As smart home appliances are becoming more and more popular people are looking for ways to transform their existing gadgets into ‘smart devices’ without the added cost that normally comes with doing so. In this review we’ll be taking a look at the WISPP (short for WiFi Smart Point Plug). This smart plug allows you to connect any mains powered device through it giving you the ability to switch it on and off from a mobile device. This means it doesn’t matter if you’re at home, work or on holiday you’ll be able to activate/deactivate the connected device.
The box is decorated with images of the plug as well as some useful information about the product. In the box you get the standard array of items including the plug itself, a getting started guide, user manual and also a warranty card.
Setting the unit up is very easy to do. Firstly you must plug the WISPP device into a wall socket and then your item you wish to power into the WISPP plug. You must also ensure that the wall socket is switched on for the WISPP to work. When first switched on, the LED should begin to blink red which indicates that it’s now in pairing mode. If this doesn’t happen simply hold down the LED button for five seconds to force it into this mode. The device supports WEP, TKIP and AES encryption.
Control your devices from anywhere
The next step is to download the mobile app ‘SmartPoint’ which will allow you to configure the device with your wireless network. While trying to use the app to connect the WISPP to our network connection we ran into a few problems. The main problem was that it seemed you had to be within very close proximity when first making the connection. When we say close, we mean within a couple of inches of the WISPP plug which to us seemed ridiculous. But once we finally got it connected, the WISPP seemed to function correctly.
Once set-up is complete you will see the device appear in a list. The name and icon can be changed to something which means more to you such as ‘Downstairs Lamp’, although icon choices are quite restricted as of now. Once you’ve made all of the necessary changes I would suggest locking the settings, which is done through the app to prevent anybody else being able to find it on your network.
Although being quite a basic app it can carry out a surprising amount of tasks. You can manage up to 100 WISPP devices through the app which will be more than enough for most, if not everyone. A great feature which worked extremely well was the ability to automate activation through setting the time and day on your phone. There is also the ability to repeat the cycle and therefore you won’t have to keep setting it each day or week for example.
Verdict
Overall the WISPP is a good product, but can only be as good its companion application. Whilst the mobile app has most of the functionality you’re likely to need minus a few options such as grouping and usage statistics, the app isn’t exactly the most aesthetically pleasing and is in need of a redesign. It’s definitely useful for when you go on holiday as you can set the timer to switch on a lamp or light at certain intervals to make it look as though somebody is home.
The unit currently costs £28.99 on Amazon.co.uk (as of 11/11/2014), and is a small price to pay if you wish to add smart functionality to any device in your home.
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