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.

Update 03.27.17 From 5 stars to 1 star and now at 4stars. After the fix provided by Customer Service all seems well but time will tell. The Fix: You can download the upgrade tool here: http://static.tp-link.com/iotUpgradeTool_V1.0.zip Please note the upgrade tool is currently compatible with Windows systems only, and the computer must be on the same network as the smart device(s). After downloading the tool, extract the compressed folder using a decompression utility such as 7zip or WinRAR, and run the main executable file. Please allow firewall access if prompted by Windows. Once the program is open, click Scan, then select the smart device you want to update, and click Upgrade. If you have more than one smart device that needs updating, simply repeat these steps for each one. Once the update is completed, your smart device may need to be re-configured. If so, please use the Kasa app to re-configure the smart device. Update 03.20.17 Worst purchase ever from Tp-Link besides the new smart bulls. They are both horrible if you lose service for more than a few hours. I had to have my modem/router replaced and once all was said and done all of my original smart plugs were back online and communicating with Echo. However, after several resets, following Tp-Links instructions, my three (3) smart bulbs and my one (1) mini smart plug are still not responsive. Well, not entirely true, they are responsive after the initial reset but if I turn my phone off or leave the house, nothing. Of course they are visible on the app but unreachable. The smaller size of the new smart plugs is great but they are not worth the hassle. If this was a one-time thing maybe but I happened to live in an area that losing power for hours if not days during storms and I can’t see going through this frustration after each incident. For now I am only out a little over $100 and I am thankful this happened now before invested any more money in these products. The convenience of the smaller sized of the mini plugs and the no plug needed bulbs was sop great I naturally wanted more of them. Now, if youre wondering why my others devices worked with my new router instantly, the cable guy replaced the name or something on the new router with the name and password of my old router so I wouldnt have to reset everything. He did mention if I had a hub I would only have to redo the hub but that would still leave all of other devices, i.e. echoes, dot, thermostat, Kuna lights and everything else that runs off Wi-Fi. I know this review has crossed over between the mini plugs and the smart bulbs but since they responded the same way to my outage I thought it appropriate. However, I will be updating my review for the bulbs as well if I left one if not, I will be leaving one. I love these plugs. Set up was easy. I ordered one, then two, and now I am on my third. Having the app is great and the ability to work around my scheduled settings has proven to be a much needed asset. Im sure there may be at least one more in my future, maybe two :). And how could I forget to mention these plugs work with my Echo, even better. My house may be old but she is smart!

I have several of the HS100, with the oldest now having been in use for over 14 months. They work well with my Amazon Echo units, although there are the occasional hiccups, the most frequent I expect are on the Amazon side. In order of frequency, the most common problem is telling the Echo to turn on or off a switch, and it responds with OK, but the switch doesnt take the appropriate action. Given my experience with the Echo and a couple of other smart devices, it seems the Echo simply sends the command without confirming it was received at the other end. As the app for the product gives clear feedback on the status of a switch, it is clear this should be possible, but either the Alexa API doesnt implement such a function or 3 different vendors have chosen not to utilize it. A less frequent, but perhaps more annoying problem Ive encountered lately is that when going from the living room the the bathroom, I tell my Echo, turn on bathroom (which is using a TP-Link wall switch) followed by turn off lamp as I approach the bathroom. For some reason it sometimes turns off the bathroom instead of the lamp in the living room, despite lamp and bathroom not sounding similar. While that issue is clearly on the Amazon Alexa side, it bears mentioned, as many buyers of this product will be using it with an Echo. The least frequent issue is the dreaded TP-Link is not responding. Thankfully, this happens rarely, although Ive noticed the single HS110 seems to be more prone to it than the other units, despite being only 8 feet from my router. I suspect that unit might have a defect, however, as it also sometimes has an issue with a device Ive just turned off coming back on (and sometimes then switching back off again after a bit, and sometimes repeating the cycle for a while). Although I have limited experience with it, the app seems to be quite reliable for control. As noted earlier, it gives feedback as to the current status of a switch. I also confirmed that unlike some apps (like the one for a couple of Voltson smart switches sold on Amazon by Etekcity), the Kasa app for the TP-Link switches works even without an internet connection. If you have an outlet in a location that is inconvenient to access, this benefit is not to be underestimated. On the matter of accessing the outlet, that highlights one of the benefits of the TP-Link vs. many other smart outlets: The manual switch is easy to see and access. In comparison to the other type smart switch I use (mentioned in the previous paragraph) which has a small unlighted button the same color as the body of the switch and located below the plug, the TP-Links lighted switch placed above is easy to find even in the dark and easy to access. The biggest downside of the TP-Link is its size. In standard outlet, even when placed in the upper socket, plugging anything into the lower one is problematic. I found I could plug in some standard plugs, but only if I pulled the TP-Link out at least slightly while doing so, and again while removing the plug. (The TP-Link could be fully plugged in while the plug was in place). I strongly suggest anyone using a TP-Link HS100 or HS110 consider investing in either of these outlet expanders:

