Remote smart plug or powerstrip

I've heard about them but never used one. I need a *remotely accessible* powerstrip or smart-plug for switching OFF/ON a Netgear GS105 and Zyxel U-100 that occasionally get stuck. Do you use these devices? Any good brands? This is so important that price is not an issue. TIA

I have 4 Meross smart plugs, they need the Ios/Android app on your mobile to connect to, and can also be controlled by Amazon Alexa and I believe Google Home, just type in Meross on Amazon

I use the TP-Link Kasa and now the newer Tapo smart plugs (14 of them) around my home and have proved very reliable, only had 1 fail after 7 years.
As long as you have Wifi at home then you can remotely turn them on and off from anywhere.
I actually use 1 on my router that gives me wifi, however if you turn this plug off remotely then you cannot turn it back on as your router and wifi are now down, however you can set internal timers on them, so mine now turns off at 3am, then turns back on at 3.01am the same day but scheduled to do this every 2 days.

A pack of 4 Tapo P100 are on offer at Amazon for £30, or P110 energy monitoring for £33.

The problem with most of these smart plugs is that they rely on an internet connection to switch them.
The answer is to use a smart plug that utilises the mobile network to control them.
I run a amateur radio repeater here and the stipulation from Offcom was that i could remotely close it down because of the fact that it uses frequencies that are primarily in use and owned by the MOD.
So if the Zyxel U-100 is the only access to the internet at the premises then you will need a SMS controlled switch. The one I use is a GMS SMS controlled switch which uses the 2G network so certain mobile networks wont work with it O2/Giffgaff do work. So I can send an SMS text from any mobile to switch the mains socket off or on.

I also have the Meeros ones, and these also have internal timers, so if the internet dies (ie you switch the plug to the router off), it can still come back on again at the time you specify.

Mine appear to be able to navigate the network and be made available via 5G (through the SmartLife App) without additional configuration on my router.

So these could be a possibility for you.

The Meross ones can be run via a local docker container, but its messy...... I'm still actually shocked companies want to sell and make money when you turn a switch on or off.. Also the meross app is diabolically pants. Oh and google home is horrifically pants...

I noticed you emphasised "remotely accessible". If/when these devices hang, will your internet still be up so they can be remotely powercycled but whatever solution you implement?

Edited by nofappingway (Mon 19-Feb-24 11:26:45)

I use an Athom Plug V2 running an operating system called Tasmota. The plug has a little web site where you set when it switches off and on. My router once got stuck when i was away from home I now use this plug to power it off and on early on Sunday mornings. The schedule is stored in the plug so it operates even if there is no internet connection.

You can buy these plugs here. They show much much power the connected device uses. I now know my fridge uses 1.5 kwH per day.

This is another one.

I just have the standard plugs, combined with Alexa and they work fine, tell Alexa to turn the of and on when I want, I don't use them forr my ONT/Router etc as I have them all connected to a UPS and it doesn't take much trouble to go into the hallway to press the reset button on whatever needs be

Something like this? https://www.solwise.co.uk/telecoms-sms-remoteplug-ver2 (others are available)

SMS-REMOTEPLUG - Remote Power Controller with SMS Control
Fully controlled by SMS (text message)
Turn power on/off & reboot equipment remotely all by text
Real time text alert when mains power is lost/restored (up to 5 users)
Plug & play - simple quick set up all by text (under 3 mins)
Powertxt uses GSM only (no IP address required or Wifi/Data/3G access)
Saves time & money by reducing unnecessary engineering site visits
Real time temperature alerts & automatic control by temperature
Powertxt can only control the mains power to your equipment, it has no connection to the device itself
Control by mobile/cell phone or through EstateView (cloud based centralised management portal)

Will these not become defunct when the GSM network is switched off? Lots of Mobile providers are starting to disable 2G/3G to release spectrum for 5G

In reply to a post by haydnwalker:

Will these not become defunct when the GSM network is switched off? Lots of Mobile providers are starting to disable 2G/3G to release spectrum for 5G

3G ends this year for most networks.

