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

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.

Works smoothly with Alexa. After you install the TP-LINK software / app, Alexa is able to link with the cloud based TP-Link app and discovers the devices registered with TP-Link. Alexa will discover the device name(s) given at the TP-Link site. If you want to change the device name, because some may sound similar and Alexa has trouble to understand correctly, youll have to visit TP-Link to change the name and have Alexa possibly re-discover. I have a few of them smart plugs to switch certain lights on / off that dont have a dedicated light switch. If I remember correctly, the plug is rated at 1800 Watt and can switch heavier loads than light bulbs. There are other switches / plugs on the market that may be a little less expensive, but I didnt want to mess around with there link apps for security reasons. TP-LINK is in the business for network devices some time and I trust (hopefully) they made the app reasonably secure against hacker. I believe it is best to keep any of your skills to a minimum (in particular the free with adds), so I just use TP-Link products since they can be controlled by one app / skill. Each device acquires a seat in your router (with DHCP enabled IP-Addressing) also using the embedded MAC (Media Access Control Number) to keep it reasonably safe from intruders. Most routers can assign 255 IPs hence 255 devices. I havent tried, but one could probably run the devices on MAC. As of the time of this review, all is working as intended! Alexa can hear my commands over a distance of a little more than 10 feet, although I have to admit, she is a little shielded from my voice. (Placement for strong router signal) Since I am somewhat lazy, I purchased a second Echo-Dot with a little bluetooth speaker for my Bedroom. This way I tell Alexa to switch off my bedroom light and play some music for a given time. I also, have some difficult to reach light switches e.g. behind doors and replaced them with TP-LINK WiFi light switches.

Original review (at 1 star) follows below, which I gave for this plug not being able to power my 12.5A/1500W heater without overheating in a few minutes and shutting off, making it useless (it would only work if my heater was set to low, 750W, which is not enough to heat the room). Ongoing communication with TP Link did not resolve anything, other than them finally blaming my heater (although I applaud their responsiveness to my concerns -- they just didnt offer much help). It turns out it was not my heater, but possibly my power source. I am in an older building, and I think the wiring is a bit temperamental. So, on my own, I had the bright idea to put a stable bridge between this smart plug, and my wall outlet, and so I ordered the ZOOMACH Surge Protector Power Strip with USB Charging Ports and 5 Ft Extension Cord, Multi Outlet Power Strip with 2100 Joule, 1875W/15A(4-Outlet) reasoning that, if my wall power is a bit wonky, maybe a good quality power bar might help stabilize the current, for the TP Link unit. It did! Solved the problem entirely, in fact. I plugged this TP Link into the power strip, instead of the wall outlet, and, presto, I can operate my heater at full power, and the TP link plug no longer overheats or shuts off. So, combined with super easy set up (far easier than Wemo) and flawless connectivity, this turned out to be a winner. I am still deducting one star for the fact that TP Link Customer service, while very responsive, was not helpful in troubleshooting my issue. My solution was a wild guess, really, but based on a logical premise, and Im surprised no one at TP Link could have thought to suggest it. So, if youre having issues with this, powering an appliance, feel free to try my solution. I now have a smart plug that works, with no overheating issues. Very happy, and glad I did not return it. Original review follows: This didnt work, Im going to return it, and heres the story.... So, years ago, I bought a Wemo smart plug (not the Mini version) to remotely operate a couple of space heaters (they are identical, each one is 12.5A, 1500W on highest setting), one at my office, and one at home. They worked great, accept one finally quit working, this year. I bought a Wemo Mini, to replace it, but it just overheats and shuts off. I thought maybe it was because it was smaller and, since it was also frustrating to set up, I tried this one from Kasa TP-Link, the HS100, rated for 15A and 1800W. I will say the Kasa was far easier to set up than Wemo. Other than the hassle of creating an account, in order to operate it remotely, set up was a breeze and connectivity was awesome. BUT, same problem -- it overheats, and shuts off. This one WILL work, if I put my heater on the low setting, but, unfortunately, that doesnt heat the area very effectively, making this switch useless for its need. What is frustrating is that they advertise it, to use for a space heater! In fact, one of the icons you choose, to identify your appliance, is that of a space heater. I even wrote in to TP-Link, to ask why it wont work, and they say it is rated to 15A and 1800W so it wont work for my heater.....which is only 12.5A and 1500W.....what?! They further said another product I asked about, their smart power cord, rated at 15A and 1875W, also will NOT work my heater..... I think that winds up being a case of false advertising then, yes? Ive researched this now, and apparently it is not a strange idea to put a 1500W heater on a smart switch, and, in fact, it seems some folks use this one, and similar models, without issue, but this one does not work for me, and its a let down when their customer service tells me that it wont work, despite their own statement that it should. I think they need to be more honest in their description of what their product can handle, if the expectation, from them, is that this wont work with an appliance rated less of a power draw than the specs of the plug. So, my search for a robust smart switch continues. Pros: Easy set up Cons: Does not work as advertised. Overheats, shuts off. Useless.

