Etekcity Smart Wifi Outlet Plug

Product Description

Manage your home, even from afar.
Control from afar The Etekcity Voltson WiFi Electrical Outlet empowers you to remotely control your appliances, whether directly with your VeSync app (on your smartphone/tablet) or with Alexa voice control set up at home. Use it at home, from the office, or even from a cafe with Wi-Fi. Even create custom schedules so you can ditch double-checking your appliances all the time!
Make your home smart at saving energy and costs
Smart management actually helps eliminate excess consumption of electricity since household devices can still eat up energy, even when not in use. This outlet also monitors a device's power usage via the VeSync app, so you know how much power each device uses.
Be smart about home!
Save on your bill, and save valuable energy. Streamline home security Moreover, for the extended days you're away, replace old-fashioned timers that are limited in function. This smart outlet can turn on lamps on a set schedule, or at a moment's notice as you're miles away.
Amazon Alexa Setup
1. Open Amazon Alexa APP on your phone;
2. Search for Skill "VeSync" and enable;
3. Sign in to your VeSync account in Alexa;
4. Go to the Alexa Smart Home section and Discover your Devices;
4. Finish. Control your devices using Alexa.
Please note that your VeSync account is case sensitive, so make sure you have entered the right account in Alexa. Or they will tell your account doesn't exist.

Top Reviews

Beware of the app, needs access to everything on your phone.
by amazoner (1 out of 5 stars)
August 7, 2018

Unfortunately, I missed the return period. The app for this item needs access to my location, docs and files, camera, and call information among many other areas. Why does a wall plug need access to my photos is beyond me. Lost money on something I'd never use because it won't function without the app.
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WARNING!!!! - THIS DEVICE SENDS DATA TO CHINA THROUGH A DOMAIN KNOWN TO BE MALICIOUS
by Derek D. (2 out of 5 stars)
October 3, 2018

I'm not one to frequently post negative or bad reviews. However, I've contemplated this post for months while I watched my Voltson log size grow exponentially.

Two stars for the fact that it works and does it well.

The problem is in the firmware. Even when an IoT device appears secure and locked down, without proper investigation, you still don't know what it's doing on your network.

However, this device and its required app consistently calls home reports data back to China (cosylin.cosytek.com and *.taobao.com) via HTTP, within the URI, and in plain text. A quick search for malware and taobao.com will provide you with plenty of detail. Snort or pcap logs will tell you a whole lot more.

Additional (and expected) connections occur with AWS for IoT service and with the Alexa web service.

Built on the Espressif ESP8266, documentation available online. Good reference if you want to understand how this thing works.

Suggest pfsense or custom DNS to block outbound connections to nefarious sites and set up security specific triggers on the MAC address so you know if it starts misbehaving.

If you don't know what any of these are, feel free to take the risk. However, I highly recommend educating yourself on the level of risk associated with consumer based IoT devices, then learn how to protect your network and mitigate those risks.
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5 star? read on
by Private (5 out of 5 stars)
May 23, 2017

Months later review: I've been using these now for a while, in a family of 'power' users, meaning our pg&e bill can get high. With these I can monitor what is running and for how long, and have the option to turn things off if needed (like my fridge).

A few handy things for me are:
1) I can track our refrigerator's usage over days/weeks, its not all bad until it turns on the defrost cycle!
2) I've used a few to turn on / off AC grid tie inverters (with battery packs) to mitigate our power usage during high-use times. And I can see the reduction on our rainforest smart meter monitor, confirming the power reading on these smart plugs which is a great feature to have.
3) I like the app, its fairly straightforward, and has triggered power on/off functions which I like. I use that to turn off chargers once they fall below a watt level where they are no longer providing much charge. I've inadvertently had the 'new trigger' turn off when power exceeds ___W, and they would instantly turn back off. I initially thought I had a problem, but the notification told me otherwise, cluing me on my error...

Some things I think would be helpful:
1) wifi access but no internet (you know, just in case it goes down LOL) the app can still access the smart plugs if my local wifi network is still alive and my phone is connected to it. (internet hasn't died just yet, but don't want to find out with working wifi, the smart plugs no longer work)
2) work with the Stringify app. Stringify needed a public API to be able to use Etekcity's smart plugs. This makes both a powerful tool when it comes to monitoring things. For example, if my smart meter goes over a preset power setting, I could tell it to turn on/off certain smart plugs. Alexa is nice to have, but its short lived. Alexa doesn't have the same monitoring Vesync has or any app pass-through feature which would allow other apps to use Alexa as a control or host.
3) if #2 is simply impossible, create a new function in the "new trigger action" menu to turn on or off other smart outlets in my menu. For example, if outlet 1 power drops below xxx watts, turn on outlet 2. This would allow you to cascade functions to accomplish doing more with them.
4) notifications don't show up on my cell, only within the Vesync app. email works, but it lags by minutes/hours.
5) for some reason, if I'm in a monitor menu and I press the super button to get me back the phone, when I reopen Vesync, there is a different smart plug picture and none of the readings work. Hitting back a few times gets me to the smart plug menu, guessing that's a bug.

