Hello Douglas, Thank you very much. I am glad that you are enjoying the videos. That is great to hear. I do really try not to trigger devices at home. I have been guilty in the past and really try to avoid. I appreciate you watching and leaving a comment. Have a great day Douglas.
Thanks for pointing out that we need to speak to the amazon echo and not just the plug... I was sitting here screaming at my smart plug trying to get it to turn on the lights... my kids thought it was funny. Lol
Hello, glad that I can help. That is funny that you were yelling at your plug. Luckily the plug could not hear you. Thank you for sharing and watching. Have a great day.
I've only had an Echo for five weeks so I'm only starting to look into the whole 'smart life world'. And I'm finding your weekly Echo series very educational. Due to financial constraints I haven't bought the Amazon plugs, but I have ordered a 4 pack of Slitinto plugs. I'll probably use one for the bedroom light, but my two priorities are: 1) Set one up so I can tell Alexa I'm charging my phone and it'll switch it off after 105 mins which will get it close to or up to 100% so I'll no longer be potentially damaging the battery by leaving it plugged in overnight. 2) To be able to turn on & off my tv, DVD, kettle etc as part of a bedtime routine. Regards from Roscommon, Ireland
I've just added 6 plugs to my house.. we use them for lights and TV. Some people say it's a waste when you can just turn them on, but to get to our lamps and TV you have to bend over furniture or pull things out so it's helpful. Also if your disabled or getting older it's so easy just to ask alexa to turn things on/ off. I bought a pack of 4 from Amazon 2 weeks ago and they were so easy to set up.. more to come in the next few weeks I think as Christmas decorations we soon be getting dusted off... Thanks for another good video
I also have the TP plugs and downloaded the app, but my next purchase will be the Amazon plugs. Great video's and updates, thank you from Welsh Wales UK.
Hello David, I totally agree with you. My first smart plug was for a lamp next to my bed. I would have to turn on the main light switch by the door. Then walk over to the bedside light, turn it on and then back to the main light switch to turn it off. With the smart switch, I just say bed light on as I walk up the stairs. Some brands you can trigger with the Philip Hues or other motion sensors. That is a great thing to mention for older people or disabled. If you can avoid getting to awkward lights or plugs that can help with safety. You can also add security if you are away by putting them on difference routines that trigger them at different times. Good for you getting all setup and more on the way. I like that when I make videos I say "Computer Video Lights" and my smart switch turns on my two video lights and my hue bulbs are set to the right level and color. It is the future. Thank you for sharing your experience and uses. I am glad that you enjoyed the video. I appreciate that and you watching. Have a great day David.
@@dianejones2140 Hello I Diane, I really appreciate that you are enjoying the videos. Thank you for watching. I hope you enjoy your Amazon plugs, please do let us know what you think versus your TP plugs. I know that TP Link makes some good stuff. Thank you for sharing and for watching from Welsh Wales. I dig how many UK viewers that are watching and sharing in the comments. Have a great day Diane.
Got 7 of these for $5 each when Best Buy had a Black Friday sale. Right now I’ll use them to schedule our indoor Christmas decorations and tree. After that I use them for our room fans and legacy lamps with candle shaped bulbs for now. For this price I can make a legacy lamp smart without spending $10+ or more for smart bulbs. Thanks for the video. Seems simple enough to setup. Am excited to try something new! Have a great week!! 😎👍🏻
Hello Tony, that is a great price for 7 of them. I did not know they had them that cheap. That is a steal. It is so cool that you can you use them to take traditional lamps and make them more useful and smart. I love using mine in the bedroom for the bedside lamp. No more walking in the dark to turn it on. Or turning on the light at the door to turn the lamp on, to walk back to turn the one off by the door. Once you start having them and see the convenience it is hard to go back and almost silly not to have them. I am glad that you enjoyed the video. You have a great week too Tony.
Craig, I'm using my echo devices in two house's plus phones. The goal is to control everything remotely. Heat, air conditioning, communication security, etc. Even things yet to come. The echo platform and devices makes it all work seamlessly. So here's one issue I discovered. You should include this in your review. With the plug, switches and bulbs, what state do they come back to after a power outage. When the amazon plug is powered off, and then power is returned. Regardless of being on or off before the outage they come back off. The Philips bubs do the opposite, they come back on. Switches I don't know yet. It can cause a bad situation. Thanks for your echo videos, there the best.
Hello Alan, you are welcome. Thank you for watching this video and I am glad that it was helpful for scheduling your plug. I appreciate you checking it out and leaving a comment. Have a great day Alan.
Thanks, Craig. Great video, as always. The fact that this plug works natively with the Echo makes all the difference, as you said. I've tried others, they are constantly dropping off line. Thx. again!
Hello Paul, You are welcome and thank you for the nice comment. I am glad that you enjoyed the video. You are right the fact that it is a natively supported device definitely helps out a lot. It is that approach that makes Apple products work so well together. You definitely win when the devices and software are made by the same company. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this. Have a great day.
Great video! I have a number of Echo devices and have watched a few of your videos and always learn something new! Just purchased my first couple of Amazon Smart Plugs tonight because they are offering a 40% off deal. Thought it was a good time to get in the smart home game and control a few lights in my living room to start. Thanks again!
Hello Thom, thank you. I am glad you enjoyed the video. I appreciate you watching the others. That is great you bought some smart plugs. That is a much better price. I hope you enjoy them. Glad to hear that you are getting into the smart home game. Thanks for watching. Have a great day.
I bought a couple im planning on using them for the Holiday season. Turn the christmas tree and other decorations on and off. Much easier than other options.
Hello Jeffrey, that is a great use for them. I am planning on doing the same thing. I figure I can use some routines that trigger at a certain time to turn them on and another to turn them off. Then my voice for anytime that I might want to override that. I appreciate you mentioning the holiday use. It is great for others to hear some other ideas. Thank you for watching and leaving a comment. Have a great day Jeffrey.
@@brandonpope3698 They do control any lamp. You don't need any smart bulbs. Just add the plug and leave the switch turned on. The amazon plug becomes the on/ off switch. Im not sure about power strips. I don't know what the electrical rating is for current and amps. Maybe Craig knows the specs better.
@jeffrey majkrzak thanks for getting back. I really appreciate the response it’s exactly what I needed answered I’m slowly trying to convert my house into a smart home. I wish they made like a multi pack to these
@@brandonpope3698 anytime. They work really well. I've got my humidifier and other things connected. As long as the item has a dedicated on/off switch that can be left on they work great. I love the voice control through Alexa and being able to set routines that automatically turn on or off. Very easy to set up also. Takes less than 1 minute.
Hello Carla, you have to love that. I did the same thing with my Christmas lights. I also setup a routine so they would turn on and off by themself. Thanks for sharing and watching. Have a great day.
Hello Raymond, thank you very much. I am glad that you enjoyed the video. That is great to hear. All good that you didn't make the livestream. I do appreciate that you have interest in it. I will be back to it once I get home from Europe next Sunday the 29th. Thank you for continuing to watch and leaving a nice comment. Have a great day Raymond.
Hello Monica, Glad to hear that you found that funny. I am constantly getting interrupted by Alexa during these videos. 😀👍 I appreciate you watching and leaving a comment. Have a great day.
Hi you are awesome , my question is if this smart plugs works with every device I’d like to connect to a ozone generator but I don’t know if it could damage the generator or it’s completely safe, thanks
Hello Catloverplayer. I am thinking the same thing for my Christmas Tree. I want setup a routine to turn the lights on and off by themself. Then override it with voice if necessary. Thank you for sharing your idea for it and for watching. have a great day.
I'm finally getting into this smart plug business. I've got one for my bedroom lamp and one in the living room that voice controls the TV, audio receiver, subwoofer and xbox. It saves scrabbling around on hands and knees for the extension lead they are all plugged into. I may go for smart light switches at some point but with a wife who just doesn't "get" voice control tech it's going to be a long road. I've also stuck solely with amazon as they already have my details and I'm not too keen on giving my personal and house data to some dodgy outfit in China.
Good to hear you are getting into the smart home. The nice thing about smart switches is that they are still dumb switches. My wife has never been angry at me for installing switches. Plugs and bulbs have led to some frustration. Thanks for sharing.
Hello Robert, You are welcome and thank you very much. It is great to hear that you enjoyed the video and that it was helpful for you. I am glad to hear when the video brings value. Thank you for watching it and leaving this nice comment. Have a great day Robert.
Hello Craig. Question about the smart plug. Can it be programmed to turn on and off multiple times during a 24 hour period? I’m looking to replace my dumb timers for lights and a hot water pump. Thanks.
Great video, but curious....How do you get your smartphone to demo the plug without touching it? I am an amateur video maker and think it's cool. Thank you.
I've tinkered with home automation for a number of years, but have only recently started using Alexa enabled devices. I'm unfamiliar with "routines" and need a little insight into a feature I'm wanting to add. I have a wifi-enabled thermostat that's been in use for several years and I've been controlling it through an app on my iPhone. This thermostat plays well with Alexa, but only to a point. One frustrating limitation is the lack of discrete time-based control of the air handler fan to circulate and mix the air between heating or cooling cycles for a more uniform temperature throughout our home. In short, to mix the air, I have to manually turn on the fan and then remember to turn it back off. I've spoken with the thermostat manufacturer and this feature is not available to Alexa and will not be added to this model. I could buy a new thermostat with this additional feature, but that's seems a costly expense to add a single feature set. I'm tinkering with a workaround in which I'm planning to use a smart plug to close a relay that will activate the ac/heater fan either on command or on a schedule. For example, the command, "Alexa, circulate the air" could turn on the ac/heating system fan for a defined period (likely around 15 min) and then cycle off until that command is repeated. Additionally, "Alexa, circulate the air every 2 hours" could turn on the fan for 15 min or so, every 2 hours. (Obviously 15 min and 2 hours are arbitrary time periods and might need to be longer or shorter to affect the desired results.) This leads me to my question(s). Could these functions be implemented under a single Alexa routine with variable voice commands or would each require a separate routine? Could the run times and intervals be varied using a voice command or would that need to be configured during initial setup of a routine? Lastly, how do I go about configuring the above parameters as a routine? I know I'm asking a lot and I don't expect a complete and detailed solution, only some pointers to help me along the path. Thanks, if for nothing more than wading through what's grown into a very long comment.
Currently using the smart plugs to turn on a bedroom lamp, back room lamp and a fan. Super easy to set up but wish it was just a bit cheaper. Overall its very handy
Hello ghostboy, that is good you have smart plugs put to good use. They are so convenient to have. Especially for lights that are out of the way to turn on and require other lights to be turned on to see them, walk over and turn them on. Then walk back to turn on the first light you had to turn on to see. There are so many different options now at such good price points. I would love to see the Amazon plug drop in price during the holidays. I think they would do better at $19.99. Thank you for sharing your uses and experience. Thank you also for watching. Have a great day.
Hello Ben, thank you very much. That is great to hear. I am glad that you enjoyed the video. That is funny you say that about not being pretty. You are right. It is very chunky. I also realize, I don't think there is an override switch on it like some plugs have. I had not looked into the TP Link. I will have to check them out. I did like the look and the override button on my iHome, but it was not as reliable as I would like. Thank you for sharing that Ben. Thank you also for watching. Have a great day.
I am in process of setting up a voice control for a light in my elderly fathers bedroom. I believe with the -plug and his echo, there will be no more stumbling around in the dark. I’m always worried that he will fall or slip because he can’t see in the dark.
Hello Stuckinga. Thank you very much. I do appreciate that. My apologies for the delayed reply. I am still in Europe with the family. Thank you also for turning your new pilot friend, I believe it is Mark, on to the show. That is very cool of you. It was a great to see you both in the stream. What a small world. Thank you for all of the support you have shown from early on in this channel and continue to show. Have a great week. Maybe I will catch you next Sunday.
I have been using smart plugs for about a year and half so I use them for as much as I can. Right now I have it hooked up to my Christmas lights and my Christmas tree and the light in my second bedroom. The rest have smart bulbs. I personally would not buy the Amazon smart plug because of the price. I feel like that is way too much for just one smart plug and it really doesn't do anything more than the other brands you can find. I bought a 4 pack of a random brand for like $35ish and they work just fine. I could see it being something for people starting to set up a smart home. The set up process looks easier and less intimidating to someone starting.
Nice video! Although as a 'Trekkie' I love that I can say computer to have Alexa do something. I own a smart-plug and use it to turn on/off my 20g fish tank light daily. Thanx for the video as I was unaware of the grouping you can do. : )
Hello Hdwrguy, My apologies for missing your comment. I do like as a trekkie to use the word computer. I have had to change mine to try to avoid other people using the word computer. That is great that you have the smart plug hooked up to your fish tank. That is a cool use for a smart plug. I am glad that I was able to help with the grouping. Thank you for watching. Have a great day.
Hi Craig, fantastic and very helpful video once again, I will use my Amazon Smart plug to control my new 3D printer when it comes. My cousin has a coffee maker that I think just has an on/off switch but that is over here in England so I suppose that's no good to you is it?
Hello David, thank you very much. I am glad that you enjoyed the video. I really appreciate you saying that and continuing to check out the videos. That is a good idea to use with the 3D printer. I imagine, you aren't 3D printing all day and everyday. So why let it just suck away at power when it is idle. I like it. Makes me think of the same thing for my printer. It is amazing, the more high tech or some of the newer coffee makes can't give you a real switch. I think mine comes down to the self shut off after 2 hours. Instead of killing the power and then having to switch a switch on and then off to get it working again, it just goes with a button press. I need one without the auto off to be able to put it on a smart plug. Thank you for sharing your future use of a smart plug. It is good for giving me ideas and others. Thank you for continuing to watch too. Have a great day David.
Hey Craig love your videos! I might be pick. G up one of these for my fan. I have an iHome plug and it is beyond terrible. One thing I'd like to know is if the Amz plug is compatible with Smart things. Thanks!
Hello Tradd, thank you very much. I am glad that you are loving the videos. That is so cool to hear. That is a good idea setting it up with the fan. You can use your voice or setup a routine if there is a time that you usually need it to kick in. I have a couple of iHome ones too that I bought when they had a great sale at Home Depot. I am there with you. Mine have had issues multiple times. Especially if I unplug my modem/router to give it a reset in the connection every once in a while. I usually I have to unplug the iHome and let it reconnect. If they stop working, they usually need a firmware update to stay current with software updates with my iphone or Alexa. As for the Smart Things compatiablilty, Amazon says in the technical description that the are designed for exclusive use with the Alexa app. Bummer that they only work with one system. Thank you for asking the question. It is good for others to know. Thank you also for continuing to watch. Have a great dat Tradd.
Craig, I did purchase an Amazon smart plug. I am wondering is it possible to command an Amazon plug through Alexa to turn off (or on) in a spoken number of minutes that may be different every time I give the command? ie: Alexa, turn off my plug in 23 minutes. Explanation: I plug in my phone every night through an Amazon plug. The phone will say xx minutes until fully charged. I would like the charger to turn off in xx minutes.
Your videos are absolutely great. I also remind me of Matt Leblanc lol. For real though thank you for the videos the 3rd gen echo rly helped me out. Also is the a difference between this and the wemo smart plug?
Hello Brandon, thank you very much. I am glad that the videos have been helpful for you.That is great to hear. The big difference is the Amazon plug is designed to be used with only Echo devices. It is easy to setup with your existing echo setup. With wemo, it will integrate with the Echos. But, it will have its own app to set it up. That does also give you more flexibility to use with Apple HomeKit and Google Assistant. there are pros and cons for both devices. That is funny you say Matt Leblanc. I have heard that before. I am not sure if it is a good or bad thing. Thanks for watching and the nice comment. Have a great day.
Thanks for the video , is it posible to create a routin with a plug setting a timer to it , for instance I have a panini grill that doesn’t have a on and of switch you have to unplug it every time you want to turn it off and viceversa I set it up with a smart plug to turn it on and off but still keep forgetting to turn it off so I’m trying to make a routin where with a voice command ( grill on ) sets the grill on and turns it off after let’s say 10 mins so in case I forget to turn it on it’ll do it automatically but I haven’t been able to do it for some reason the routines won’t work it does starts on but it doesn’t turns off, do you have any advice on this ? Thank you.
Bought the Amazon Smart plug for 5.99 at Best Buy during Black Friday weekend. Using on the Christmas tree now in a Good Morning/Evening routine, Just wish I had bought more since the price has went back up...
Hello Tommy, very cool. That is a great price. I just learned that Best Buy had that awesome deal on them. I should have bought some from there. That is a bummer not to get a bunch at that price.That is nice that you have a routine all dialed in for the Christmas Tree. I tried a routine but my daughters love to turn on the tree with Alexa. Thank you for sharing your use and watching. Have a great day Tommy.
How do you use Amazon smart plug to on the tv. I have the echo dot in the rooms and the flex night light in the living room. All the light are controlled by the echo flex. I am having difficulty setting the tv to come on.I put the smart plug into the socket and the tv plug into the smart plug. What do I name the plug? It turns the plug but not the tv. I have tv with fire stick. Sorry just not getting on how to work it. Thank you. You made me buy all these, lol! 😂🤣❤️
I don’t have the amazon smart plug , but I have several “smart plugs” scattered through my house.i have set up several different routines such as “good night” when I say good night to my echo it turns off every lamp in the house.I also set one up called “emergency” which does the opposite.
Hello IPACNSC .45 that is great that you have been putting them to good use. I love the voice triggered options like have a "Good Night" option. So convenient. I have a goodnight setup up for when I head upstairs for bed. I do like the Emergency setup. That is a good idea if you have the spread around the house and want all the lights to come on. Thank you for sharing that. Thank you also for watching. Have a great day.
Hello terry owen, my apologies for the delay in getting back to you. I have been out of the country on vacation. I am glad to hear that it is all working for you. That is great. Thank you for the update. Have a great weekend.
Hello ModernDayFamilyMan, I am away from home on vacation. But, I can check that out when I get back. I have a feeling not though. The are pretty big. I will take a look. Like Terry says there is always the power strip option. It does have the 15amp breaker on them, so overloading shouldn't be a problem. I do hope that the Amazon Plugs do fit. It would be nice if that was thought out well enough. It is amazing how big power supplies, smart switches and other devices are. You need a power strips to put two items in the same plug because the power bricks are 2 big. Or a 6way strip to fit 3 big power bricks. Thank you for the question. That is a good one to know. I appreciate the comment and continuing to watch. Have a great day.
@@baby35501 Hello Terry, it is weird that the size of outlets are not factored in well enough. I wonder if some of it is to keep people from overloading the circuit. Not that you can't by pass that by using multiple power strips. But with LED, so few things in a room use that much power anymore. Thank you for sharing the breaker cord/power strip idea. It is good for people to hear some alternatives. Thank you for your comment and for watching. Have a great day Terry.
Craig, Well done. You mentioned that in the Echo Plus second generation you can trigger off the temperature sensor. Please do a tutorial on that Did you notice the new notification triggers today? Arrival or Leave and the new dd cation Do Not Disturb? Frank
Hello Frank E. I do not currently have an Echo Plus. I will need to get one with the holiday pricing to check it out. I did not know about the new notification triggers. I will have to look at them. Thank you for sharing that. Thank you also for watching. Have a great day Frank.
