Best smart Socket/Plug

kennM

Zascar wrote: »

[url]Http://www.powercity.ie/index.php?par=20-27-HS100&action=moreinfo[/url]

Good find thanks. I now need to decide between these and going down the the Energnie starter back route. Any advice?

I recently picked up an Amazon Echo, already have Nest Thermostats, 9 TP Link Smart plugs (3 or so of them will be used for Christmas) all controlled via Kasa and paired with Amazon echo..... pretty cool "Alexa turn off the kitchen lamp", OK. Done.

Have grouped them also... "Alexa turn off the downstairs lights" and everything on TP Link down stairs goes off. Couple of Dots on order too.

I follow a Facebook group in the UK around Amazon echo and Smart home and the TP Links at €20 you can't go far wrong at all! Remote control via app, schedules, timers, remote control, grouping into scenes, etc. via Kasa app.

lolliedog

Anyone know what the max load that can be switched on using the Tp link hs100 plug?

kennM

lolliedog wrote: »

Anyone know what the max load that can be switched on using the Tp link hs100 plug?

Maximum load seems to be 15amps - https://www.google.ie/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiggcLo59XQAhULDsAKHdEfBzYQFggpMAM&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FTP-Link-HS100-Control-anywhere-KIT%2Fproduct-reviews%2FB01KBFWW0O&usg=AFQjCNHH_Sga5iSSzfjQQz7_vReqsyaWCA&sig2=IFT15aSLKg_kuA1q4bjK8w&bvm=bv.139782543,d.bGs

lolliedog

Got my tp link hs100 plugs today. Had great fun with the kids. I told them I meet Santa and he gave me magic powers to turn on the Christmas tree. I told them that he said that if they don't behave he won't come. My Magic powers were very convincing!!

Zascar

I got two of the Hs100's in Power City right before they put the price back up. Easy to use and set up, work fast, they are great - recommended!

garbeth

kennM wrote: »

I follow a Facebook group in the UK around Amazon echo and Smart home and the TP Links at €20 yo

What's the Facebook group called

mik_da_man

Didn't realise that I needed these before reading the thread!

Missed out on the cheap TP link ones in Power city, best price for me now seems to be Argos @ 34.95 as I'm in Cork so no Powercity/DID local to me.

However I noticed the Energenie ones in the BA thread for £50 quid for 3.


Anyone have them and do they work with Alexa? not finding anything concrete on that...

Zascar

Yeah it does, see here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/alexafansuk/permalink/1113719782058550/?match=ZW5lcmdlbmll

mik_da_man

Cheers - No fb access in work, will check it out later.

Do you have them?

Doodah7

Has anyone tried the LIFX bulbs yet? They are Echo compatible. Attractive in some respects that the bulb is wi-fi rather than having to use a smart plug.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Colour-Multi-Colour-Dimmable-Required-Edison/dp/B018NNBJ4G/ref=sr_1_1?s=lighting&ie=UTF8&qid=1480940457&sr=1-1&keywords=lifx

I've also read that TP Link have released wifi bulbs in the US which, naturally, are compatible with their Kaza app and the Amazon Echo. No sign of them on this side of the pond yet.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HXM8X88/ref=twister_B01M7XAVH1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

bk

tallpaul wrote: »

Has anyone tried the LIFX bulbs yet? They are Echo compatible. Attractive in some respects that the bulb is wi-fi rather than having to use a smart plug.

I actually think that is a disadvantage rather then an advantage.

What happens when your wifi or internet goes down? Will you still be able to turn your lights on and off? Control them?

With the obvious exception of remote access, you still have full control over Hue bulbs with their bridge, even if your wifi/internet goes down.

Also each hue bulb requires less complicated and less expensive systems in each bulb and likely more energy efficient in standby.

Wifi bulbs only make sense if you are planning to buy one and just one bulb only. They really don't make sense for replacing multiple bulbs.

I'd say the same for smart plugs, though no one has done a really good two way communication smart plug system yet.

Graham

bk wrote: »

What happens when your wifi or internet goes down? Will you still be able to turn your lights on and off? Control them?

If the internet goes down, you still have local access to them via your WiFi.

If your WiFi goes down you switch them on/off as you would a normal (unsmart) light.

Doodah7

As another poster has said, wi-fi bulbs work like ordinary bulbs if wi-fi goes down. In addition, using these bulbs has a lower initial outlay and can be added to incrementally.

In addition, the Hue bridge is yet another device that has to be plugged in near my router. I also have an Apple Time Capsule, a NAS, a landline AND a lamp plugged in. The Philips bridge would be another plug. I also want to get the Hive thermostat system in and that would be ANOTHER device plugged in!!!

Wifi bulbs are autonomous and have certain advantages.

ted1

tallpaul wrote: »

As another poster has said, wi-fi bulbs work like ordinary bulbs if wi-fi goes down. In addition, using these bulbs has a lower initial outlay and can be added to incrementally.

In addition, the Hue bridge is yet another device that has to be plugged in near my router. I also have an Apple Time Capsule, a NAS, a landline AND a lamp plugged in. The Philips bridge would be another plug. I also want to get the Hive thermostat system in and that would be ANOTHER device plugged in!!!

Wifi bulbs are autonomous and have certain advantages.

The hive dies not need to be plugged in to your router. So doesn't need to be near it.

Doodah7

For those that are interested, most reviews seem to say that there is little difference between a LIFX bulb and a Hue. Indeed the LIFX seems to be brighter and last longer.

http://www.wareable.com/smart-home/philips-hue-v-lifx-smart-bulbs-1868

http://smarthomesolver.com/reviews/lifx-vs-hue-comparison/

Doodah7

ted1 wrote: »

The hive dies not need to be plugged in to your router. So doesn't need to be near it.

The Hive requires a Hive hub to be connected to your router for it to work no?

https://www.britishgas.co.uk/products-and-services/hive-active-heating.html

Graham

tallpaul wrote: »

For those that are interested, most reviews seem to say that there is little difference between a LIFX bulb and a Hue. Indeed the LIFX seems to be brighter and last longer.

http://www.wareable.com/smart-home/philips-hue-v-lifx-smart-bulbs-1868

http://smarthomesolver.com/reviews/lifx-vs-hue-comparison/

better range of colours too although that may change with the newest Hue bulbs.

Graham

tallpaul wrote: »

The Hive requires a Hive hub to be connected to your router for it to work no?

https://www.britishgas.co.uk/products-and-services/hive-active-heating.html

It does.

ted1

tallpaul wrote: »

The Hive requires a Hive hub to be connected to your router for it to work no?

https://www.britishgas.co.uk/products-and-services/hive-active-heating.html

Sorry I was thinking Of Nest which uses wifi

bk

Graham wrote: »

If the internet goes down, you still have local access to them via your WiFi.

That depends. With some routers if your internet goes down, then your wifi does too. I know that is pretty stupid setup, but not unusual for the ISP supplied routers that most people use.

Graham wrote: »

If your WiFi goes down you switch them on/off as you would a normal (unsmart) light.

If you still have a switch. Many people who go Hue, end up covering their physical switches as they aren't needed any more.

Even if your wifi goes down, you still have full control over Hue bulbs via the app (while home) or using their various switches. And that includes scenes, colours, dimming, etc.

Hue is unarguably more reliable then Lifx.

tallpaul wrote: »

As another poster has said, wi-fi bulbs work like ordinary bulbs if wi-fi goes down. In addition, using these bulbs has a lower initial outlay and can be added to incrementally.

The Hue hub can often be gotten for free when bought in a bundle.

Wifi is also much more complicated and expensive then zigbee. So you are trading the cost of the hub against the greater cost of each individual bulb. I note that the Lifx white bulb costs £40 versus just £25 for the equivalent Hue bulb.

There is also the higher ongoing running cost. Wifi uses way more power then zigbee, as a result Lifx bulbs use 2.7w of power even when off, while Hue only use 0.4w.

That extra power usage also means more heat, which may result in a shorter running life.

Finally, wifi requires more complicated circuitry. I note that Lifx don't have any GU10 type bulbs and even their normal bulbs are much larger then the equivalent Hue bulb. This is due to the larger electronics required for wifi and the reason that Lifx can't scale down to GU10 style bulbs.

The truth is wifi only devices is a failed concept in home automation. They are more of a toy, rather then a complete system. It is the reason why almost every company uses hubs now.

Graham

bk wrote: »

If you still have a switch. Many people who go Hue, end up covering their physical switches as they aren't needed any more.

Even if your wifi goes down, you still have full control over Hue bulbs via the app (while home) or using their various switches. And that includes scenes, colours, dimming, etc.

Not sure there's a huge number of people who've removed switches. Covered them with a Hue 'switch' maybe.

Not seeing much evidence that WiFi routers are any less reliable than the Hue hub to be honest and the only outage I've ever had with the Lifx was during a power cut.

bk wrote: »

Hue is unarguably more reliable then Lifx.

There are reasons you may want to choose Hue over Lifx, reliability isn't one of them.

bk wrote: »

The truth is wifi only devices is a failed concept in home automation. They are more of a toy, rather then a complete system. It is the reason why almost every company uses hubs now.

I think it's a bit early to make that call yet. While I agree that WiFi probably isn't the ideal long-term solution, I'm not convinced the stack-of-assorted-hubs approach is either.

bk

Graham wrote: »

I think it's a bit early to make that call yet. While I agree that WiFi probably isn't the ideal long-term solution, I'm not convinced the stack-of-assorted-hubs approach is either.

Obviously just one hub, rather then many would be preferable.

But using high power and expensive in terms of electronics wifi when you are just sending simple control commands that use like then a few kb's of data is just insane from a purely technical perspective.