You might be wondering, why all this? PG&E and deregulation (which hasn't happened). I pay rates 2-3x higher than someone who lives a few miles down the road. Does solar help? sure, but PG&E's payback is a nickel per kWh, and charge you 20c per kWh used and then there's the penalty stage if you go over the baseline which seems to be based on nobody at home from 8-5, m-f.

My bill is lower because I can see / manage my power usage better, thanks to Etekcity's smart plugs. Yeah, I've tried Dlink, range is worse, their update bricked one that actually measured power, and their cost is higher. And they were constantly losing connection even in line of sight (50') to wifi. So Etekcity's have better range (I have 4 smart plugs in another garage on my lot), better reliability (yeah i got 3 customer returns -poorly packed was the clue- that I returned, lost some hours I wont get back) but overall, better performance for your money.

Pointers:

Check the monitor watts menu to see you're within its power rating too. I'm working these fairly good, 2-3x / day up to 1000W for hours at a time, varying locations on my lot and with noisy equipment. So mine are seeing a fair amount of use.

Problems with initial connection? Closing the app and restarting helps. I've checked to see how many things were on my network and if it was full, there was no indication that it was...

I paid for all my smart plugs, received nothing for this review other than the (replacements for duds) and satisfaction using them. Hope that helps someone deciding to buy or not.
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Respond to voice commands about 75% of the time.
by Arpad (1 out of 5 stars)
December 21, 2017

I was able to connect them easily enough. However frequently when giving them a voice command they make a clicking noise and then fail to take action. Alexa says they are unresponsive, and the app reports them as offline.

They will flash for a while and eventually come back. They work about 75% of the time. That is not enough.

Both of the switches in my two pack have the same problem.

Returning them.
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Great Smart Plug and Budget Priced!
by WVElectEngr (5 out of 5 stars)
November 30, 2017

Are you looking to automate your house on a budget? Don't want to pay $32 PER outlet at the big box stores for a $amsung $martThing? Then look no further! Slightly more expensive than a WiFi controlled bulb but they don't burn out like bulbs!

New to the smart home world, I purchased an Amazon Echo Plus to get the built-in hub. This device however does NOT require a hub. It doesn't even require an Echo! You can run this straight from your smartphone and WiFi network. The included directions say it takes a minute to set up. I doubt it even took that long. I downloaded the VeSync app, set up an account, and tapped the "+" to add a device. I already had the smart plug inserted into the recetacle, and the bluish-purple light illuminated by itself. The app recognized it in no time. I picked my WiFi network and entered the password (only had to do this once, the app remembers for successive modules). I named the device and I had control! Super easy! As far as Alexa control, all you need to do is add VeSync to your Alexa skills. The VeSync app is actually very useful, allowing you to set a schedule, timer, and away modes for each unit installed (I bought the 3-pack). It also tells you the active time the module has been switched on, and the energy used by the connected device in kWh. I currently have mine connected to the Christmas tree and other lighted decorations.

The actual module is quite small at 2-1/4" in diameter except for the bump-out area at the bottom giving it a height of 2-1/2". The unit is 1-1/4" in depth when plugged into the receptacle. The bump-out area at the bottom gives space for a small power button to allow manual control if necessary. On the back it has a QR code for both iOS and Android that takes you to the respect App Store for the free app.

The module even fit in my weatherproof exterior outlet enclosure! Yay! Automated Christmas lights!

I looked at the different options offered on Amazon - single, 3-, and 4-packs. I bought the 3-pack because it was cheaper per unit. Then a couple days later I bought the two-pack on Black Friday special for even less!

A couple days into ownership, a customer service rep from Etekcity reached out to me to make sure all was going well. She included troubleshooting steps and suggestions for safe operation of the device. How many Amazon vendors even do that? Very few for me.

I'm very impressed with this product, especially since it was so much cheaper than any other module I'd found. I'll happily buy from Etekcity again!
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These are awesome!
by E-Man (5 out of 5 stars)
January 24, 2018

I have seen other reviews claiming these are junk, well I am here to these are great! I got them because another reviewer indicated that you can set an event to turn off the outlet when the demand drops. So for like a cellphone charger, once the device is charged, the demand (watts) of electricity drops considerably. This is PERFECT for preventing the overcharge problem with cellphone batteries! Once the demand drops I have it configure to switch off. There are 2 apps for this device, there is one called VeSync which doesn't have ALL the capabilities represented, and there is VeSyncOutlet. The outlet app give you all the extras (use the same VeSync account for both apps). I plan to purchase these for everything they work with in my home. There is a limit of between 8-10 amps of demand, so it might not be compatible with some Windows AC units, space heaters, coffee makers, etc. Don't let that discourage you though! I am even going to put one on my garage door opener so I can disable that at night and not worry if someone got a hold of the opener from the car.