I am a newbie with Echo Dot, Alexa, and the Amazon Smart Plug after getting one for Christmas. I read in the plug's safety information that you should plug it directly into an electric outlet and not into an extension cord or power strip, so needless to say, I searched everywhere for an outlet that was free. I see in this video (and several others that I've watched) that you did not plug it directly into a wall, but into an extension of sorts. Are there exceptions to what is considered an extension or bar that I can plug into? And is it an actual 'safety' caution or an 'operating' limitation? P.S. Loving the videos!
Hello Brenda, it will work as long as the plug has power from the wall. For safety and legal reason, I am not encouraging you to do it or saying you should do it. It is not a physical operating limitation. I was able to plug my into an extension cord and it worked fine. My personal theory is that it comes down to what Amazon has rated it for and to cover there own liability. If they did not say that and you overloaded the 15amp plug with too many devices and it failed, or it was damaged and caused an issue, they do not want to be responsible. Once you introduce a power strip or an extension it could open up more of those possibilities. The important thing with this plug and any other is not to overload it, get it wet or damage the plug. I am a guy who uses tech and am not a certified recommendation. I do have to put that in for my liability. I hope this helps. Thank you for watching. Have a great day.
Hello Catloverplayer. You are right. That would be nice to have 2 plugs on it. Especially for as big as it is. I think companies are worried about people overloading these things. Not that a power strip wont allow you to do the same thing possibly. That is how I have mine used for my LED video lights. A powerstrip to the smart plug. Thank you for mentioning that. Thank you also for continuing to watch and comment. Have a great day.
I bought a smart plug to turn on a reading light on a floor lamp. My wife had major back surgery and is in a hospital bed in the living room and can turn on the light without any physical energy. I already had a WiFi thermostat so added that so she can turn the heat up or down as needed and I installed a smart switch to turn on the light over the breakfast bar so she can read while sitting in her recliner. Thanks for your videos.
I set up 2 smart plugs in my bedroom, one for a lamp and one for a tv. I am able to turn the lamp on and off with my alexa app. How do I do it with my voice, DO I HAVE TO HAVE AN ECHO DOT OR ALEXA IN THE SAME ROOM? Also, since there is a button on my remote to turn tv on and off, does this mean cannot use smart plug for tv?
We got a few of these for Christmas and so far they're great. The only problem I'm having is that once I'm connected to the Smart Plug my wife is unable to connect. The only resolution we have found is to open my Alexa account on her phone so that we can both control the Smart Plugs. Does anyone have any suggestions on how we can connect to the same Smart Plugs with independent Alexas accounts? Thanks in advance for any help.
Craig, smart home shows up on my pc but not my smartphone. Talking about Alexa app of course any suggestions. I got one of the amazon smart plugs and it works great, very easy to set up. I have already ordered more. Great vid as always! Thank you!
Hello Terry, I am sorry to hear that it is not showing up for you. Have you checked the app store on your phone. If you are an iphone user, unless you have auto updates turned on, you might need to update the app. By default auto update is not turned on. I hope that it is just an update that is needed. I am glad to hear the plugs are working out great for you and you are ready for more. That is good to hear. They are cool plugs and fun to have smart control over items you would not normally be able to control with your voice. Thank you very much. I am glad that you are enjoying the videos. That is always nice to hear. Let me know if its not an update thing and if you need more help. Thank you for watching and for your comment. Have a great day Terry.
I have a shed outside with a light and want to use the smart plug to turn it on, what is the range for this plug and is there a temp. range that it will work or not work in? thanks
Hello Craig, I have not seen a specific distance or temperature rating. It is 2.4ghz so it should be good for a couple hundred feet. It does say that it is specifically for indoor use. I wish I could offer you some better details. Thank you for your question and for watching. Have a great day.
Hello Len, thank you very much. I appreciate you saying that. It is great to hear the positive feedback. Thank you for watching the video Len and leaving a nice comment. Have a great day.
I solved the smart plug coffee maker combo problem by buying a regular purculator coffee maker that starts when it gets power. So I named the smart plug "coffee" and then tell Alexa to start coffee in the morning. The purculator brews coffee and when done goes to keep warm automatically.
Hello Den, that is perfect you have it dialed in. I might need to go that route. It sounds so convenient. You could also program it into a routine to trigger other things at the same time. Thanks for sharing and watching. have a great day.
Hello Joshua, the plug will connect automatically to any echo. You don not need to have the hub. It should be discovered automatically. If not, there are easy instructions to find the device. Thanks for watching. Have a great day.
I got different brands of smart plugs. I have 5 different apps to control different groups. Is possible integrate all in one, only app? I can reprogram all with alexa, no another app? Really is driving me crazy. Any help you can provide!!!
Hello Terry, I would have to try that when I get home from my family vacation. Amazon only says that you need the Alexa app to set it up. It does not specify a device that you need to set it up. Here is the link to Amazons setup process. www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=GJL9P9S22S2HBUDF I do need to use the Alexa app on the PC. I have not dug into that so I am not familiar with the options it has. I will look at this when I get home. I hope this helps. Thank you for your question. Have a great day Terry.
Does the Plug operate on 5GHz and 2.4 GHz Wifi or only 2.4 GHz? I have found other smart plugs losing connectivity when a hybrid Wifi is used. Separate 5gig and 2.4 gig Wifi network solves that but that would impact throughput on other devices if the Wifi SSIDs are separated for the different Bands. Most other plugs use 2.4 gig.
Hello Sunil, The plug only operates in 2.5ghz. Amazon says specifically that it does not support 5ghz. That is interesting, I had not thought about the impact on throughput of other devices. I wonder if it was easier not to mix the 2 on the plug. Especially since you don't need higher speeds of 5ghz for a smart plug. I hope this helps. Thanks for the question. Have a great day Sunil.
@@CraigsTechTalk Separating the Bands is a function of the router. While one would like to have a dual or tri band router broadcasting on a single SSID, it creates problems for smart plugs. Better option would be to have an old wifi router specifically for the devices that operate only on 2.4 GHz configured as an access point/ extender.
Hello Sunil, that makes sense what you are saying. I had not thought about that. Thank you for mentioning that. It is a good thing to think about. My apple router had the 2.4ghz and separate 5ghz. My ubiquiti system shares the same SSID. I had not had issues with it. I don't know if that has anything to do with it being an enterprise/business network solution. I appreciate the follow up. It's good to have some other tech insight in the comments. Have a great weekend Sunil.
Hello Home Broadcast. Thank you very much. I am glad you enjoyed it. It’s always great to hear the positive feedback. Thank you for this comment and watching the video. Have a great weekend.
I bought a couple for controlling lights in my kids bedrooms. It doesn't work well if you use an outlet behind a piece of furniture. Example : my sons light is plugged in behind his dresser. Added the Amazon smart plug behind the dresser and could connect to wireless network. Got an extender for my network. Still had problems. If it was plugged in and nothing in front of it, no issues. Really disappointed with it. I have tried other brands and they don't have this problem.
Hello Jeremy, that is disappointing to hear that it did not work well behind furniture. That is not good. Especially at the price point. I have some iHome plugs and they work fine behind furniture. It is a convenient plug for Echo use. But, that does not do much good if it does not work. Thank you for sharing this for others to know about this. Thank you for watching. Have a great day.
I have one in the pump house out back. My well pump and filtration system as well as my laundry washer and dryer are located out there. I have a lamp connected to the smart plug. My Wi-Fi signal has no trouble reaching it. I have another company's dual outlet smart plugs inside the house which seemed to work reasonably well. I have the same issue however with my Cuisinart coffee maker. So (you know who) can't turn it on in the morning for me. Which means my lazy butt must extend my arm out and flip the momentary toggle manually. The struggle is real.
Hello Alan, that is funny. I am glad you are fighting the good manual fight and not letting laziness keep you from your coffee. I reluctantly do the same thing for that coffee. First world problems. That is great that you have all the smart plugs working for you where you can. This stuff is cool. It would be silly not to incorporate this stuff into the house. It is the way things are heading. Why not take advantage of it now. Thanks for sharing your uses and for the laugh. Good luck with that coffee struggle. 😀👍Have a great day Alan.
I got 1 a month ago for the lamp in my bedroom. The switch normally falls behind the chest of drawers and is a pain. Now I don't have to worry about it. Have a routine set up and also just say turn on or turn off to alexa
here is a question: I purchased Garmin DriveSmart 65 Automotive Mountable GPS Navigator with Amazon Alexa, Could I use this plug with my GPS with Alexa? Yeah, when I am not in my truck, duh! When I am in my home.
Unfortunately at 1:52 the "Amazon" Brand does not show up in the list for me. The plug also did not connect automatically. I have been searching the internet for a solution but haven't found anything. Any tips?
I'm not sure if you answer your questions but if either you or one of your subs have the answers, please reply. 1. Can you name any Alexa devices something custom like "Bugs Bunny" instead of the preset names? 2. Can you name a amazon plug "Fireplace" 3. When you walk into the room, can you say "Alexa" or "Bugs Bunny" ..... "Fireplace"? Do you have to say fireplace on or off? Or can you just say Alexa fireplace and it will turn on?
Hello, no you can't change the name to anything other than Alexa, Echo, Amazon or Computer. You can rename plugs to whatever name you want to name the plug. You would then walk in the room and say Alexa turn on the fireplace. Or you could make a routine called fireplace and when you say fireplace it triggers the smart plug on and any other steps you want to add. But by default you have to say on or off for actions. THanks for watching. Have a great day.
@@CraigsTechTalk so if I name a plug " make em go crazy" and set a routine for that when I walk into the room and say "make em go crazy" it'll turn that switch on? If so, can it be done with a echo? And what plug do I need?
Hello Craig, I'm a little suspicious of this Amazon branded hardware. It looks like an "Exact Duplicate" of the WEMO. I have 10 of the WEMO's Smart Switch's and they work very good. Same 15 Amp Rating, setup similar, etc... I have two 15 Amp LG Window Air Conditioners that go on/off using a schedule.