Works as advertised. Set up was easy and painless. Usage is pretty straightforward. I do like that I can use Google Assistant with it, too. Being able to tell Google Assistant to turn on the porch/garage light without having to touch my phone as I drive up to the house or to say turn everything off when going to bed is super convenient. That said, I do have a few gripes: 1. The plug is rather large and will block the other outlet in a duplex outlet. I guess the solution is to get the (slightly_more_expensive) mini version of this. 2. These can only be controlled via mobile app. A desktop app or browser plugin would be great. 3. (Android) The app widget takes up a 4x2 space and contains 4 *scenes. While you can resize the widget to be bigger (as big as the screen, if you wish), theres really no point because it doesnt add more scenes despite the extra space. Its limited to 4. No more, no less. This makes no sense. For me, I only really need one scene and currently theres no way to make the widget smaller with less than 4 scenes. 4. Scenes cannot enable an auto-timer (or, for smart bulbs, do complex behaviors such as scrolling through bulb colors. A sleep timer that ends with a gradual dimming would be amazing). You also cannot schedule scenes, if you want scheduling, you need to do it for each plug/bulb individually. Gripes aside, Im actually very pleased with the line of TP-Links smart products. I just hope Ill see issues 2-4 mentioned above resolved in a future update. *Scenes are programmable switches that can turn on/off TP-Link Smart Plugs and/or TP-Link Smart Bulbs for particular situations. For example, if you come home at night, you can have a scene to turn on your garage and patio lights, dim the lights (eg: 15%) for watching a movie, or just turn everything off when you go to bed. You can do any combination of plugs or bulbs. Scenes for smart plugs are limited to on/off actions only. Scenes for smart bulbs can do on/off and brightness level/color temp/color (depending on your bulb model).

I just finished up setting up the TP-Link Smart Plug so that it would control a bright sun simulating lamp in my living room using my Amazon Dot and Alexa to control it by voice. Since the set up is very fresh in my mind I thought Id write a quick review. I will update this review later if I have any problems with the switch. The process is a little bit tedious. First you plug the TP Link Smart plug into an outlet. Then you must go to your android or iOS phone and download the Kasa app. This app is about 30 MB on an android phone. Next you go through a set up procedure which in my case failed the first time because I had entered the wrong Wi-Fi password for my home network which was completely my fault. When I corrected the error the switch connected with my phone. New problem. For some reason the App refused to allow me to set the device for remote control, which is absolutely necessary in order to use Alexa. It kept thinking that I hadnt verified my email, even though I had. Finally, after trying several things unsuccessfully, I logged out of the app, and I logged back in. This fixed the remote control setting problem. Now I was able to go to the Alexa app on my phone, and add the Kasa skill. Next I went to SmartHome section in Alexa app, and ran Discover Devices, and the Alexa app was able to find the TP-Link Switch. I added the Switch to one of my groups, and now Alexa turns on the Daylight light when I say Alexa, Turn on Sunlight. Nice!!! I may end up moving the switch to my coffee maker, so in the morning I can say Alexa, turn on Coffee in order to make coffee. So in conclusion I gave this four stars because I knocked off one star for the slightly tedious set up. Also, if I hadnt logged out and logged back in, Im pretty confident that the App never would have allowed me to set the switch for remote control. This should be better documented. We will see how the switch works over time. Ive owned previous Wemo smart switches which constantly forgot their programming so I am hoping that this one will be stable over time.

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.

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.

The TP LINK HS100 is an excellent choice for a WiFi smart plug. Set up is easy with the KASA app and once you establish an account for remote control, adding additional plugs is a fast and simple. I especially like the icon selections avaliable to assign to the plugs along with unique names. The app works on both cellphones and tablets. Your phone/tablet and the smart plug must be configured with both on the same 2.4Ghz network, but once completed, the phone/tablet can be switched to an 11a or 11n network. This only works with remote control access or you are confined to local access under 11g only network. I recommend setting up multiple plugs on the same phone or tablet first, discovery and connection is quick and easy on the second device. I deducted a star for the bulkiness of the plug. I also have installed several units of the Power X WiFi Remote Smart Plug by Raynic Electronics, they are not as bulky and have a slimmer profile. You can control local or remote access with the TP LINK HS100, the Power X once configured is remote by default. When on remote you are server dependent and I have experienced server connection issues with both and had to manually control the on/off function of the plug. I recommend the TP LINK HS100 WiFi Remote Smart Plug as a starting point to creating a smart home, with or without the Amazon Echo and Alexa.

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.

Works as intended which is always a good thing. The only negative Ive found is that once you connect it to one device it and decide to use it with something else it does not want to connect with it. That is a problem. If you leave the same device connected all the time it should work great.