2G runs to 2033... apparently many smart meters, and parking meters and other fixed infrastructure still uses 2G. (But not 3G).
https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-telecoms-and-interne...

In reply to a post by hunnymonster:

Powertxt uses GSM only (no IP address required or Wifi/Data/3G access)

SMS-REMOTEPLUG - Remote Power Controller with SMS Control
Fully controlled by SMS (text message)

Control by mobile/cell phone or through EstateView (cloud based centralised management portal)

i'm kinda confused by those series of statements 👀😂🙈

What are you finding confusing?

The connection is via GSM.

To manage the switch you either use a phone or the cloud based software. I assume by manage they mean turning it off/on and if there are any settings like scheduling (no idea if there are).

So, GSM is the connection channel and mobile/cloud are how you control it over that connection.

At least that is how I read it.

In reply to a post by Taras:

i'm kinda confused by those series of statements 👀😂🙈

Text messaging (SMS) is not related to any data services. In 2024 many people think that messaging requires data, but SMS goes back to GSM before data (GPRS) arrived. Back in 1994 I was using dial up over GSM at 9600bps for data.... GPRS didn't arrive until 1997 ish...

In reply to a post by Michael_Chare:

I use an Athom Plug V2 running an operating system called Tasmota. The plug has a little web site where you set when it switches off and on. My router once got stuck when i was away from home I now use this plug to power it off and on early on Sunday mornings. The schedule is stored in the plug so it operates even if there is no internet connection.

You can buy these plugs here. They show much much power the connected device uses. I now know my fridge uses 1.5 kwH per day.

This is another one.

More or less what I buy, but I buy GOSUND onee, but not using Tasmota, Not sure about putting them on my router to turn it off as they will need a network connection.
I did put one on to see how much energy the router corner as i call it was taking,

1.5 a day? wow, my fridge freezer is just under 1KwH a day

Anyway.

There are bluetooth smart plugs available, but need to be in proximity to access them.

I use those cheapy Sonoff basic switches flashed with Tasmota firmware, but any compatible device should work. I have been using them for many years without issue. Some only come out at Xmas for the tree lights and just work.

You can then do something like this.

https://community.home-assistant.io/t/remotely-power...

I'm playing around with LORA (Meshtastic) at the moment which could be used.

Edited by smouty (Wed 21-Feb-24 13:44:17)

You need reliable kit that doesn’t get stuck.

My sky hub 4 got 300 days uptime before I left, on virgin I currently have 97 days using the hub 5. Before the firmware settled it sometimes crashed but would self reboot always without exception.

Networking shouldn’t be locking up.

Failing that can you enforce a daily reboot via a programmed timer - surely it doesn’t crash within 24 hours?

In reply to a post by ukhardy07:

You need reliable kit that doesn’t get stuck.

My sky hub 4 got 300 days uptime before I left, on virgin I currently have 97 days using the hub 5. Before the firmware settled it sometimes crashed but would self reboot always without exception.

Networking shouldn’t be locking up.

Failing that can you enforce a daily reboot via a programmed timer - surely it doesn’t crash within 24 hours?

Yep, my router has been up and running for a couple of months without having to reboot it and I only reboot it because I changed setting.
The only router I have had that used to get stuck was an old sagecom, my zyxel that Plusnet supplied used to reset now and again, but I think that was to do with updates.

300 days without a firmware update?

In reply to a post by zyborg47:

, but I think that was to do with updates.

Updates are a good thing, no updates and no reboot is a bad thing, especially on your boundary device protecting you from the "wild west" on the net.

In reply to a post by jchamier:

In reply to a post by zyborg47:

, but I think that was to do with updates.

Updates are a good thing, no updates and no reboot is a bad thing, especially on your boundary device protecting you from the "wild west" on the net.

That was plusnet doing that. The router i have now is my own and I check for updates now and again, I don't allow it to happen automatically.
I used an old TPlink for a while, way after it was not being supported, so no updates and I did not have any problems with it, I would be using it now if it could cope with the amount of Wi-fi stuff I have, it was only 2.4Ghz, but I was fine with that, but it was the amount I have that was the problem for it.