan to install a new larger gang box in your wall which is a huge PITA). If you install multiple switches at the same time, you can finish installation (I do suggest turning your breaker back on before putting on the faceplate to make sure they all work) and then use Kasa to find the new devices. Just write down the IP addresses of each device. Kasa will show all the new devices and you can set them up one at a time knowing the IP address (which is on a sticker on the front of the switch).

I have three of these HS100 smart plugs and the first two worked fine for turning on/off lights at night, holiday lights and such. They are relatively easy to set up and work with Alexa devices (after additional set up). A minor issue is that they are quite large and can take up a lot of space on an outlet. You can really only plug them into one of the outlets or they will end up blocking both. A bigger issue is with the third plug I purchased. It set-up fine but it will not stop supplying power. It appears to work fine (power light goes on and off either by button on plug or using the app) but even with the power light out it continues to supply power. Based on some online research, this appears to be due to a bad relay switch that is stuck in the closed position. I did not pull this out of the box until I was already passed the Amazon return window so I am dealing with the manufacturer. They responded to my issue by email in a timely manner but gave me a list of so many troubleshooting items and information required (most of which is written in micro-text on the plug) that I can see getting a replacement is going to be quite a pain. I think this is a decent product when it works but it should not be that difficult to quality control for something like this. Luckily it was a great deal on Prime Day so I guess I am not out of too large an investment.

I continue to love these units. Originally, I had a problem remembering that my beds headboard light was on a smartplug, but eventually, that problem disappeared because I decided to make it a non-smart light. (It is now my power-failure security light, the only light I can turn on when the power fails, plugged into a UPS). I love being able to ask Alexa (my Echo device) to turn lights on and off while Im in bed. I have four of these units and two of their smart lightbulbs. I have * my bedroom ceiling (smartbulb) * living room ceiling (smartbulb) * my office recliner (smart plug) which has a second normal light. * bathroom hanging light (smart plug) * christmas tree (smart plug) which will go back to controlling a different light in January) * security camera (smart plug) Two of the lights I have set to random on-and-off times so that when Im not home, the lights are going on and off. Unfortunately, the random vacation mode does not appear to be a choice for the lightbulbs) but I have them on a fixed schedule. Finally, I also have some of the lights grouped as Everything so I can turn a bunch of things off at once. That is a great feature. I can turn things on and off by group name or by item name, and all the names are things that I defined. When I do decide to use a smart plug in a different place, its easy to rename it on my smartphone, then Alexa figures it out without my having to tell her anything. I love these units, especially the fact that I dont need to have a special controller to use them, and I dont have to use contorted commands, like Alexa ask whatever to do whatever that is required by some remote control devices. (I dont use another device that requires such contortion).