Remember, you have to have 2.4GHZ WI-FI (the older standard) for these to work. They don't work with 5ghz, but also don't require your phone / tablet to stay on 2.4ghz after the initial setup of the outlet is complete. And the don't require any kind of hub, which can cost up-to a couple hundred extra dollars.

They retain configuration after being unplugged, and moved around, which is also nice.

Just a great product!
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I had some quirks during setup, but it works as expected after using an alternate way.
by J. Salce (4 out of 5 stars)
January 13, 2018

The good:
-This is an excellent device to control devices such as AC units, humidifiers, lamps and accent lighting, Christmas tree, etc.
-The app (VeSync App) can do several tasks besides turning devices ON and OFF. Make sure you scan the QR code to get the right app.

It does display electricity usage and if you enter how much you are charge kWh (look on your bill), it can calculate how much electricity you will pay on the device connected to that plug.

Also, you could create customized schedules for the smart outlet to power devices ON and OFF. Very useful for a window AC unit or to turn a light on and off pretending someone is home while on vacation. Also, to turn your lights ON during Sabbath. There is an away mode that turns ON the plug at random for half-hour intervals during the programmed time.

There is trigger settings where you can turn OFF a device if its usage exceeds certain amount. You could also select to receive a notification.
-As of now you could have Alexa and Goggle home control the smart plug.
-You could share the plugs with other users (family & friends) so they are able to control the plug.
-Etekcity provided excellent support, going beyond what I was expecting, to help me with some issues I encountered. I have dealt with many companies (Apple, Dell, Motorola, Samsung, LG, Google, OnePlus, etc ) support and Etekcity is on my top 3. Besides responding in a timely manner, they were avid to help resolve the issue. I have high regard for companies that stand behind their products and offer real customer support.

No so good:
-I was not able to setup the smart plug following the 5 short steps on the 'Quick Start Guide' included in the box. I lost count how many times I tried plugging, unplugging and resetting the smart outlet. I was going insane since it looked so simple. Finally, I visited the Etekcity support site and downloaded the smart plug manual. In the manual, there was another simple way (APN Mode) to setup the smart plug if did not connect to the network. Those steps should have been included in the QSG.
-I would have preferred have one common name related to this device. It could be confusing having 3 different names when dealing with a device. Etekcity: sales and support; Voltson: I suppose is the manufacturer; and Vesync App: the app to control the smart plug.
-I can only have a smart plug per duplex outlet. Two will not fit because of the bulky round shape. It will be great if the smart plug could rotate to accommodate another smart plug next to it or change the shape to a rectangle.
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Don't waste your money!
by diane h tignor (1 out of 5 stars)
December 21, 2017

If you want to use with Alexa, don't waste your money on this plug. I have a KASA smartplug already, which works fine, but I wanted another one and bought these because they don't cover up both outlets the way the KASA plug does. They look nice and are easy to set up, but the SKILL in the Alexa app that you use to connect the plug to Alexa did not work ar all. Kept saying "Internet Server Error". I sent an email to customer service from within the SKILL, received no answer. Then I called the Help number, got a recording asking me to enter an extension number. The recording kept repeating itself until it finally hung up on me. I called back and entered a random number, it hung up on me again. The reviews on the phone app and the SKILLS app indicate that many other people have had problems like this. I have already printed the shipping label to return these. Waste of time and money. I would give this a Zero rating if I could. I will order another KASA plug.
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Read the Privacy policy...you will be shocked
by Jacob R. (1 out of 5 stars)
January 4, 2019

Ok. The only reason I read the privacy policy was because I read another review about it. I usually never read them (like lots of people). You have to register with a company that YOU NEVER HEARD OF, and give them the ok to literally see and access everything on your phone with their app. They can see every page you view in your browser, time spent, etc. Plus your contacts, photos, and just about everything else. And they have the right to sell any info to anybody. Now why does an electric on/off plug need this info? Just wondering if they sell the product cheap just so they can make their real money by data mining. I am probably going to send these back, because this makes no sense. If I am wrong, please tell me what I am missing.
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Need external 3rd party account to operate
by fdt (1 out of 5 stars)
August 6, 2018

This indicated it worked with Alexa, and while that may be true, it also requires an account with a third party in order to work. I don't need an account with a 3rd party to turn on a socket.

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