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!

I agree with all of the positive reviews on here, so I am writing for a more specific purpose. First, I am currently using 4 of these plugs to control Christmas lights as a group via Kasa and Alexa. It works every time. Alexa, turn on Christmas. More importantly, I am able to use this plug to power on/off an amp, which powers external speakers. Here is the setup: Echo Dot, wired bookshelf speakers, speaker wire, 3.5mm cable, small lepai amp and this plug. I already had all of these items except the plug. I will admit that there are cheaper alternatives to my setup for bluetooth speakers or the dots internal speaker that may work better for most people who just want a little background music in the kitchen rather than wired speakers. When the 3.5mm cable is connected to the Dot, the Dots internal speaker does not work. You can use external speakers, but they must be powered by another source. So, I was stuck turning on and off and amp by hand. This defeats the purpose of voice command until I bought this plug. Now I always leave the amps on/off switch to ON and connect the amps power supply to this plug. I keep the amps volume relatively low to avoid speaker popping when the amp receives power. I control the remaining volume with my voice with Alexa once I turn the amp on. Now, from anywhere on the first floor, I can say Alexa, turn on speaker and the plug will switch the amp on and the speakers are 10 times better than Alexas internal speaker. Alexa, volume 10! A few extra notes: *Even if the speakers are off, I can still use Alexa, but I will not hear her response because the speakers are off and the Dot is still connected to the 3.5mm cable. Hence, the Dots internal speaker is inactive. Its easy to turn the speakers on if I really need to hear Alexa, but my light commands still work very well without the need to always have the external speakers on. *I named the plug Speaker in the Kasa app *The plug normally covers both openings in the outlet. The outlet pictured has a little more space in between because there is a reset button in between the two openings. Fair warning if you are thinking about buying smart devices for the first time: Yes, they are awesome. They are awesome, most are very expensive and adding to your set up is addictive. I cant wait to see what other work-arounds people come up with....

The short version.....these work great and these should be your choice in Smart Plugs. Longer Version: When I started out with the home automation stuff, after purchasing an Echo, my first purchases were the Wemo plugs......that was a mistake. I have written a review on those and they have only gotten worse since I wrote it, due to Wemo updates which have only served to make both the plugs and App less usable. As far as the TP-Link plugs (and I have also purchased and installed TP-Link Switches), these work great and, while the App could be a little more user friendly, thus only 4 Stars, they so far out-distance the Wemo stuff that the decision on which to buy is, in my opinion, a no-brainer. The set-up process is, I guess, standard for these types of devices, but it worked flawlessly with each of the 4 plugs and 5 switches I have purchased. They are reliable and I have had absolutely no issues with them as far as function and reliability. As I said, the App is a bit clunky and could be more usable, but it is not THAT bad and, again, completely blows away Wemos in functionality. They also all work flawlessly with my Amazon Echo with minimal delay. As a matter of fact, I have made the decision to replace the 3 original Wemo plugs I bought with TP-Link plugs because the Wemos have become unusable in 80% of their function and completely unusable for a lot of uses for which I purchased them. I apologize if this seems more like a comparison report, but I figure that if you are reading the reviews, you are trying to decide which Smart Plug brand to purchase. TP-Links would be my very clear recommendation.

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.

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.

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 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.