TP-LINK Wi-Fi Smart Plug HS100 Review A couple of weeks ago, I purchased a Smart Plug (HS100) to confirm that the product works with Alexa (Amazon Echo) and provides easy, reliable, secure remote control of plugged-in devices. Pros and cons are below. If you use consumer Wi-Fi (IP) webcams (Foscam, etc.), then you may be familiar with this products technology and potential concerns about security and privacy. A webcam contains a microprocessor which can be programmed (with network data, operational settings and user options) and controls a camera which may be monitored using an app. A Smart Plug contains a microprocessor which can be programmed and controls a power switch which may be monitored using an app. Both local (LAN) and remote (Internet WAN) control are possible in each case. After confirming that the Plug indeed works as advertised, I was more curious about how and where operational data (supplied via the app) is stored and secured. That is, Im not sure if all operational data is stored on-board the Plug in non-volatile memory in case of extended power outages and to secure such data locally. If remote control is used, whats stored in TP-LINKs Cloud server? [A Vine Voice review on 1-23-2016 indicated that the plug has internal storage for its own status and the schedule. ... a copy of the schedule is stored in the plug itself and does not rely on having a persistent internet connection to function. ... plug does rely on the power to keep time so that it can act on scheduled events.] If the Plug is like a Wi-Fi webcam, then operational data is stored on-board, as can be verified using a local web browser connection to the cameras built-in web server. A Smart Plug, however, does not provide browser access, whether it runs a web server or not [there is a http port]. Remotely using a manufacturers app, whether for a camera or Plug, introduces Cloud-based data storage and collection. And because Wi-Fi webcams and Smart Plugs are computers, they can crash or glitch and need to be reset. Thats why reliability is a key factor. Time will tell. The Plug has a 2 year warranty. So, setup was relatively easy, and I discovered (as other reviewers have noted) that the best (but not perfect) instructions are in the Support section of TP-LINKs website, rather than in the included Quick Start Guide. * * * [...] How to connect my TP-LINK Smart Plug to my home network via Kasa? How to make my TP-LINK Smart Plug work with Amazon Echo? * * * 1. Install the Kasa app on your iPhone. 2. Open Kasa. If you want to use the Smart Plug with Alexa (Remote Control), setup a TP-LINK (Cloud / P2P registry server) account; and, after receiving an email activation message, login; otherwise, you may Skip setting up an account for just local control. 3. With your iPhone on a local 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi connection, open Kasa and then: (a) plug Smart Plug into an AC outlet; (b) Add Device > SMART PLUG and follow the instructions; (c) which say to go to your iPhones Wi-Fi settings and connect to the Smart Plugs Wi-Fi network and then return to Kasa; (d) customize your Plug -- with a unique name, etc.; and (e) connect the Plug to your local Wi-Fi (with or without Remote Control, but Alexa requires Remote Control enabled). To use a Smart Plug with Alexa: A. On your iPhone in the Alexa app settings (via hamburger icon), tap on Smart Home and then the TP-LINK Kasa item and login with your TP-LINK (Cloud) account name and password. B. Scroll down Smart Home and near the bottom tap Discover devices (search your Wi-Fi LAN) to add your named Smart Plug, which will then be listed. C. With Alexa, say Turn on / off (name of plug). Pros • Good package and product design (both hardware and app). • Works with Alexa without a hub. • Setup relatively easy. • WiFi connectivity provides 2-way communication for control and real-time status (unlike one-way powerline modules). • Remote access without router configuration (port forwarding) [probably using companys (or subcontractors) Cloud / P2P server like most Wi-Fi cameras]. • 15A load max. • Can unplug from AC without losing settings in order to relocate unit. • Moderate price. • TP-LINK supportive with comments on Amazon reviews. • 2 year warranty. Minor Cons • No support for 5 GHz Wi-Fi (okay as long as most routers are dual band). • Plug socket on front rather than the side or bottom (like on X-10 modules) of unit -- cord protrudes even farther from wall. • Status LED always on -- no way to turn off (like on Sonos speakers). • With Alexa, limited to only commands to turn on / off. Cons • Size (see photos) -- bulkier than standard X-10 appliance module (longer and thicker); even thicker than X-10 Pro appliance module and around the same length. • Covers both outlets if plugged into bottom outlet; covers upper edge of bottom outlet if plugged into top outlet, making bottom outlet unusable. Concerns • UL certification Some reviewers were worried about UL certification (which is not marked on the product or box). The manufacturer stated that certification was obtained. I searched ULs Online Certifications Directory (database) and found a listing: XACN.E481494 Miscellaneous Controls Operating Control, Smart Plug, Model(s) HS100, HS110 Last Updated on 2016-03-29. • Heat buildup when connected to some (high wattage) appliances Some reviewers were worried about the Plug getting too warm. I have only connected LED lamps (~10 W) to the Plug so far; so, I cannot as yet comment on possible thermal issues. The manufacturer stated that the Plug will remain well within a safe temperature range. • Security and use of encryption, e.g., protection of data stored in Plugs memory and TP-LINKs Cloud. The manufacturer stated: In order to control your Smart Plug remotely, a TP-LINK Cloud Account is required. Your Cloud Account is safe and secured, and remote access to your Smart Plug is controlled solely by you through the Kasa App. Cloud accounts and Cloud servers are an industry standard for Smart Plugs and Smart Home devices. The Smart Plug does not hand over or transmit any password information to us; It receives Wi-Fi profile information from your phone during setup, in order to connect the Smart Plug to your router. • Privacy (privacy trade-offs) The weighty Terms of Use and Privacy Policy pose questions about data collection and sharing of personal data, anonymized or not -- for marketing & promotion, including partners and other 3rd parties. Device submissions ... device names, groups, schedules, locations, ...usage information ... Software limitations • No offset possible on sunrise and sunset timer, but can use Away mode for randomness. Questions 1. Security: Is Wi-Fi password saved only in Plugs memory or also in TP-LINKs Cloud? Encrypted? 2. Security: Are timers, schedule, Away settings stored in Plugs memory or the Cloud? Encrypted? 3. Plugs do NOT communicate with each other, correct? Only with the TP-LINK Cloud? 4. When the unit is unplugged from AC outlet, are all settings (defined using the Kasa app) truly non-volatile? Does the on-board clock re-synchronize via Wi-Fi on the LAN anyway when plugged into AC again? UPDATE 6-13-2016 Purchased another 2 Smart Plugs on June 3. New packaging has UL certification mark, as well as new graphics and description: old Wi-Fi SMART PLUG vs. new Smart Wi-Fi Plug; old FC and RoHS marks vs. new UL and RoHS marks; model and part number unchanged. UPDATE 12-18-2017 All 3 Smart Plugs (HS100) are still working okay 24/7. Reliable. Some glitches with the Kasa app showing a blank on time when actually one is scheduled, but rarely needing to power cycle the unit (these glitches are rare but more common for the Smart Bulbs). The issue with unit bulk -- covering the second outlet, for example -- is not a problem with a newer model but that new model is too expensive to justify as yet. The Smart Plugs work with Alexa. Theres been an occasional (rare) problem using Alexa due to TP-Link service outages or Amazon Echo glitches.