Hello K. LaBorde, my apologies for the delay in getting back to you. I have been out of the country on vacation. I am sorry I missed your comment earlier. I had not checked out the WEMO switches. I will have to check them out. I wonder if Amazon has made a deal with WEMO. That is great that you have them hooked up to you A/C and have them scheduled. That is a great use for them. Thank you for sharing how you are using them and the WEMO similarity. I will check them out. Have a great weekend Keith.
That’s a good price. Start with a lamp you always turn on and off. I put mine on the opposite end of the room so I wouldn’t have to walk over to just turn on or off the lamp.
Amazon needs to make a dimmable plug-in for Alexa. To date, the only Alexa compatible dimmable plug-in I have found is the Lutron Caseta Wireless Smart Lighting Lamp Plug In Dimmer and Remote Kit, P-PKG1P-WH-C but it is very expensive. This model has two lamp outlets but Alexa can not control them separately. There are also ZWave dimmable plug-in modules that will work with Alexa/Echo/Wink-2 but these are also very expensive and quite complicated to set up to work with Amazon's Echoes.
Hello SkwrHdz, my apologies for the delay in getting back to you. I have been out of the country on vacation. i had not thought about a dimmable plugin or seen them. How is it that you are trying to use them? I have seen the lutron smart switches that are dimmable. Is it for a light that has a non replaceable bulb? Just curious on how you want to use it since not many companies make them. Thank you for your comment and for watching. Have a great day.
I've been using dimmable plug-ins with HomeSeer for decades, long before "smart bulbs" existed. It means you can use lamps that plug into a regular outlet, not controlled by an in-wall switch, with regular bulbs. It's easy to recognise dimmable plugs, they only have two pins, they don't have the third pin, the ground.
So I have a basic coffee filter pot but you need to press a button to make it start making the coffee. Would this smart plug work with my echo dot to get my coffee maker to start making the coffee or would i need something else/a different coffee maker to do that? If so what would I need? Thank you!
Hello James, unfortunately it would not work for your coffee maker. That is the same problem I have. For the best chance of it working a coffee maker with a switch would work. If the coffee maker comes back on when you unplug it and plug it back it, such as with an on and off switch, you would be good to go with a smart plug. Thank you for watching. Have a great day.
I'm not good with tech and cannot get this to work . My Alexa app has screen that says " by By pressing "next " you agree to terms and conditions " … but there is NO Next button ! .. completely stuck.
Hello David, I am sorry to hear that it is not working. Have you tried doing the setup by using your voice and asking Alexa to discover new devices. It should find and sync the plug for you. Once it does that, you should see it in the app and be able to make changes if you want. I hope that may help. Thank you for watching. Have a great day.
@@CraigsTechTalk thanks for reply... I have just tried but my akexa dot says it cannot find any devices? The plug is on with the blue set light flashing
Francis Cesarz I would say yes so long as you don't draw more than the maximum amps for the smart plug i.e.: a couple of electric fan heaters on full power, here in the UK a 2KW heater would draw 8.6 amps but if left on continuously the plug could over heat. The max amps on my plug is 10amps so I wouldn't use it for a heater.im sure some whizz kid electronics engineer will probably correct me 😄
I bought a smart plug for my living room light because I fall asleep on my futon and don't want to get up to turn the light off manually pure laziness but cool hahaha
Hello Gilburt, that is funny you say you use it out of laziness. If the technology is there, why not use it. Thanks for sharing and watching. Have a great day.
Hello Only One, that is a great use for a smart plug. You have to love that it can turn any plug or standard lamp into a smart lamp. Thanks for sharing. Have a great day.
I have smart plugs and us them for lights only at the time. None of my coffee pots are compatible with this type of function so no help there.. I have smart power bars so they power down accessories when I’m not using them so no need there. I still like the ability to tell Alexa to turn them on and off.
Hello Bruce, sounds like you have it dialed in. I had not thought about the smart power bars to power down accessories when not needed. Thank you for sharing that. I will have to look into those. You are right, it is so nice to be able to just use your voice with alexa to turn lights and other things on and off. Some think its lazy. Those who use them see the value of being able to walk into a room with your hands full and trigger lights. Or turn on a light as you are walking into a space that needs light. It is the future. Sorry you can't do the coffee maker either. That sounds like a great use. I don't like waiting for the coffee maker to heat up when I am up way too early. It feels like the longest 2 minutes. Thank you for sharing and watching. Have a great day Bruce.
I bought a smart bulb on Amazon and then was told I needed a smart plug to operated it with Echo. Apparently, I don't need a smart bulb to use a smart plug, tho. Can you clear this up for me? What's the point of a smart bulb then?
Hello, you do not need a smart plug with a smart bulb. Smart plugs are great for lamps, fans and other items you want turned on. A smart bulb needs constant power to it. The turning the light on or off is done internally with the bulb. You use one or the other. Hope that helps.
@@CraigsTechTalk so, a smart bulb will work with voice activation thru echo without a smart plug? Does that mean the echo can find a smart bulb on it’s WiFi system if the lamp is NOT plugged into a smart plug?
I've had issues with smart plugs interfering with with my garage door remote's signal where when the plug is plugged in (on or off) the garage door remotes effective range decrease to almost zero.
Hello Den, I had not heard of that before. The 2.4ghz of the smart plug is interfering with the garage opener? Was the plug in the garage? That is really odd that the frequencies step on each other. That is definitely not good. Have you had that issue with any other devices? Thanks for sharing this. Thank you also for watching. Have a great weekend.
Hello IGageit, I am right there with you. I have to keep most of the cool tech in there not to drive my wife crazy with smart devices. She has embraced Alexa and the Philip Hue bulbs that run themself. Thanks for sharing and for your continued comments. Thank you also for continuing to watch. I do appreciate it. Have a great day.
Hello, I went in to write one to see if anything has changed. One you select the light you should were power or brightness. You select power and then toggle the switch to off. It defaults to one and being lit blue.
Hello Ashley, I am glad that you enjoyed the video. I appreciate you sharing that. I sent you a Facebook message. Happy Birthday day. I hope you have a great birthday today. I will be back for a live stream on Sunday. Thanks Ashley.
Hello Patrick, sorry that I set off your jug and it was boiling. I have tried to the best I can of not triggering devices. If I mute it, then those who don't use the same wake word get annoyed with the muting. It is a tough one with this device. Thank you for watching. Have a great day.
@@CraigsTechTalk- I see the humour in almost everything. Never your responsibility. All good. As soon as they get the ability to make up your own wake word the better.
Hello Patrick, that is awesome. Good way to go through life. Thank you, I like it. Changing the name would be great. Or, at least some more choices. Thanks for the follow up.
Hello Terry, that is annoying that you are having issues get the two apps activated. Have you checked in the app store to see if both apps are updated. Also, on the Alexa app, you are logged in with your Amazon Account. What part will not work about the Alexa app? They did do a big update recently. I don't know if that plays a part. I hope I can help to get this working. I am not familiar with the Smart Life app. Thank you Terry. Have a great day.
We travel a great deal, so having a routine that turns lamps on and off to give the impression that someone is at home is a way of discouraging potential burglars.
Thank you for not saying "Alexa" on your Amazon product reviews. I really enjoy your reviews on new products.
Hello Douglas, Thank you very much. I am glad that you are enjoying the videos. That is great to hear. I do really try not to trigger devices at home. I have been guilty in the past and really try to avoid.
I appreciate you watching and leaving a comment. Have a great day Douglas.
What the name of the app ?
Thanks for pointing out that we need to speak to the amazon echo and not just the plug... I was sitting here screaming at my smart plug trying to get it to turn on the lights... my kids thought it was funny. Lol
Hello, glad that I can help. That is funny that you were yelling at your plug. Luckily the plug could not hear you. Thank you for sharing and watching. Have a great day.
🤣
Nova No Skillz It was kind of stupid to think you would talk to the plug
@@DeviantMotives and you're very stupid for responding to a year old comment.
I've only had an Echo for five weeks so I'm only starting to look into the whole 'smart life world'. And I'm finding your weekly Echo series very educational.
Due to financial constraints I haven't bought the Amazon plugs, but I have ordered a 4 pack of Slitinto plugs. I'll probably use one for the bedroom light, but my two priorities are:
1) Set one up so I can tell Alexa I'm charging my phone and it'll switch it off after 105 mins which will get it close to or up to 100% so I'll no longer be potentially damaging the battery by leaving it plugged in overnight.
2) To be able to turn on & off my tv, DVD, kettle etc as part of a bedtime routine.
Regards from Roscommon, Ireland
I've just added 6 plugs to my house.. we use them for lights and TV. Some people say it's a waste when you can just turn them on, but to get to our lamps and TV you have to bend over furniture or pull things out so it's helpful. Also if your disabled or getting older it's so easy just to ask alexa to turn things on/ off.
I bought a pack of 4 from Amazon 2 weeks ago and they were so easy to set up.. more to come in the next few weeks I think as Christmas decorations we soon be getting dusted off...
Thanks for another good video
I also have the TP plugs and downloaded the app, but my next purchase will be the Amazon plugs. Great video's and updates, thank you from Welsh Wales UK.
Hello David, I totally agree with you. My first smart plug was for a lamp next to my bed. I would have to turn on the main light switch by the door. Then walk over to the bedside light, turn it on and then back to the main light switch to turn it off. With the smart switch, I just say bed light on as I walk up the stairs. Some brands you can trigger with the Philip Hues or other motion sensors.
That is a great thing to mention for older people or disabled. If you can avoid getting to awkward lights or plugs that can help with safety. You can also add security if you are away by putting them on difference routines that trigger them at different times.
Good for you getting all setup and more on the way. I like that when I make videos I say "Computer Video Lights" and my smart switch turns on my two video lights and my hue bulbs are set to the right level and color. It is the future.
Thank you for sharing your experience and uses. I am glad that you enjoyed the video. I appreciate that and you watching. Have a great day David.
