Wi-Fi Sockets

Wi-Fi Sockets

The first decision with a Wi-Fi socket, often called a smart plug, is whether you want app and voice control from anywhere or simple button switching around the house. A Wi-Fi smart plug sits between a standard 13A wall socket and the appliance, joins your home's 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network and lets you switch lamps, fans, phone chargers and similar household appliances on or off from your phone, whether you are in the next room or away from home. No separate hub or bridge is needed, and setup runs through the free Tapo app on Android 4.4 or iOS 9.0 and above. A remote control socket set does a similar job without Wi-Fi or an app, using a handheld remote instead.

The key Tapo distinction is between the Tapo P100 and the Tapo P110. The Tapo P100 Mini Smart Wi-Fi Plug covers remote on/off control, weekly schedules, countdown timers, Away Mode and voice control through Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, with Bluetooth 4.2 onboarding to make the initial pairing quicker and more reliable than Wi-Fi-only setup. The Tapo P110 Mini Smart Wi-Fi Socket Plug adds energy monitoring, so you can see how much electricity a connected appliance is using, along with group control and local control. Tapo plugs are also sold in multi-packs, so you can start with one room or cover the whole house.

Because the schedule and countdown functions run from the app, a Wi-Fi smart plug also works as a programmable timer plug, handy for a lamp that switches on at dusk or a fan on a warm afternoon. Away Mode randomises when connected devices switch on and off while you are out, helping your home look occupied, and family sharing lets other people in the household manage the same plugs. The Tapo P100 retains its last on/off state after a power cut or dropped connection, so devices do not unexpectedly switch on when the power returns.

On size and safety, the mini body of the Tapo P100 measures 51 x 72 x 40 mm and is shaped so it does not block the adjacent outlet on a double socket. It handles a maximum load of 2990 W at 13 A, with a 1/6 HP limit for motors and compressors, and is not suitable for EV charging. The housing is UL94-V0 flame-retardant polycarbonate with a sliding safety cover, it carries CE and RoHS certification and is rated for indoor use only, within an operating range of 0 to 35 degrees Celsius. The Tapo P110 energy monitoring plug is also flame-retardant.

For anyone who would rather skip Wi-Fi altogether, the Unicom Remote Control Socket Set pairs three plug-in sockets with a handheld remote that has a 20 metre wireless operating range. It is ideal for hard-to-reach sockets behind a television, Christmas tree lights, lamps, electric fans and heaters, and is particularly useful for older people or anyone with limited mobility, since there is no app or smartphone involved.

The Tapo smart plugs here come from TP-Link, with remote control socket sets from Unicom. To build out a connected home, browse Smart Home and Smart Security, or for plug-in timers, extra outlets and plug adaptors see Timers, Extension Leads and Adaptors.