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!

Setup for the device is very easy and works on Echo devices. Setup for Echo devices include: 1. Downloading the TP-Link Kasa app on iOS app store or Google Play 2. Create an log in and password on that app 3. Sync the smart plug to the same network as your Amazon Echo. Follow directions on card included to sync: basically just holding down sync button and waiting for it to register. Then name your plug 4. Open Alexa app, go to Smart Home 5. Find and select TP-Link under Smart Home Skills 6. Log in with email and password you created in step 2 7. Go to your devices on Alexa App and find the device you named in step 3 8. After it syncs go to groups and add the device to it. Name the group something simple like lights Now by saying Alexa then lights (or other group name) on or lights off. itll turn the power on the plug on or off. The TP-Link Kasa app you downloaded has nice features also as you can remotely control the plug when away from home either manually or setting a scheduled time. You can also delete the app if you dont want this feature and it will still work on any Amazon Echo device after you have everything setup The smart plug is pretty large and fits well on the top plug of standard double 3 prong wall outlet. If you put it on bottom it will take up two outlet spaces which is not recommended unless you want to cover the top half. You can plug it to an external outlet hub, but know that its a bit wide also and may take up two plugs (unless maybe you plug it on the edge?). If you plan to plug it into an external outlet Id measure the dimensions first before purchase just to be safe. Overall the smart plug works as intended.

I bought this TP-link smart plug for a lamp in the corner of my bedroom. I like the location of the soft lighting when I am reading or watching tv in bed but it got annoying to have to get up and switch it off when I got drowsy. I got the TP-link plug before I got the Amazon Echo so I set it up with the Kasa app which I placed on my Android tablets and phone. The app immediately found the device and connected to my wifi network with the option to give the plug a personalized name. When I would log onto the app, I was presented with a power button next to that name, so it was just a tap on that to turn it off or on. I was quite happy with that. Once I got my Echo, I switched over to using the plug with that. Again, the plug was quickly detected and so very simple to use. I was happy using the app but the Echo raised the bar and it is so nice to be able to just voice my request rather than reaching for a phone or tablet app. The plug is large which may be a concern depending on the size of any other plugs that need to be placed next to it. I have it plugged into a surge suppressor where I have outlets that I do not use, so it is not a problem for me. I plan to purchase more TP-Link plugs since I am quickly becoming addicted to having Alexa’s quick response to my requests for turning it on or off.