@@dianejones2140 Hello I Diane, I really appreciate that you are enjoying the videos. Thank you for watching. I hope you enjoy your Amazon plugs, please do let us know what you think versus your TP plugs. I know that TP Link makes some good stuff. Thank you for sharing and for watching from Welsh Wales. I dig how many UK viewers that are watching and sharing in the comments. Have a great day Diane.
People really underestimate how useful smart devices are for people with disabilities
Got 7 of these for $5 each when Best Buy had a Black Friday sale. Right now I’ll use them to schedule our indoor Christmas decorations and tree. After that I use them for our room fans and legacy lamps with candle shaped bulbs for now. For this price I can make a legacy lamp smart without spending $10+ or more for smart bulbs. Thanks for the video. Seems simple enough to setup. Am excited to try something new! Have a great week!! 😎👍🏻
Hello Tony, that is a great price for 7 of them. I did not know they had them that cheap. That is a steal. It is so cool that you can you use them to take traditional lamps and make them more useful and smart. I love using mine in the bedroom for the bedside lamp. No more walking in the dark to turn it on. Or turning on the light at the door to turn the lamp on, to walk back to turn the one off by the door. Once you start having them and see the convenience it is hard to go back and almost silly not to have them. I am glad that you enjoyed the video. You have a great week too Tony.
Craig...thank you for your informative and to the point videos! They really help this technology challenged person of 70 plus years.
Your welcome and thank you for the nice words. I appreciate you watching my videos. I am glad they have been helpful. Have a great day and stay safe.
I plugged my lamps with smaller bulbs in my Amazon plug. It's great! I set it to turn off when I say "Sweet Dreams"
Craig, I'm using my echo devices in two house's plus phones. The goal is to control everything remotely. Heat, air conditioning, communication security, etc. Even things yet to come. The echo platform and devices makes it all work seamlessly.
So here's one issue I discovered. You should include this in your review. With the plug, switches and bulbs, what state do they come back to after a power outage. When the amazon plug is powered off, and then power is returned. Regardless of being on or off before the outage they come back off. The Philips bubs do the opposite, they come back on. Switches I don't know yet. It can cause a bad situation.
Thanks for your echo videos, there the best.
Great way to set a light timer for my cannabis plants! Easy and no stress now that I can control it from my phone! Thanks for the idea 💡
Thank you. I'm new to all this and this is the first video I could find that explains how to set a schedule for the plug.
Hello Alan, you are welcome. Thank you for watching this video and I am glad that it was helpful for scheduling your plug. I appreciate you checking it out and leaving a comment. Have a great day Alan.
Thanks, Craig. Great video, as always. The fact that this plug works natively with the Echo makes all the difference, as you said. I've tried others, they are constantly dropping off line. Thx. again!
Hello Paul, You are welcome and thank you for the nice comment. I am glad that you enjoyed the video. You are right the fact that it is a natively supported device definitely helps out a lot. It is that approach that makes Apple products work so well together. You definitely win when the devices and software are made by the same company. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this. Have a great day.
Great video! I have a number of Echo devices and have watched a few of your videos and always learn something new! Just purchased my first couple of Amazon Smart Plugs tonight because they are offering a 40% off deal. Thought it was a good time to get in the smart home game and control a few lights in my living room to start. Thanks again!
Hello Thom, thank you. I am glad you enjoyed the video. I appreciate you watching the others. That is great you bought some smart plugs. That is a much better price. I hope you enjoy them. Glad to hear that you are getting into the smart home game. Thanks for watching. Have a great day.
Today I picked up the Amazon plugs. I'm off to set them up now!
Woo hoo!
My bedroom lamps have small bulbs, so I think this is the solution to making the bedroom smarter. Thanks for the tip!
Hello Ximena, it is great that you can take lamps with any bulbs or age and make them smart. Thank you for watching. Have a great day.
I bought a couple im planning on using them for the Holiday season. Turn the christmas tree and other decorations on and off. Much easier than other options.
Hello Jeffrey, that is a great use for them. I am planning on doing the same thing. I figure I can use some routines that trigger at a certain time to turn them on and another to turn them off. Then my voice for anytime that I might want to override that.
I appreciate you mentioning the holiday use. It is great for others to hear some other ideas. Thank you for watching and leaving a comment. Have a great day Jeffrey.
Does this control like any lamp or do they need smart bulbs? Also do u know if these plugs control power strips?
@@brandonpope3698 They do control any lamp. You don't need any smart bulbs. Just add the plug and leave the switch turned on. The amazon plug becomes the on/ off switch. Im not sure about power strips. I don't know what the electrical rating is for current and amps. Maybe Craig knows the specs better.
@jeffrey majkrzak thanks for getting back. I really appreciate the response it’s exactly what I needed answered I’m slowly trying to convert my house into a smart home. I wish they made like a multi pack to these
@@brandonpope3698 anytime. They work really well. I've got my humidifier and other things connected. As long as the item has a dedicated on/off switch that can be left on they work great. I love the voice control through Alexa and being able to set routines that automatically turn on or off. Very easy to set up also. Takes less than 1 minute.
Got it free and used it to automatically set up my christmas tree lights!
Hello Carla, you have to love that. I did the same thing with my Christmas lights. I also setup a routine so they would turn on and off by themself. Thanks for sharing and watching. Have a great day.
this man is the best
Great vid. Sorry I missed your weekly podcast.
Hello Raymond, thank you very much. I am glad that you enjoyed the video. That is great to hear. All good that you didn't make the livestream. I do appreciate that you have interest in it. I will be back to it once I get home from Europe next Sunday the 29th.
Thank you for continuing to watch and leaving a nice comment. Have a great day Raymond.
4:37 when he is about to talk again but alexa says "okay" and he looks at it 🤣🤣
Hello Monica, Glad to hear that you found that funny. I am constantly getting interrupted by Alexa during these videos. 😀👍 I appreciate you watching and leaving a comment. Have a great day.
Hi you are awesome , my question is if this smart plugs works with every device I’d like to connect to a ozone generator but I don’t know if it could damage the generator or it’s completely safe, thanks
I might get one of those so I can use it for my Christmas Tree when I put it up.
Hello Catloverplayer. I am thinking the same thing for my Christmas Tree. I want setup a routine to turn the lights on and off by themself. Then override it with voice if necessary. Thank you for sharing your idea for it and for watching. have a great day.
I'm finally getting into this smart plug business. I've got one for my bedroom lamp and one in the living room that voice controls the TV, audio receiver, subwoofer and xbox. It saves scrabbling around on hands and knees for the extension lead they are all plugged into.
I may go for smart light switches at some point but with a wife who just doesn't "get" voice control tech it's going to be a long road. I've also stuck solely with amazon as they already have my details and I'm not too keen on giving my personal and house data to some dodgy outfit in China.
Good to hear you are getting into the smart home. The nice thing about smart switches is that they are still dumb switches. My wife has never been angry at me for installing switches. Plugs and bulbs have led to some frustration. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for explaining how to do the schedules. Can't seem to find that anywhere else. Great videos!
Hello Robert, You are welcome and thank you very much. It is great to hear that you enjoyed the video and that it was helpful for you. I am glad to hear when the video brings value. Thank you for watching it and leaving this nice comment. Have a great day Robert.
Hello Craig. Question about the smart plug. Can it be programmed to turn on and off multiple times during a 24 hour period? I’m looking to replace my dumb timers for lights and a hot water pump. Thanks.
Great video, but curious....How do you get your smartphone to demo the plug without touching it? I am an amateur video maker and think it's cool. Thank you.
I've tinkered with home automation for a number of years, but have only recently started using Alexa enabled devices. I'm unfamiliar with "routines" and need a little insight into a feature I'm wanting to add.
I have a wifi-enabled thermostat that's been in use for several years and I've been controlling it through an app on my iPhone. This thermostat plays well with Alexa, but only to a point. One frustrating limitation is the lack of discrete time-based control of the air handler fan to circulate and mix the air between heating or cooling cycles for a more uniform temperature throughout our home. In short, to mix the air, I have to manually turn on the fan and then remember to turn it back off. I've spoken with the thermostat manufacturer and this feature is not available to Alexa and will not be added to this model. I could buy a new thermostat with this additional feature, but that's seems a costly expense to add a single feature set. I'm tinkering with a workaround in which I'm planning to use a smart plug to close a relay that will activate the ac/heater fan either on command or on a schedule.
For example, the command, "Alexa, circulate the air" could turn on the ac/heating system fan for a defined period (likely around 15 min) and then cycle off until that command is repeated.
Additionally, "Alexa, circulate the air every 2 hours" could turn on the fan for 15 min or so, every 2 hours. (Obviously 15 min and 2 hours are arbitrary time periods and might need to be longer or shorter to affect the desired results.)
This leads me to my question(s). Could these functions be implemented under a single Alexa routine with variable voice commands or would each require a separate routine? Could the run times and intervals be varied using a voice command or would that need to be configured during initial setup of a routine? Lastly, how do I go about configuring the above parameters as a routine?
I know I'm asking a lot and I don't expect a complete and detailed solution, only some pointers to help me along the path.
Thanks, if for nothing more than wading through what's grown into a very long comment.
Currently using the smart plugs to turn on a bedroom lamp, back room lamp and a fan. Super easy to set up but wish it was just a bit cheaper. Overall its very handy
Hello ghostboy, that is good you have smart plugs put to good use. They are so convenient to have. Especially for lights that are out of the way to turn on and require other lights to be turned on to see them, walk over and turn them on. Then walk back to turn on the first light you had to turn on to see. There are so many different options now at such good price points. I would love to see the Amazon plug drop in price during the holidays. I think they would do better at $19.99. Thank you for sharing your uses and experience. Thank you also for watching. Have a great day.
Hi Craig. Another great video. Must say, not the prettiest looking plug! I use TP Link plugs which are also chunky but do look better.
