Re: smart plugs???

On 15/01/2025 20:31, Pancho wrote:

I think you have to be careful that they are not controlled by a cloud service. If you have a cloud service you need a working wan connection and you are exposed to the cloud service provider disappearing.

(Thanks to all for replying)
This is the rub. tp-link clearly /want/ the consumer to use their "cloud" service - which is usually just a fancy codeword for 'we want your data'. There's no actual /need/ that I can see in this case.
I've found python modules for actually running the thing - but apparently the device's initial setup still needs tp-link's cloud services.
And the problem there is my phone and hudl are ancient so tp-link's code won't install - and when I try to install it on my wife's phone, it wants me to enable in-app purchases. WHY? It's totally unnecessary. All I want to do is set up a device I've already purchased. (And it's not going to happen: I avoid in-app purchase software like the plague, and I'm not about to set up something like that on a borrowed phone anyway.)
Looks like Argos can have their device returned, although I doubt anyone there will have the nous to understand the issues.
(FWIW I assumed there'd be a web interface to set it up, with their app as a convenience wrapper for that. But no; it looks as though they use BT for initial device discovery and tcp for actual use. Seems madly complex to me.)
--
Mike Scott
Harlow, England