Kasa Smart WiFi Plug w/ Energy Monitoring by TP-Link – No Hub Required, Works w/ Alexa & Google (HS110KIT)

Ok, so I only had one other brand that had been around for a while, possibly the first of this type of device. But that device didn't perform well at all. Here's the reason I recommend this brand over the other. These units were quick to power up and be ready for connection to my smart phone. Once I got the app running, it was simply a press of the button, few seconds, then my WiFi router selection and password. A Quick reboot of the unit and it was ready to go. Power loss (whether self inflicted or city wide) was not an issue. These come back online right away. They are very easy to rename and configure for other uses. The power consumption readings are an excellent addition to monitor devices cost of running. I have bought these and the light switches and have been very happy all around with these. (The other brand has found the trash can). Highly recommend these and they work excellent with Google Home, which is the only system I run.

These work great with Google Home software. They were a bit tricky to install due to the WiFi requirements, but once you get past that technical hurdle, these smart plugs are fantastic!If you don't have any Google Home products, not an issue, they work perfectly with the Kasa App, as well. Every individual smart plug can be given a nickname and multiple customized schedules, and can be accessed as long as you're connected to the internet in any way. I used was able to control my plugs from thousands of miles away (visually tested with a video camera and kind family member).They are a bit on the clunky side and use up an entire outlet due to their size, but I got around that with an outlet extender. And if you're having internet issues, you can easily control your plug with the On/Off button on the plug.

The plugs are wonderful, I have six of these in my house now. My main issue is support, as the last two pack I bought has a plug that doesn't always report the energy usage and says it is not connected to my account. After a few minutes of opening and closing the app, it will reconnect. Not sure if this is a common problem but this is the first I have experienced it. I have not gotten an e-mail back from support, the two I sent have gone unanswered. Now aside from this, I love these. They are like an addiction. TP Link has a cheaper but equivalent quality plug as Belkin Wemo. The energy monitoring feature is nice, as you can see what devices in your house are using the most electricity, and then schedule them to run when electric is cheaper or even to just reduce the time your device is running. Support through Amazon is great, and I am sure I could just return the plugs to them with no questions asked but it would be nice if the actual company could respond just in case there is something simple I can do to get the plug working right.

So, I've given the HS110 plugs a go as a cheaper alternative (and now discontinued) solution to the Ubiquiti mPower plugs I am also using. Functionally, these are great. I use Home Assistant to connect directly to these plugs which allows me to integrate them with HomeKit and Alexa, as well as use my own solutions for gathering and reporting on the energy usage, and integrate the automation with the rest of my home devices. I have zero complaints with the function of these devices.Some quick background... I have worked in enterprise security for about 15 years now, so that may give context to my perspective. Some may share my concerns, others not.My biggest issue, which I think is a significant one, is that the TP-Link HS110's do not have ANY local authentication. I was able to connect to them on my local network, read the power information and turn them on and off without having to so much as enter a passcode. This is not a good idea. There should at least be some sort of authentication enabled, even if it is a random code assigned to each device individually. Why? Because any infection on your network could start causing problems. If you plug one of these into your refrigerator so you can monitor the power usage, malware on your network could turn off your fridge causing water damage (melting frost, etc.), loss of your foods, etc. Best case of such a problem is that you pay extra for electricity because a lamp was turned on.Many argue that this is only a problem if you aren't careful and get malware on your computer or network. But with all the added IoT/smart-home devices being added the potential for compromise goes up. We are regularly hearing about how one device or another ends up being exposed to the Internet and compromised or that the cloud service those devices connect to is compromised, leading to infections within home networks. That foothold then allows for malware/attackers to further impact your network. And honestly, far too many people do NOT know how to secure a home network, and shouldn't be faulted for it. Not everyone (a minority in fact) understands technology to that degree, and not everyone should need to. The technology we use needs to be secure and not rely on home users to take extra measures to make things secure. The devices should assume they are potentially on a hostile/compromised network and be secure in and of themselves. Something as simple as a password (and using basic encryption to protect the password over the network) being required when issuing commands to the device would solve this.If they come out with a firmware update to do what they should have done, I'll update the review to give another 1-2 stars. Like I said... the function of these is great, but I'm tired of all these "smart home" devices being morons when it comes to BASIC security.

I had a little trouble finding the iOS app at first, but once I did, these were very easy to use. I have heat tape on the roof of a home and apartment I rent out, which is expensive to run. The tape only needs to be on when there is snow and ice on the roof, (to prevent ice dams and considerable roof leaking) so I can use these to turn it off remotely when I'm confident the problem is gone. Two of the outlets are outdoors (under an eve), so I've covered them with a plastic bag which I stapled to the siding. The internet connection has not dropped out for the month+ I've used them. The good part is that I can monitor the power usage and not charge the tenants for the power needed to protect my roof.