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

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.

Was looking for Echo Smart Home compatible smart plugs that didnt need some centralized management unit. The reviews on the HS100s by TP-Link mostly sounded favorable so I bought a couple to try out. The Echo integration works in two steps. First step is to configure the plugs with the TP-Link KASA app which requites setting up a free account and configuring each plug one at a time, naming the plug and joining it to your network. Once thats done, you can control them with your KASA app off your smart phone. The first one configured up fine but my second one had issues which were resolved by doing a rest on it twice and it finally assimilated. In the KASA app you can also setup schedules and calendars for your individual sockets as well, its actually a decent app. The next step is the Echo integration. This involves opening the Echo app and going to Smart Home and learning the KASA TP-Link skills. You will link Echo to your newly created KASA account and then discover devices. The devices will show up as whatever name you gave them in the KASA app. This is also the name you will use when you say Alexa turn <name> on (or off). So setup is fairly easy as long as your follow the correct order of operations and your plugs cooperate. So far Ive had them installed for a couple days and they have not dropped off the network yet. Theyre on my 2.5ghz wifi guest network. The plugs and the rest of your wifi devices dont necessarily need to be on the same wifi network. If youre into security and your router is capable, you could setup a new wifi network just for things and connect your HS100s to that new network. This would get around some of the issues people have with spaces not being support in wifi network names/passwords. As long as everything has open access to the Internet, Echo can control the HS100s just fine on the same network or a different network. From what I can tell, Echo does not directly talk to your plugs. Echo talks to KASA cloud services and KASA in turns talks to your HS100 smart plugs. So far very happy with the HS100s. Will update if anything significant happens positive or negative with them in the future. But I plan on buying more (when theyre on sale again). Update 9/8/16 : These HAD been working flawlessly but for some reason 24 hours ago, they suddenly stopped working. I dont believe that its Alexa, both my plugs still appear in the Alexa app as learned. However when I open the KASA app, it no longer shows the devices so pretty weird how all of a sudden theyve disappeared from the KASA app. I suppose to fix it ill need to start the configuration from scratch again . -1 star for sudden problems with no explanation. Update 12/15/17 : Ive added two more of these to my home thanks to holiday sale promotions with alexa devices. Im using two of them for christmas lights/decorations and have them grouped to come on or off when i ask for Christmas Lights to go on or off. Works great, took like 10 minutes or less to get setup and working, granted Im now pretty experienced with these as all my smart home devices are TP-Link with Alexa. I know what to do when to do it and how to configure it, and it all works great. Will prob be looking at adding some other TP-Link devices in the new year like their cameras. Been very happy with these products. TO follow up on my previous review, once in a while the Kasa servers have a hiccup and voice commands wont operate and the app goes wonkey. When this happens dont do anything just wait it out, use the manual on/off options included. The plugs have on/off buttons for manual override and the light bulbs will go on/off with a light switch. Just flip the light switch off, then on again and the light will come on. When kasa recovers just turn your light on again and wait 30 seconds or so for it to connect and then voice command it to go off.

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.

Liked it!

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.