Again I'll repeat the advantages of Hue over Lifx:

- More reliable, will continue to work if your wifi goes down.

- Much lower power usage in standby, 0.4w versus 2.7w

- Cheaper cost per bulb, due to simpler electronics

- Less electronics in the bulb and more compact. Thus smaller bulbs like GU10's

- Use less power in standby, thus less heat on the electronics, thus likely to last longer.

- Use lower frequency, thus will work over further distances and more reliably through walls then wifi does. Also the advantage of a mesh network.

Aside of the Hub versus wifi argument, the other advantages are:

- Many more products, Lifx literally have only standard type bulbs, nothing else. Hue has bulbs, GU10's, lamps, light fixings, light strips, multiple types of switches, motion sensors.

- Hue has a much more open API, with far more apps for it and far greater with various home automation systems.

Literally the only advantage of Lifx that I can see is that it doesn't require a hub, but then that causes many of the above disadvantages.

Lifx is fine if you just want one single bulb to play with. But if you want an ecosystem of products to fill your home, then Hue is WAY ahead.

Graham

bk wrote: »

Obviously just one hub, rather then many would be preferable.

But using high power and expensive in terms of electronics wifi when you are just sending simple control commands that use like then a few kb's of data is just insane from a purely technical perspective.

Again I'll repeat the advantages of Hue over Lifx:

- More reliable, will continue to work if your wifi goes down.

- Much lower power usage in standby, 0.4w versus 2.7w

- Cheaper cost per bulb, due to simpler electronics

- Less electronics in the bulb and more compact. Thus smaller bulbs like GU10's

- Use less power in standby, thus less heat on the electronics, thus likely to last longer.

- Use lower frequency, thus will work over further distances and more reliably through walls then wifi does. Also the advantage of a mesh network.

Aside of the Hub versus wifi argument, the other advantages are:

- Many more products, Lifx literally have only standard type bulbs, nothing else. Hue has bulbs, GU10's, lamps, light fixings, light strips, multiple types of switches, motion sensors.

- Hue has a much more open API, with far more apps for it and far greater with various home automation systems.

Literally the only advantage of Lifx that I can see is that it doesn't require a hub, but then that causes many of the above disadvantages.

Lifx is fine if you just want one single bulb to play with. But if you want an ecosystem of products to fill your home, then Hue is WAY ahead.

We'll agree to disagree I think.

I don't argue most of the technical reasons so I'll leave you with one thought: Betamax.

alastair

Graham wrote: »

I'm not convinced the stack-of-assorted-hubs approach is either.

Possibly not, but the inevitability of single box hub solution for multiple platforms shouldn't be dismissed. It'll either be a licensed product, or a homebrew solution using arduino or similar.

Graham

alastair wrote: »

Possibly not, but the inevitability of single box hub solution for multiple platforms shouldn't be dismissed. It'll either be a licensed product, or a homebrew solution using arduino or similar.

That's where I'd be placing my bets alastair.

At the moment there's no sign of a single box that's making sufficient inroads to be a contender. I suspect the winning box is going to look like something entirely different initially.

Given the right radios, Amazon Echo, Google Home, Apple TV could all be likely contenders finding their way into homes Trojan Horse style.

If I were any of the major players now, I'd be pumping my products chock-full of Zigbee/Z-Wave/Bluetooth/WiFi et al and getting them into the market at the lowest price point possible.

kennM

garbeth wrote: »

What's the Facebook group called

Sorry for delay in coming back to you "Amazon Alexa Fans UK - A Support Forum For Everything Alexa"

OldBean

Are there any more recommended options for plugs?

I've been looking at the TP-Link options for €35 in Argos (Or €50 with an energy monitor) and they seem to be a pretty safe bet, but I'm not sure if they'll work with Google Home, and Google won't confirm.

Ideally, I'd like a plug that...
-Doesn't require another hub
-Won't automatically turn on if the power goes out and returns while I'm away
-Works with the Apple Home app/quick select interface and Google Home
-Can be picked up in Dublin city centre (Need to get rid of some One4All gift cards)

mik_da_man

Picked up a TP link HS110 myself yesterday for 35 in Argos - it must have gone back up to 50 now...
Very easy setup and app is quite nice

The novelty factor of "Alexa - Turn on the Christmas Tree" is great fun

edit: Harvey Norman have them for 34.90 also

wallaby72

I'm not 100% certain but I'd check Woodies for the TP-Link HS110 too.
I think they were at €29.99 when I looked last Friday and the HS100 was €24.99
Their website of course doesn't list anything

AndyBoBandy

I just got one of these from B&Q in airside for €20 (on offer from €30) and it's bloody brilliant!!!



Its all I want a smart plug to be, no hub, on/off via the app (over Wifi & 3G), and a 7 day timer.

I think I'll immediately go back and pick up a few more at what is a fantastic price.


(I don't work for B&Q, or G-Homa, and I've only been using it for 5 minutes, but it does everything it needs to)