Hello Ben, thank you very much. That is great to hear. I am glad that you enjoyed the video. That is funny you say that about not being pretty. You are right. It is very chunky. I also realize, I don't think there is an override switch on it like some plugs have. I had not looked into the TP Link. I will have to check them out. I did like the look and the override button on my iHome, but it was not as reliable as I would like. Thank you for sharing that Ben. Thank you also for watching. Have a great day.
I am in process of setting up a voice control for a light in my elderly fathers bedroom. I believe with the -plug and his echo, there will be no more stumbling around in the dark. I’m always worried that he will fall or slip because he can’t see in the dark.
You should consider investing in a smart sensor, if you set up a routine then you can have the light turn on when the sensor detects movement.
As always , great video Craig, Thanks
Hello Stuckinga. Thank you very much. I do appreciate that. My apologies for the delayed reply. I am still in Europe with the family. Thank you also for turning your new pilot friend, I believe it is Mark, on to the show. That is very cool of you. It was a great to see you both in the stream. What a small world. Thank you for all of the support you have shown from early on in this channel and continue to show. Have a great week. Maybe I will catch you next Sunday.
I have been using smart plugs for about a year and half so I use them for as much as I can. Right now I have it hooked up to my Christmas lights and my Christmas tree and the light in my second bedroom. The rest have smart bulbs. I personally would not buy the Amazon smart plug because of the price. I feel like that is way too much for just one smart plug and it really doesn't do anything more than the other brands you can find. I bought a 4 pack of a random brand for like $35ish and they work just fine. I could see it being something for people starting to set up a smart home. The set up process looks easier and less intimidating to someone starting.
Allyson Vach Can you please post the link of the Smart Plug you got for $35 for a pack of 4
Will this be safe to use with my power bar for my bearded dragon tank?
Nice video! Although as a 'Trekkie' I love that I can say computer to have Alexa do something. I own a smart-plug and use it to turn on/off my 20g fish tank light daily. Thanx for the video as I was unaware of the grouping you can do. : )
Hello Hdwrguy, My apologies for missing your comment. I do like as a trekkie to use the word computer. I have had to change mine to try to avoid other people using the word computer.
That is great that you have the smart plug hooked up to your fish tank. That is a cool use for a smart plug. I am glad that I was able to help with the grouping. Thank you for watching. Have a great day.
Hi Craig, fantastic and very helpful video once again, I will use my Amazon Smart plug to control my new 3D printer when it comes. My cousin has a coffee maker that I think just has an on/off switch but that is over here in England so I suppose that's no good to you is it?
Hello David, thank you very much. I am glad that you enjoyed the video. I really appreciate you saying that and continuing to check out the videos. That is a good idea to use with the 3D printer. I imagine, you aren't 3D printing all day and everyday. So why let it just suck away at power when it is idle. I like it. Makes me think of the same thing for my printer.
It is amazing, the more high tech or some of the newer coffee makes can't give you a real switch. I think mine comes down to the self shut off after 2 hours. Instead of killing the power and then having to switch a switch on and then off to get it working again, it just goes with a button press. I need one without the auto off to be able to put it on a smart plug.
Thank you for sharing your future use of a smart plug. It is good for giving me ideas and others. Thank you for continuing to watch too. Have a great day David.
Hey Craig love your videos! I might be pick. G up one of these for my fan. I have an iHome plug and it is beyond terrible. One thing I'd like to know is if the Amz plug is compatible with Smart things. Thanks!
Hello Tradd, thank you very much. I am glad that you are loving the videos. That is so cool to hear. That is a good idea setting it up with the fan. You can use your voice or setup a routine if there is a time that you usually need it to kick in. I have a couple of iHome ones too that I bought when they had a great sale at Home Depot. I am there with you. Mine have had issues multiple times. Especially if I unplug my modem/router to give it a reset in the connection every once in a while. I usually I have to unplug the iHome and let it reconnect. If they stop working, they usually need a firmware update to stay current with software updates with my iphone or Alexa.
As for the Smart Things compatiablilty, Amazon says in the technical description that the are designed for exclusive use with the Alexa app. Bummer that they only work with one system. Thank you for asking the question. It is good for others to know. Thank you also for continuing to watch. Have a great dat Tradd.
Craig, I did purchase an Amazon smart plug. I am wondering is it possible to command an Amazon plug through Alexa to turn off (or on) in a spoken number of minutes that may be different every time I give the command? ie: Alexa, turn off my plug in 23 minutes. Explanation: I plug in my phone every night through an Amazon plug. The phone will say xx minutes until fully charged. I would like the charger to turn off in xx minutes.
Your videos are absolutely great. I also remind me of Matt Leblanc lol. For real though thank you for the videos the 3rd gen echo rly helped me out. Also is the a difference between this and the wemo smart plug?
Hello Brandon, thank you very much. I am glad that the videos have been helpful for you.That is great to hear. The big difference is the Amazon plug is designed to be used with only Echo devices. It is easy to setup with your existing echo setup. With wemo, it will integrate with the Echos. But, it will have its own app to set it up. That does also give you more flexibility to use with Apple HomeKit and Google Assistant. there are pros and cons for both devices.
That is funny you say Matt Leblanc. I have heard that before. I am not sure if it is a good or bad thing. Thanks for watching and the nice comment. Have a great day.
Matt Leblanc to me as a married heterosexual man is a handsome man
Thanks for the video , is it posible to create a routin with a plug setting a timer to it , for instance I have a panini grill that doesn’t have a on and of switch you have to unplug it every time you want to turn it off and viceversa I set it up with a smart plug to turn it on and off but still keep forgetting to turn it off so I’m trying to make a routin where with a voice command ( grill on ) sets the grill on and turns it off after let’s say 10 mins so in case I forget to turn it on it’ll do it automatically but I haven’t been able to do it for some reason the routines won’t work it does starts on but it doesn’t turns off, do you have any advice on this ? Thank you.
Good to buy on a 4.99 deal. Wish you had compared it to other branded smart switches.
Bought the Amazon Smart plug for 5.99 at Best Buy during Black Friday weekend. Using on the Christmas tree now in a Good Morning/Evening routine, Just wish I had bought more since the price has went back up...
Hello Tommy, very cool. That is a great price. I just learned that Best Buy had that awesome deal on them. I should have bought some from there. That is a bummer not to get a bunch at that price.That is nice that you have a routine all dialed in for the Christmas Tree. I tried a routine but my daughters love to turn on the tree with Alexa. Thank you for sharing your use and watching. Have a great day Tommy.
@@CraigsTechTalk Oh how I wish I had invested in 4 or 5 more at the time...
Craig, what do you use for the lamps in the background, are they some sort of smart lamp?
How do you use Amazon smart plug to on the tv. I have the echo dot in the rooms and the flex night light in the living room. All the light are controlled by the echo flex. I am having difficulty setting the tv to come on.I put the smart plug into the socket and the tv plug into the smart plug. What do I name the plug? It turns the plug but not the tv. I have tv with fire stick. Sorry just not getting on how to work it. Thank you. You made me buy all these, lol! 😂🤣❤️
hi do I have to plug in everything i wnat to use in that room in a plug or 1 plug will work for each room
I don’t have the amazon smart plug , but I have several “smart plugs” scattered through my house.i have set up several different routines such as “good night” when I say good night to my echo it turns off every lamp in the house.I also set one up called “emergency” which does the opposite.
Hello IPACNSC .45 that is great that you have been putting them to good use. I love the voice triggered options like have a "Good Night" option. So convenient. I have a goodnight setup up for when I head upstairs for bed. I do like the Emergency setup. That is a good idea if you have the spread around the house and want all the lights to come on. Thank you for sharing that. Thank you also for watching. Have a great day.
To everyone, thanks! I finally got it all sorted out, New to smartphone was the problem.
Hello terry owen, my apologies for the delay in getting back to you. I have been out of the country on vacation. I am glad to hear that it is all working for you. That is great. Thank you for the update. Have a great weekend.
Can two plugs fit your outlet? It looks to big to be able too.
I have some round lightstory plugs and they won't fit 2 to an outlet, but I have a 6 plug breaker cord and I can plug in 3 of those into it.
Hello ModernDayFamilyMan, I am away from home on vacation. But, I can check that out when I get back. I have a feeling not though. The are pretty big. I will take a look. Like Terry says there is always the power strip option. It does have the 15amp breaker on them, so overloading shouldn't be a problem. I do hope that the Amazon Plugs do fit. It would be nice if that was thought out well enough. It is amazing how big power supplies, smart switches and other devices are. You need a power strips to put two items in the same plug because the power bricks are 2 big. Or a 6way strip to fit 3 big power bricks.
Thank you for the question. That is a good one to know. I appreciate the comment and continuing to watch. Have a great day.
@@baby35501 Hello Terry, it is weird that the size of outlets are not factored in well enough. I wonder if some of it is to keep people from overloading the circuit. Not that you can't by pass that by using multiple power strips. But with LED, so few things in a room use that much power anymore. Thank you for sharing the breaker cord/power strip idea. It is good for people to hear some alternatives. Thank you for your comment and for watching. Have a great day Terry.
Craig,
Well done. You mentioned that in the Echo Plus second generation you can trigger off the temperature sensor. Please do a tutorial on that
Did you notice the new notification triggers today? Arrival or Leave and the new dd cation Do Not Disturb?
Frank
Hello Frank E. I do not currently have an Echo Plus. I will need to get one with the holiday pricing to check it out. I did not know about the new notification triggers. I will have to look at them. Thank you for sharing that. Thank you also for watching. Have a great day Frank.
I am a newbie with Echo Dot, Alexa, and the Amazon Smart Plug after getting one for Christmas. I read in the plug's safety information that you should plug it directly into an electric outlet and not into an extension cord or power strip, so needless to say, I searched everywhere for an outlet that was free. I see in this video (and several others that I've watched) that you did not plug it directly into a wall, but into an extension of sorts. Are there exceptions to what is considered an extension or bar that I can plug into? And is it an actual 'safety' caution or an 'operating' limitation? P.S. Loving the videos!