Always wanted some home automation system, but in reading the horror stories of the past always made me back off. Happened across this device here at Amazon. For the reduced price, I took the risk and ordered one. WOW -- what a plug. NO special hub needed. This unit connects directly to your home 2.4 Ghz Wi-Fi router and controlled by the Kasa Android/iOS app that programs and controls your switches. More later. Unboxed and set up my plug. You will need to have an Android or iOS device to perform the set up. If you do not have one, there is NO way to properly install or use this plug. There is NO web site to perform this task. I give fair warning to you and you can continue your search for a different type of connection set-up. Downloaded the Kasa app from the Google Play Store to both my Android devices. Proceeded to register for a TP Link remote access account. An email will be sent to the address you provide. After confirming this is really your email account, set up continues. Since I had only one light switch, programming one name was easy. After the app finds your home network (Wi-Fi) enter your security password. Mine is connected to a WPA2-AES Netgear routed network. With the correct password, my router recognized the TP Link plug right off. Once done, I manually changed the plug IP address in my LAN settings to a static address, so the plug will always connect to the same connection address. Less work for the router to do when a reboot happens. Testing this plug further, I played with a light unplugging and replugging the outlet in different wall sockets in the house. All locations were found and connected to my wireless network. Testing, I was able to turn the light on and off at will. Next up was a remote test off premises and away from my Wi-Fi network. Walked down the the end of my street and turned on the light -- failure. What went wrong? Walked down the street again -- the 4G LTE signal took additional time to connect with the TP Link servers via the Kasa app. The first try failed giving me a message of connection failed, please try again later Tried again a couple seconds later -- success. If you have connections issues, try a second time, this should be successful. Dont lose the installation instruction. There is no replacement instructions for this model plug on the TP Link support web site. Both my wife and I are happy with this plug that we just ordered two more for different devices we have here at the house. The ability to control lights and appliances remotely, in town or away is great. I have to play with this plug more and will supplement this review after a brief time to conduct additional testing under varied conditions. Im pleased with the purchase and this product deserves, rightful so, my 5 star rating. ******* 05/12/2016 - Update I now have three (3) of these wall plugs connected to my home Wi-Fi network. All three (3) with static IP addresses on my LAN network. All having reconnected with my network after one power outage and several plug movements from their originating and paring positions. If you want to use these plug remotely (the very reason you buy them), you have to change the identifying name on your router. The default name is HS-100 and they will show up as HS-100, but the router is confused when the Kasa app is opened (even though the MAC addresses are different for each plug). It will allow for only one switch to work remotely and the other two to be under local Wi-Fi network control. When I changed the names on my router and gave them separate static addresses at the same time, all plugs worked remotely. A helpful tip. Unlike other home security items controlled by remote (like IP cameras), NO need to do any fancy port forwarding and router tricks to make them work. They are plug-n-play after you find them on your network through the Kasa app. Manual turn on provision is the easy part. Programmed time works just as will, programming the plug from the Kasa app. You have to program one separate on time and a second separate off time. I understand that up to 50 separate times can be stored per plug. I have not tried it. One reviewer blasted the security, or the lack thereof these plugs. He brings up several points, but overall, someone has to have some pretty sophisticated hardware and programming skills to catch these plugs passing your Wi-Fi password info across the local network. Nothing is absolutely secure. If somebody really wants that info, they will get it -- plain and simple. The statistical chances of your Wi-Fi network being hacked by these plugs are very remote at best. I would far more worried about a smash and grab theft/robbery of your computer hardware, compromising your network directly, or an armed robbery of your cell phone with the Kasa app than a sniffer outside waiting, waiting, waiting to capture your plugs talking with your network. More paranoia than anything else. Use these plugs in good health. I enjoy knowing that they just work, locally and remotely, with the ability to verify that your lights are working properly and at your programmed times. Nuff said. ******* 05/22/2016 - Update I created a monster! My wife plays with these wall plugs all the time with her Android phone. On, off, on, off. Such small things bring that much pleasure cannot be all bad. Hey, if she uses them like this, Im happy and just confirms that I made the right purchase. ******* 06/15/2016 - Update Just returned from a week long trip out-of-state. Put these plugs through a more thorough test while away from home. Viewing and switching remotely, on both Wifi and 4G LTE from my phone, they worked as represented. I was able to verify this remotely with my IP cams in the house. Changing my pre-programed settings remotely worked also. A nice convenience. Thus far, with over a month of use, these plugs just work. I also understand (with the last Kasa app update), TP-Link is rereleasing a wall switch based upon the same technology as these wall plugs. The model will be the HS-200. No release date has been set as of this time. When they come out, I will upgrade several wall switches for my lights with the HS-200 switches. ******** 09/29/2016 - HS200 wall switch installation Discount Coupon time ($5.00 off), picked one up from Amazon as phase two (2) of operation Home Automation w/o a Hub project continues. Came today and just finished installing it. Unboxed the switch. Nicely packed with foam protection surrounding the face plate. Four (4) wires to connect: * Green for ground * White for neutral * Black (2 wires) for line and load (neither one marked for line or load) * Extra wire nuts were included - a nice touch I have mine connected to a 50 watt Track-Light set up with 5 LED BR30 bulbs. Lower wattage, but there are NO issues with flicker on power up/down. The dark side of my installation: Then the fun began. The wall switch cover (one pole/switch cover) is attached to the mounting tangs of the switch with plastic clasp hooks molded onto the face plate. I have two switches at the installed location so the included face plate had to be removed. The back side face plate hooks snap over the plastic mounting tangs on the switch and are very tough to separate. It took some careful prying to separate the faceplate from the switch so as not to break the plastic mounting tangs on the switch. Remember that when you get your switch. A bad design by TP-Link. Further, the mounting tangs on the wall switch are thicker plastic than a regular metal framed switch, so a standard wall plate may or may not fit. Mine barely fits, but there is a gap around the side edge of the wall plate. I will have to buy a deeper clearance wall plate to close the now obvious gap. Also, the switch plate cover mounting screws (the small ones that are exposed) are NOT drilled to accept the switch plate mounting screws. It took some force to get the screws started into the plastic mounting tangs on the switch. Another issue with this switch and TP-Links bad design. This switch also did something I didnt see with the wall plugs. When I went to add the switch to the Kasa app, it took over my cell phone Wi-Fi connection. Once installation was completely configured, the wall switch released my phone Wi-Fi and let it reset to my home router. A minor distraction and why it happened is beyond me. Normal, but some warning should have been given. Now, it was not all bad. Once installed from my cell phone, other Android devices found this switch and automatically entered it into the Kasa program. All devices work remotely without an issue. Like my wall plugs, I configured this switch to a static IP address on my LAN. Reconfiguration was painless and it works just fine. All 4 plugs and switched play nice on the Kasa app. I knocked off one star for the plastic construction of the wall tangs, mounting points and packaging of the wall plate cover. The mounting tangs should have been metal and the wall plate should have rested on top of the switch, not mounted to it. NO note in the box of how to take the wall plate off the switch -- an oversight by some engineer, but not to the end user. I plan to purchase a couple more wall switches. Even with the flaws I described, they work as intended and my wife continues to play with them every day. ******* 01/02/2017 - Update I am now up to two (2) HS-200 wall switches and three (3) HS-100 wall plugs. All are connected to a second Linksys AP router (more in a minute). The switches and wall plugs continue to work flawlessly. I also have an

The plug arrived a day early, which has been pretty standard lately. Id already downloaded the Kasa application and setup a user account so all I had to do was plug the plug in and follow the instructions in the app. The plug showed up and other than being patient while it made the changes to the network configure, saved and then rebooted the plug it was very quick. I then tested the plug using the Kasa app and both my Echo and Touch. It worked without a problem, Id read the instructions and followed them so Id already discovered the device with Alexa. I had my daughter test it remotely, again no problem. I suspect the biggest issue will now be my daughter messing with me by turning the light on and off on me. I then unplugged it, gave it the 10 count and plugged it back in. Oh no, it isnt working, the sky is falling! Ha, remember I mentioned the reboot earlier, be patient, dont start unplugging and plugging it in again and again. I waited and what do you know, its working. So far its worked exactly how I expected it too. The only issue I have with it so far is that it does block both ports on an outlet. Id expected this as well however, Id done my homework and read the reviews so as you can see from the picture I had an extension cord ready. I did knock a star off for this however, this day and age with everything requiring power blocking an unused outlet port is unacceptable IMHO. I like that I dont need a separate hub for the TP-Link Smart Plug. Now to see how it handles everyday life, will it hold up, will my wife finally allow me to bring the Echo out of the man-cave? Only time will tell.

After being a little hesitant about trying home automation things in my house, I decided to buy the amazon echo. It was over from there. I added a few of these smart plugs to the house and they work perfectly. Setup was a breeze. It took less than 5 minutes to be connected to my router and on the home network. It will require you to create a account with TP-Link but these days everything does. The app is simple to use and is designed to work instantaneously when you hit the on and off button. Tons of custom settings if you want to get into timers and other security features. You can keep adding more smart plugs to the same account without any trouble. I wish these smart plugs would shrink in size a little but all in due time. I am glad to see TP-Link is starting to come down in price. Honestly that was the only thing holding me back from more of these guys. Price needs to drop to make a viable option for everything to have a smart plug. After setup and plugged it in and named it and setup it on the app, of course I decided to use it with the Amazon Echo. Discovery on the Alexa app went perfect. It discovered all the smart plugs and that was it. After that using the Echo to control the plugs was as easy as say Alexa turn on family room lights. Works flawlessly, perfectly every time. I wish everything could work perfectly together like these two products. Highly recommended for not on controlling smart plugs with a app but if you have a Echo a must to have.....

UPDATE 10/22/16 Recently I wanted to do more things with my Smart plugs. I wanted things like a geo-fence, so my lights and stereo would come on when I arrive home, allowing me to walk into a welcoming home. What I discovered is that without a hub or IFTTT, this is impossible right now. So I looked into hubs, only to discover that the TP-Link products do not work with ANY hub! I was shocked. For such a great product to be incompatible with any popular hub on the market is inconceivable to me. The same story with IFTTT. So as much as I enjoy my 5 TP-Link Plugs, I may have to replace them to achieve a better smart home. CAVEAT EMPTOR!. I have written the company asking for them to upgrade the firmware to be HUB compatible. ORIGINAL REVIEW: I have only had this for a few weeks, but I absolutely love it. I currently have two of these and I am looking to buy more. This is incredibly easy to set up using the Kasa app on your phone. Once youve accomplished that, the next step is connecting it to Amazon Echo, which is just as easy. Just open Echos app on your phone, tap on Smart home, then Discover, and youre off to the races! The final step is to create a group in the Amazon echo app so that you turn multiple items on or off. I only wish it could change the channel on my TV! LOL. This is a definite recommended product to anyone, and if you have Amazon echo its a no-brainer. Especially since no hub is required for it to work with Echo.

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).