Echo & Alexa Forums
General Category => Smart Devices and Gadgets => Topic started by: Brew on March 21, 2016, 02:03:19 pm
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Trying to determine a reliable & economical path to Echo enable lightning. Has anyone utilized the TPI-Link devices? The Kasa App, which is the OEM provided interface to the devices has mostly poor reviews.
Any opinions? Advice?
TIA
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Trying to determine a reliable & economical path to Echo enable lightning. Has anyone utilized the TPI-Link devices? The Kasa App, which is the OEM provided interface to the devices has mostly poor reviews.
Any opinions? Advice?
TIA
The best approach for you is going to depend on several variables, including (but not limited to):
- Are lights really the only type of device you want to control? Not only now, but in the foreseeable future?
- What kind(s) of lights are you needing to control? Single-bulb fixtures? Multi-bulb fixtures? Both? Lamps that plug into a wall outlet, or lights controlled by a wall switch (or both)?
- Do you need/want dimming capability for some/all of your lights?
- Do you currently use or plan to switch to LED bulbs?
- Is voice control the only home automation/control functionality you want/will want in the near future? Or do you think you might begin to want to do some home automation (having devices turn on/off at scheduled times, notify you remotely of events that occur in your home, etc)
These sorts of question need to be answered before even considering any specific vendor/standards. And while I haven't personally used any TP-Link (not TPI-Link) products, I do know that their offerings for home device automation/control are very limited compared with most other vendors' product lines.
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I set up my first TP-Link smart plug Sunday. I wanted a relatively inexpensive way to turn on and off a table lamp with a regular light bulb. Everything works fine. I can use voice control with Echo or click the Kasa App button. I haven't explored any other functionality with Kasa since I have the set up I was looking for at this time.
p.s. I just had Alexa turn on and off the light again to make sure I wasn't lying. It did. :)
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I can't tell you anything about TP-Link, but I have a house full of Insteon switches controlled by an ISY-994 (from Universal Devices) and it works very well with the Echo I have four, and all control the lighting equally well). There is a fairly active set of discussions about the Echo on their forum, which you can find with a quick web search.
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Me too! I have two of these, and they work seamlessly with Alexa, or the Kasa app on my phone. I also tested whether or not I'd be able to turn the lights on/off from a distance, and yes, it worked from about 45 miles away (through the Kasa app on my phone). Slick!
I set up my first TP-Link smart plug Sunday. I wanted a relatively inexpensive way to turn on and off a table lamp with a regular light bulb. Everything works fine. I can use voice control with Echo or click the Kasa App button. I haven't explored any other functionality with Kasa since I have the set up I was looking for at this time.
p.s. I just had Alexa turn on and off the light again to make sure I wasn't lying. It did. :)