Hello Brenda, it will work as long as the plug has power from the wall. For safety and legal reason, I am not encouraging you to do it or saying you should do it. It is not a physical operating limitation. I was able to plug my into an extension cord and it worked fine. My personal theory is that it comes down to what Amazon has rated it for and to cover there own liability. If they did not say that and you overloaded the 15amp plug with too many devices and it failed, or it was damaged and caused an issue, they do not want to be responsible. Once you introduce a power strip or an extension it could open up more of those possibilities. The important thing with this plug and any other is not to overload it, get it wet or damage the plug. I am a guy who uses tech and am not a certified recommendation. I do have to put that in for my liability. I hope this helps. Thank you for watching. Have a great day.
@@CraigsTechTalk Thanks for the fast response! Makes absolute sense! Looking forward to learning more from your videos. Happy New Year!
Amazon needs to make these plugs with more outlets then one.
Hello Catloverplayer. You are right. That would be nice to have 2 plugs on it. Especially for as big as it is. I think companies are worried about people overloading these things. Not that a power strip wont allow you to do the same thing possibly. That is how I have mine used for my LED video lights. A powerstrip to the smart plug. Thank you for mentioning that. Thank you also for continuing to watch and comment. Have a great day.
I bought a smart plug to turn on a reading light on a floor lamp. My wife had major back surgery and is in a hospital bed in the living room and can turn on the light without any physical energy. I already had a WiFi thermostat so added that so she can turn the heat up or down as needed and I installed a smart switch to turn on the light over the breakfast bar so she can read while sitting in her recliner. Thanks for your videos.
I set up 2 smart plugs in my bedroom, one for a lamp and one for a tv. I am able to turn the lamp on and off with my alexa app. How do I do it with my voice, DO I HAVE TO HAVE AN ECHO DOT OR ALEXA IN THE SAME ROOM? Also, since there is a button on my remote to turn tv on and off, does this mean cannot use smart plug for tv?
We got a few of these for Christmas and so far they're great. The only problem I'm having is that once I'm connected to the Smart Plug my wife is unable to connect. The only resolution we have found is to open my Alexa account on her phone so that we can both control the Smart Plugs. Does anyone have any suggestions on how we can connect to the same Smart Plugs with independent Alexas accounts? Thanks in advance for any help.
Can the plug be used to dim the lights?
Received one for Christmas.
Hello, congratulations on the new echo. I hope you enjoy it. Have a great day.
Had issues with cheaper smart plugs. Now i want the Amazon plug.
I hope they work out well for you.
Craig, smart home shows up on my pc but not my smartphone. Talking about Alexa app of course any suggestions. I got one of the amazon smart plugs and it works great, very easy to set up. I have already ordered more. Great vid as always! Thank you!
Hello Terry, I am sorry to hear that it is not showing up for you. Have you checked the app store on your phone. If you are an iphone user, unless you have auto updates turned on, you might need to update the app. By default auto update is not turned on. I hope that it is just an update that is needed.
I am glad to hear the plugs are working out great for you and you are ready for more. That is good to hear. They are cool plugs and fun to have smart control over items you would not normally be able to control with your voice.
Thank you very much. I am glad that you are enjoying the videos. That is always nice to hear. Let me know if its not an update thing and if you need more help. Thank you for watching and for your comment. Have a great day Terry.
I have a shed outside with a light and want to use the smart plug to turn it on, what is the range for this plug and is there a temp. range that it will work or not work in? thanks
Hello Craig, I have not seen a specific distance or temperature rating. It is 2.4ghz so it should be good for a couple hundred feet. It does say that it is specifically for indoor use. I wish I could offer you some better details. Thank you for your question and for watching. Have a great day.
Well talked through demo.
Hello Len, thank you very much. I appreciate you saying that. It is great to hear the positive feedback. Thank you for watching the video Len and leaving a nice comment. Have a great day.
I solved the smart plug coffee maker combo problem by buying a regular purculator coffee maker that starts when it gets power. So I named the smart plug "coffee" and then tell Alexa to start coffee in the morning. The purculator brews coffee and when done goes to keep warm automatically.
Hello Den, that is perfect you have it dialed in. I might need to go that route. It sounds so convenient. You could also program it into a routine to trigger other things at the same time. Thanks for sharing and watching. have a great day.
Can I get this to connect the hub on the Amazon echo plus 2? Or will it do it automatically? Thanks
Hello Joshua, the plug will connect automatically to any echo. You don not need to have the hub. It should be discovered automatically. If not, there are easy instructions to find the device. Thanks for watching. Have a great day.
You can get a good smart strip (2+ plugs in one) for like 30 bucks
I got different brands of smart plugs. I have 5 different apps to control different groups. Is possible integrate all in one, only app? I can reprogram all with alexa, no another app? Really is driving me crazy.
Any help you can provide!!!
Can these be set up through your windows 10 pc? My smart phone gives me fits!
Hello Terry, I would have to try that when I get home from my family vacation. Amazon only says that you need the Alexa app to set it up. It does not specify a device that you need to set it up. Here is the link to Amazons setup process. www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=GJL9P9S22S2HBUDF
I do need to use the Alexa app on the PC. I have not dug into that so I am not familiar with the options it has. I will look at this when I get home. I hope this helps. Thank you for your question. Have a great day Terry.
Craig, do you have any new updates for the Echo Plug since the original video publish?
I have not seen any updates on the echo plug. Nothing has changed with it as far as I know. Thanks for checking out this video.
Does the Plug operate on 5GHz and 2.4 GHz Wifi or only 2.4 GHz? I have found other smart plugs losing connectivity when a hybrid Wifi is used. Separate 5gig and 2.4 gig Wifi network solves that but that would impact throughput on other devices if the Wifi SSIDs are separated for the different Bands. Most other plugs use 2.4 gig.
Hello Sunil, The plug only operates in 2.5ghz. Amazon says specifically that it does not support 5ghz. That is interesting, I had not thought about the impact on throughput of other devices. I wonder if it was easier not to mix the 2 on the plug. Especially since you don't need higher speeds of 5ghz for a smart plug. I hope this helps. Thanks for the question. Have a great day Sunil.
@@CraigsTechTalk Separating the Bands is a function of the router. While one would like to have a dual or tri band router broadcasting on a single SSID, it creates problems for smart plugs. Better option would be to have an old wifi router specifically for the devices that operate only on 2.4 GHz configured as an access point/ extender.
Hello Sunil, that makes sense what you are saying. I had not thought about that. Thank you for mentioning that. It is a good thing to think about. My apple router had the 2.4ghz and separate 5ghz. My ubiquiti system shares the same SSID. I had not had issues with it. I don't know if that has anything to do with it being an enterprise/business network solution.
I appreciate the follow up. It's good to have some other tech insight in the comments. Have a great weekend Sunil.
Another great video !
Hello Home Broadcast. Thank you very much. I am glad you enjoyed it. It’s always great to hear the positive feedback. Thank you for this comment and watching the video. Have a great weekend.
I bought a couple for controlling lights in my kids bedrooms. It doesn't work well if you use an outlet behind a piece of furniture. Example : my sons light is plugged in behind his dresser. Added the Amazon smart plug behind the dresser and could connect to wireless network. Got an extender for my network. Still had problems. If it was plugged in and nothing in front of it, no issues. Really disappointed with it. I have tried other brands and they don't have this problem.
Hello Jeremy, that is disappointing to hear that it did not work well behind furniture. That is not good. Especially at the price point. I have some iHome plugs and they work fine behind furniture. It is a convenient plug for Echo use. But, that does not do much good if it does not work. Thank you for sharing this for others to know about this. Thank you for watching. Have a great day.
My Panasonic TV is able to turn off with the plug but only turns my TV on sometimes. Is there a reason why?
I have one in the pump house out back. My well pump and filtration system as well as my laundry washer and dryer are located out there. I have a lamp connected to the smart plug. My Wi-Fi signal has no trouble reaching it. I have another company's dual outlet smart plugs inside the house which seemed to work reasonably well. I have the same issue however with my Cuisinart coffee maker. So (you know who) can't turn it on in the morning for me. Which means my lazy butt must extend my arm out and flip the momentary toggle manually. The struggle is real.
Hello Alan, that is funny. I am glad you are fighting the good manual fight and not letting laziness keep you from your coffee. I reluctantly do the same thing for that coffee. First world problems. That is great that you have all the smart plugs working for you where you can. This stuff is cool. It would be silly not to incorporate this stuff into the house. It is the way things are heading. Why not take advantage of it now. Thanks for sharing your uses and for the laugh. Good luck with that coffee struggle. 😀👍Have a great day Alan.
I got 1 a month ago for the lamp in my bedroom. The switch normally falls behind the chest of drawers and is a pain. Now I don't have to worry about it. Have a routine set up and also just say turn on or turn off to alexa
Hello Craig, I love how useful that the smart plugs can be. Glad to hear it is working for you. Thanks for checking out the video. Happy Holidays.
here is a question:
I purchased Garmin DriveSmart 65 Automotive Mountable GPS Navigator with Amazon Alexa,
Could I use this plug with my GPS with Alexa?
Yeah, when I am not in my truck, duh!
When I am in my home.
Unfortunately at 1:52 the "Amazon" Brand does not show up in the list for me. The plug also did not connect automatically. I have been searching the internet for a solution but haven't found anything.
Any tips?
I'm not sure if you answer your questions but if either you or one of your subs have the answers, please reply.
1. Can you name any Alexa devices something custom like "Bugs Bunny" instead of the preset names?
2. Can you name a amazon plug "Fireplace"
3. When you walk into the room, can you say "Alexa" or "Bugs Bunny" ..... "Fireplace"? Do you have to say fireplace on or off? Or can you just say Alexa fireplace and it will turn on?
