The Wyze Smart Plug, WLPP1

[CrimpOn]

A while ago, there was a discussion of the Wyze Smart Plug (WLPP1) which is on sale at Home Depot at $20 for two.  Nothing I suggested could get the plug connected to Orbi WiFi.  Now that the holidays are winding down, I went by Home Depot this afternoon and purchased a set of plugs.  What an adventure!

Sure enough, the Wyze plug did as expected and broadcasted its own WiFi access point with a goofy "Wyze Smart Plug" name on one of the 2.4G channels.  Opened the Wyze app on my Sony smartphone and attempted to "add" the smart plug.  FAIL.  OK.  I told the Orbi to stop broadcasting SSID on 5G, had my phone "forget" Orbi, then reconnect at 2.4G.  Verified the phone was connected at 2.4G.  Tried to add plug again.  FAIL.  The setup program was in some stupid loop telling me to "Enter 2.4G network and password", etc. etc.

Said MANY bad words.

Got out my OLD Motorola dual band phone.  Went through the same routine.  Download the Wyze app.  Tell Orbi to stop broadcasting SSID on 5G.  "Forget".  Connect again.  Verify on 2.4G.  Then, open Wyze app.  Go through the steps, and VOILA.  Plug is configured.  WTF???

Sony smartphone is on Android 9.  Old Motorola is on Android 7.1.1.  My conclusion (as usual): "It's not the Orbi. It's the APP."  Android 9 has only been out for a year.  No hurry for Wyze to update their app.

Also confirmed that the Wyze app on my Sony phone, connected to Orbi at 5G, manages the smart plug just fine.  "On".. "Off"  Just like it's supposed to.

So... Would I recommend that others purchase a Wyze Smart Plug?  (It's half the cost of other brands.)  Have no idea.  Maybe the iPhone app works?  (don't have one to test with.)  If you have only an Android 9 phone, I would steer clear. 

p.s.  I know this topic is not of interest to many people.  After spending an hour, I wanted to vent.

[CrimpOn · