Smart Plug ESICOO, WiFi Plugs That Work with Alexa, Echo, Google Home, Surge Protector & Timer & Group Controller, ETL & FCC Certified, No Hub Required, 2.4G WiFi Only, 4 Pack

This is an updated review - after a year I pulled them out and tried to configure them again. It was still not as easy as some, but I was able to complete the process now and have it all working. One issue seems to be in using an iPhone and connecting to the wifi of the plugs themselves. The phone wants to switch back to a network with Internet access, so you must work quickly to connect to the plug and add it to the app. I did find that when I tried a second one, it would time out and fail. I could not get past this last time. The secret was to configure one, then force close the Cloud Intelligence app, launch and do the next one. Once they are all added, they all seemed to work fine. Note that when you add them, the app tries to give them all the same name - its easiest at this point to rename them as you go. If you do not rename them, including the first one, a bug will cause them to appear in Chinese characters when you are later programming them. I had to reset that one and start over, so rename them as you add them. It is difficult to move them from whatever group you join them to into another group - I found simply renaming the groups and rooms to be easier, then deleting what I did not want. Connecting to Alexa in the app was fairly easy following the directions in the package. Click the person, then services, then bind with either Alexa or Home. At that point, my Alexa app saw all four of the plugs and I was able to easily group them and use voice control. My new assessment is that I suspect something has changed, perhaps due to the negative reviews, or perhaps even iOS is giving another second or two of time when you connect to unconnected APs. The seller did contact me multiple times asking me to take my 2-star review down when it was first posted in exchange for a refund, and I refused. Since I have now made them work, and I see that others are posting that they do not understand the bad reviews it seems appropriate to come back and update my original review with details and a better rating. These are still not the easiest smart plugs I have set up (those use a Bluetooth connection so you do not have to connect to the plug via wifi) but once they are set up and working they seem to do the trick and work. As such I have increased my rating to 4 stars because I do believe the customer service team did listen and try to fix things in the past year. My original review follows - but is no longer valid... ---------------------------------------------------------- These are similar to plugs I bought maybe 4 years ago. Setup requires a series of complex steps including setting up each plug as a separate access point. Modern iPhone software doesn’t like staying connected to APs without internet, so you need to disconnect and rejoin your network multiple times including forcing the phone to stay connected to the plug. Unfortunately it still repeatedly failed during installation after fussing with 2 of the 4 plugs for an hour, I’m giving up. They do not provide any actual diagnostic information, they simply fail to work. The Cloud Intelligence app is similar to the Smart Life app used by BN Link devices. However those devices use Bluetooth to connect to the app making it far easier to further connect to the network. I suspect these are old stock returns getting recycled, hence the number that simply don’t work.

THIS IS HOW YOU PAIR WITH ALEXA: You have to download the Cloud Intelligence app and you must have the Alexa app. Put the device in pairing mode by holding the button for 5 seconds until it starts blinking. Using the Cloud Intelligence app, select add a device or use the auto find feature. You must have a 2.4g wifi signal for it to pair and you must input your wifi password. You must also allow permissions for Bluetooth and precise location while using the app. Once the device is found, edit the device and rename it whatever you want. Then Open the Alexa app. You must be logged into BOTH accounts. Using the Cloud Intelligence app, go to the profile tab, select More Services and youll see amazon alexa and google assistant. Select amazon alexa, select Bind Account and your phone will open your Alexa app and it will attempt to link the two apps/accounts together. This opens a web page and will either be successful or not. Your Alexa app will get a notification saying its been paired, and your alexa may even audibly tell you that it found new devices, with the names you gave the devices if you edited the names in the Cloud Intelligence app. TEST TO SEE IF WORKING AND THEN DELETE THIS INVASE DATA STEALING APP. It is granted permissions to your search history, photo library, exact location, all your bluetooth and wifi info. Plugs work great but the amount of info it requires to install is downright unacceptable

We have several different devices in the house that are all hooked up to Alexa and these plug ins are the worst at connectivity. We have two lamps in our room and over half the time we ask Alexa to turn the lights on or off only one lamp comes on and says one or the other is offline or not communicating and has to be reset. This happens almost daily. Will be replacing with something else soon

Muy util el articulo y llego en el tiempo esperado. Lo use con mis adornos de Navidad. Gracias.

After trying with two other kind, I finally came across these ones and violá, they worked like a charm. The only this I wish is that they wont cut off the power completely off the appliance/socket. I tried it with one of my cable boxes, and unfortunately because it shuts it down completely when it turn off, every time I turn it on it goes through the set up process. No big thing, but it would have been nice to be able to plug both the TV and the box in one and have them box turn on simultaneously instead of having to give Alexa two commands. Maybe I been lazy, but isnt that the reason that we are automating our lives? So we dont have to work hard? LOL. They are really good for independent items like, fans, humidifiers, coffee makers, lights, etc. If you want to control you kids video game usage (and they dont know you are using a smart plug), this will be perfect because you can set it up to shut down for specific times. This wont work if they just unplug the little gadget and plug their machine straight on the wall socket, thou. LOL. Great buy

Buy a magnifying glass to read directions. However be sure to use app name from directions and NOT the recommended one for brand by Alexa.

These work fairly well; the big problem I have is every time they get unplugged or lose power, and I relogin with the app (cloud intelligence IOS app) all the timer on events get changed to timer off, and I have to manually go back and change them from ‘timer off’ to timer on. Which means remembering which is which, but at least that is easier than setting them up initially. (Which is also not all that difficult) Have had one of 8 of these get locked up, but unplugging it and resuming it (with the changing timer offs to on) did work just fine. The rest have worked flawlessly for a couple of months or more.

This was so easy to install and use. I did have to download the app, but after syncing it with Alexa, I just use the Alexa app to run. But you can use the app to run schedules if you don’t have Alexa. We have the lights turn on and off automatically on a schedule. We can also turn on the lights by saying, “Alexa, turn on living room lights.” You have to set the devices up in Alexa and put them in the living room to do this. If not, you just say, “Alexa, turn on [name of plug] smart plug.” You can use the same words to turn the lights off. This works really well for plugs that are hard to reach. But if you can easily reach the plug, you can manually turn the plug on and off with the button on the side. Also, in the Alexa app, you can create a routine that turns on/off according to when the sun sets or rises. You can set it for the sunrise/sunset or minutes before/after the sunrise/sunset. We have the schedule running even when we are home! And when we leave, it continues to turn on and off as if we are home. It’s fantastic.

I’m constantly having to unplug them, because the cute little power button does nothing, just to get them to work every few weeks or so. It’s a downer because I use these on outlets that are difficult to reach so it’s very frustrating when they’re disconnected. When they do work, they work fine. As others have said, the setup process can be a pain if you’re not very tech savvy.

It’s okay , not the best with quality