Question

I wish I had been aware of smartthings before I started buying all those wifi plugs to use with alexa. looks like I can make my gosund plugs work via IFTTT though, so that's a good thing at least. what plugs do people recommend purchasing in the future? I see a bunch of different brands on amazon.  

Answer 1

Before I buy anything wifi, I check to make sure it does integrate with something, at the least alexa. If it can be used by alexa, then I can integrate it across the board. If it doesn't work with Alexa, then I check the app and make sure it's in ifttt. If it's not even there, then most likely stay away from it

Comments

@legendary5 if your existing WiFi smartplugs are using the Tuya/Smartlife platform, then official ST integration is meant to be working now (since Dec '19) but I think it may currently be broken?  

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@legendary5 if it works with alexa and you want it to work with ST and/or actiontiles, then you can create a virtual button/switch for the outlet in ST and use an alexa routine when it's pressed in ST or AT

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I think I heard they prematurely released it, then pulled it offline, so I don't know when it'll be online again. I use ifttt for the ST and SL integration

Answer 2

I've just bought Ikea Tradfri plugs for £10 each, so far they seem ok. I haven't heard many bad things about them either

Answer 3

I too have had good experience with Ikea Tradfri smartplugs. ST recognises them correctly and they are good value. They also work as ZigBee repeaters.  

Answer 4

I like the Peanut plugs.  

Answer 5

True or False: Home automation with Alexa is a dead end

Comments

When you have to ASK it to do something. that's NOT automation.  

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@tamqrah23 well, Amazon, alphabet and Microsoft have all agreed to develop a standard protocol for smart devices that are compatible among all their controllers. So no. Alexa and other smart speakers are alive and well far into the future

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@brandibrandice you've obviously never used Alexa before. I have dozens of routines that run automatically based off of various triggers, time triggers, motion triggers, temperature triggers, proximity triggers. All through the Alexa devices. I do have a smart things hub, but with Alexa's hub capabilities and robust routines and groups, I haven't needed it.  

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@brandibrandice If only this was clearly understood by all. You are % spot on.  

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False. I agree with @cath63 above, I use alexa routines to do a lot of my automation, and not just they voice commands

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@tamqrah23 I haven’t found a single automation system that does what I want except for WebCoRE. Alexa is on of the worst. Haha

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@cath63 I have a lot of true non-voice activated automations set up with Alexa as well. I use ST or WebCore for many of the more complex ones, but Alexa works perfectly for the ones I do have set up through it. ‍♀️

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@oleum Yes, I ran into many frustrating limitations until I found WebCore. It sounds like it is likely that at some point something like WebCore will be developed for other platforms. Also I'm not sure it is fair to say that a system that doesn't allow you to write code is a dead end. It is certainly a dead end for people like us who know how and want to write code. There's not that many of us really so how much do our requirements get weighted?  

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@tamqrah23 Regarding programming: I have written only a couple of DTH for ST and it is fun, however I'm not a java developer [anymore], so it did have a little bit of a learning curve for me. But I wouldn't consider it dead, more and more devices aren't 100% supported when they come out the door for ST, so programmers can have fun building integrations for them. Regarding Alexa being dead: There are many things that I already/buying new that don't work for ST, mainly my wifi devices, and some smart light bulbs. However, they DO work for Alexa, so I can write routines and integrations within it and IFTTT to get them to work with ST using virtual buttons/switches. IFTTT isn't perfect and it's slow as hell, but, webcore doesn't do it, so I wouldn't completely replace everything with ST and webcore and call it a day quite yet.  

Answer 6

I have maybe 12 WiFi outlets. Most of them (and all the one’s I buy anymore I make sure are for the smartlife app. It just makes it easier for me to create the bridge in IFTTT when I don’t have to keep going to different integrations.  

Answer 7

Securifi Peanut is the best design and value. The ikea one is cheap but it’s YUUUUGGGEE

Answer 8

I use TP-Link KASA (WIFI) or Lutron Caseta both brands are rock solid on native app, SmartThings, Google and Alexa.  

Answer 9

Almond Peanut plugs are the absolute cheapest zigbee plug in sockets you’ll find. You need a hub to update the firmware so u get power/energy monitoring.  

Comments

@legendary5 you need the hub. Hub was like $30 on eBay for me, I knew I was getting a few of them so was worth it.  

Answer 10

IKEA for cheap and cheerful. New Samsung smartthings plugs if I need power monitoring.