Levition WI-FI Plug

[tom baker]

I am trying out a Leviton WI-FI plug, I have the App and can log into my Leviton account from my computer. The app and web interface seems akward. All I want to do is have a light turn on at sunset, off at a certain time, turn on at a certain time and off at sunrise. this should be really simple but its not.
Are there any other WI-FI plugs I should consider? Amazon has a line of plugs that are less money, the Leviton is $25.
Amazon is here: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=wi-fi+plugs&ref=nb_sb_noss_1

 

[PaulMmn]

See if X10 has anything... I had an X10 household control system at one time.

 

[LarryFine]

See if X10 has anything... I had an X10 household control system at one time.

I still do, on a smaller scale, and my mom has a functional X-10 alarm system.

 

[jim dungar]

The app and web interface seems akward. All I want to do is have a light turn on at sunset, off at a certain time, turn on at a certain time and off at sunrise. this should be really simple but its not.

I have some smart outlets that use KASA (TP-Link) that have an astronomical function and also work with Alexa.
I also have two other brands, like Smarthome, but they do not know when it is dusk or dawn.

 

[egnlsn]

Go with Zwave and/or ZigBee. Different bandwidth (Zwave is 908MHz, while ZigBee is 2.4GHz(not WiFi). Each device that is hardwired is also a repeater and part of a mesh network, so while the distance requirement from the hub is within 100', each hardwired device extends that. I use SmartThings to turn my soffit lights on/off at sunrise/sunset, Christmas lights on at sunset and off at midnight. The inside ones go off at 10 or 11 at night, depending on what/where it is. Turn on all of them with one tap, or individually. When I open my kitchen door between sunset and 5AM, my pendant lights come on. Same with my front door and the entry chandelier. If a basement or ground floor window gets opened between sunset and sunrise, all of the lights in my house come on. Most of my light switches have an LED that turns red when the garage door is open (normally blue), so I know if I need to close it. Turn the thermostat up or down utilizing Alexa. If the outdoor temperature drops below 15, the thermostat goes up a degree. And so on...

 

[tom baker]

Thanks egnlsn. I have x-10, it works and is simple. I will look into z wave and xig bee. Is smart home a good supplier?

 

[steve_p]

Insteon works well, requires a hub. Dual band, uses zwave . and rf I have several plug in modules running Christmas lights, exterior lights . There is a starter kit available that includes the hub and one or two plug in modules.

 

[egnlsn]

Thanks egnlsn. I have x-10, it works and is simple. I will look into z wave and xig bee. Is smart home a good supplier?

Good supplier, yes. Prices seem to be comparable to Home Depot, though. I get most of my devices from Amazon, some directly from the manufacturer (Inovelli for switched and dimmers), and some from my local Best Buy.

CIAO!

Ed N.

 

[tom baker]

Do you recoomend z-wave or zig-bee? I understand with z wave I need a hub. Which has the most devices available?

 

[egnlsn]

Do you recoomend z-wave or zig-bee? I understand with z wave I need a hub. Which has the most devices available?

I stick with Zwave as much as I can, but some devices are only zigbee. You'll end up with a mixture. Electric companies often give rebates for smart thermostats, and when I get around to sending the stuff in, I'll get a check for half of my Rachio (smart sprinkler timer).

 

[tom baker]

I am going with Z wave, as I already have the controller (Its a honeywell tuxedo touch that I haven't installed yet. WI-FI is OK, but if my internet is down I don't think the WI FI will work. Seems like there are more devices for WI-FI

 

[egnlsn]

I am going with Z wave, as I already have the controller (Its a honeywell tuxedo touch that I haven't installed yet. WI-FI is OK, but if my internet is down I don't think the WI FI will work. Seems like there are more devices for WI-FI

With WiFi, there is a security issue. Anything on WiFi is easily discoverable, as we've recently seen with a WiFi camera that was installed in an 8-year old girl's room by her parents. Not to mention that every device you add to your WiFi network potentially slows down the network. Both Zwave and Zigbee use 128-bit AES-based encryption.

Check out this page: https://www.z-wave.com/blog/why-z-wa...c-dbdd5bb6a93e​

Most smart light bulbs (that I've seen, anyway) are Zigbee, which is why I said there'd be a mixture of the 2 protocols.

The biggest downside of Smart stuff is they are cloud-based. If internet goes down, we no longer have automation. Some people have real issues with that, while others have figured out how to get up off the chair and go over to the other side of the room to flip the light switch.

WiFi is just a type of network - in and of itself it has nothing at all to do with internet. Devices on a network (cabled or WiFi or both) can talk to each other without internet.

Join the SamrtThings Users' Facebook page. You'll get a whole bunch of ideas and information.