Hello, no you can't change the name to anything other than Alexa, Echo, Amazon or Computer. You can rename plugs to whatever name you want to name the plug. You would then walk in the room and say Alexa turn on the fireplace. Or you could make a routine called fireplace and when you say fireplace it triggers the smart plug on and any other steps you want to add. But by default you have to say on or off for actions. THanks for watching. Have a great day.
@@CraigsTechTalk so if I name a plug " make em go crazy" and set a routine for that when I walk into the room and say "make em go crazy" it'll turn that switch on? If so, can it be done with a echo? And what plug do I need?
Will it be able to work an AC unit?
Yes as long as the AC unit does not exceed the maximum amps of the plug.
It doesnt have a timer just like the wyze plug?
Hi Craig, I just found your videos and am quite enjoying them, I’m thinking of buying one of these to turn on my TV do you know if that would work?
Hello Craig, I'm a little suspicious of this Amazon branded hardware. It looks like an "Exact Duplicate" of the WEMO. I have 10 of the WEMO's Smart Switch's and they work very good. Same 15 Amp Rating, setup similar, etc... I have two 15 Amp LG Window Air Conditioners that go on/off using a schedule.
Hello K. LaBorde, my apologies for the delay in getting back to you. I have been out of the country on vacation. I am sorry I missed your comment earlier. I had not checked out the WEMO switches. I will have to check them out. I wonder if Amazon has made a deal with WEMO. That is great that you have them hooked up to you A/C and have them scheduled. That is a great use for them. Thank you for sharing how you are using them and the WEMO similarity. I will check them out. Have a great weekend Keith.
Does it work with echo kids
Bought 2 of them...Amazon had a $0.99 sale (have 2 accounts). Still no idea what to use them on 😄
That’s a good price. Start with a lamp you always turn on and off. I put mine on the opposite end of the room so I wouldn’t have to walk over to just turn on or off the lamp.
Amazon needs to make a dimmable plug-in for Alexa. To date, the only Alexa compatible dimmable plug-in I have found is the Lutron Caseta Wireless Smart Lighting Lamp Plug In Dimmer and Remote Kit, P-PKG1P-WH-C but it is very expensive. This model has two lamp outlets but Alexa can not control them separately.
There are also ZWave dimmable plug-in modules that will work with Alexa/Echo/Wink-2 but these are also very expensive and quite complicated to set up to work with Amazon's Echoes.
Hello SkwrHdz, my apologies for the delay in getting back to you. I have been out of the country on vacation. i had not thought about a dimmable plugin or seen them. How is it that you are trying to use them? I have seen the lutron smart switches that are dimmable. Is it for a light that has a non replaceable bulb?
Just curious on how you want to use it since not many companies make them. Thank you for your comment and for watching. Have a great day.
I've been using dimmable plug-ins with HomeSeer for decades, long before "smart bulbs" existed. It means you can use lamps that plug into a regular outlet, not controlled by an in-wall switch, with regular bulbs. It's easy to recognise dimmable plugs, they only have two pins, they don't have the third pin, the ground.
Can I use this to set up my tv turn it on and off ? 🤔
Yes u can
So I have a basic coffee filter pot but you need to press a button to make it start making the coffee. Would this smart plug work with my echo dot to get my coffee maker to start making the coffee or would i need something else/a different coffee maker to do that? If so what would I need? Thank you!
Hello James, unfortunately it would not work for your coffee maker. That is the same problem I have. For the best chance of it working a coffee maker with a switch would work. If the coffee maker comes back on when you unplug it and plug it back it, such as with an on and off switch, you would be good to go with a smart plug. Thank you for watching. Have a great day.
Thanks
I'm not good with tech and cannot get this to work . My Alexa app has screen that says " by By pressing "next " you agree to terms and conditions " … but there is NO Next button ! .. completely stuck.
david jay i just urinated on mine and it started working
@@cj-cq2xw Thanks i'll try that
Hello David, I am sorry to hear that it is not working. Have you tried doing the setup by using your voice and asking Alexa to discover new devices. It should find and sync the plug for you. Once it does that, you should see it in the app and be able to make changes if you want. I hope that may help. Thank you for watching. Have a great day.
@@CraigsTechTalk thanks for reply... I have just tried but my akexa dot says it cannot find any devices? The plug is on with the blue set light flashing
Can I plug a three way plug into amazon smart plug and plug in three devises.
Francis Cesarz I would say yes so long as you don't draw more than the maximum amps for the smart plug i.e.: a couple of electric fan heaters on full power, here in the UK a 2KW heater would draw 8.6 amps but if left on continuously the plug could over heat. The max amps on my plug is 10amps so I wouldn't use it for a heater.im sure some whizz kid electronics engineer will probably correct me 😄
good review. I would NEVER pay 24.99 for the plug. At max... 7.99
I have a problem turning off my Tv because I can never find the remote so this will help a lot!
Hello, glad to hear that it would help. Hopefully your TV will come back on for you when you turn back on the plug. Thanks for watching.
I bought a smart plug for my living room light because I fall asleep on my futon and don't want to get up to turn the light off manually pure laziness but cool hahaha
Hello Gilburt, that is funny you say you use it out of laziness. If the technology is there, why not use it. Thanks for sharing and watching. Have a great day.
Just got one to turn on corner lamp. Old homes do not light switches connected to plugs.
Hello Only One, that is a great use for a smart plug. You have to love that it can turn any plug or standard lamp into a smart lamp. Thanks for sharing. Have a great day.
Alexa work on Wi-Fi ?
Yes it does. It has to have a WiFi connection to do anything.
I have smart plugs and us them for lights only at the time. None of my coffee pots are compatible with this type of function so no help there.. I have smart power bars so they power down accessories when I’m not using them so no need there. I still like the ability to tell Alexa to turn them on and off.
Hello Bruce, sounds like you have it dialed in. I had not thought about the smart power bars to power down accessories when not needed. Thank you for sharing that. I will have to look into those. You are right, it is so nice to be able to just use your voice with alexa to turn lights and other things on and off. Some think its lazy. Those who use them see the value of being able to walk into a room with your hands full and trigger lights. Or turn on a light as you are walking into a space that needs light. It is the future. Sorry you can't do the coffee maker either. That sounds like a great use. I don't like waiting for the coffee maker to heat up when I am up way too early. It feels like the longest 2 minutes.
Thank you for sharing and watching. Have a great day Bruce.
I bought a smart bulb on Amazon and then was told I needed a smart plug to operated it with Echo. Apparently, I don't need a smart bulb to use a smart plug, tho. Can you clear this up for me? What's the point of a smart bulb then?
Hello, you do not need a smart plug with a smart bulb. Smart plugs are great for lamps, fans and other items you want turned on. A smart bulb needs constant power to it. The turning the light on or off is done internally with the bulb. You use one or the other. Hope that helps.
@@CraigsTechTalk so, a smart bulb will work with voice activation thru echo without a smart plug? Does that mean the echo can find a smart bulb on it’s WiFi system if the lamp is NOT plugged into a smart plug?
The answer is yes. I figured it out. Thanks!
I've had issues with smart plugs interfering with with my garage door remote's signal where when the plug is plugged in (on or off) the garage door remotes effective range decrease to almost zero.
Hello Den, I had not heard of that before. The 2.4ghz of the smart plug is interfering with the garage opener? Was the plug in the garage? That is really odd that the frequencies step on each other. That is definitely not good. Have you had that issue with any other devices? Thanks for sharing this. Thank you also for watching. Have a great weekend.
I use smart plugs for my office.
Hello IGageit, I am right there with you. I have to keep most of the cool tech in there not to drive my wife crazy with smart devices. She has embraced Alexa and the Philip Hue bulbs that run themself. Thanks for sharing and for your continued comments. Thank you also for continuing to watch. I do appreciate it. Have a great day.
I understand how to create a routine to turn a light on, but I don't know how to turn the light off with a routine. Can you help?
Hello, I went in to write one to see if anything has changed. One you select the light you should were power or brightness. You select power and then toggle the switch to off. It defaults to one and being lit blue.
hey Craig.whats up? i like the smart plug video you just did. my birthday is Oct 26th. can you make me a happy birthday video.Id be ever so grateful!
Hello Ashley, I am glad that you enjoyed the video. I appreciate you sharing that. I sent you a Facebook message. Happy Birthday day. I hope you have a great birthday today. I will be back for a live stream on Sunday. Thanks Ashley.
So prior I changed my Echo Plus to recognise 'Computer' so I could watch this video. So now I have my Jug boiling in the shed 200metres away.
Hello Patrick, sorry that I set off your jug and it was boiling. I have tried to the best I can of not triggering devices. If I mute it, then those who don't use the same wake word get annoyed with the muting. It is a tough one with this device. Thank you for watching. Have a great day.
@@CraigsTechTalk- I see the humour in almost everything. Never your responsibility. All good. As soon as they get the ability to make up your own wake word the better.
Hello Patrick, that is awesome. Good way to go through life. Thank you, I like it. Changing the name would be great. Or, at least some more choices. Thanks for the follow up.
I do have the alexa app on my pc. I have it on my phone but I am having trouble getting the alexa and smart life app activated on my smart phone.
Hello Terry, that is annoying that you are having issues get the two apps activated. Have you checked in the app store to see if both apps are updated. Also, on the Alexa app, you are logged in with your Amazon Account. What part will not work about the Alexa app? They did do a big update recently. I don't know if that plays a part. I hope I can help to get this working. I am not familiar with the Smart Life app. Thank you Terry. Have a great day.
We travel a great deal, so having a routine that turns lamps on and off to give the impression that someone is at home is a way of discouraging potential burglars.
Do I have to have smart devices to use this plug
What do you mean? This makes non smart devices smart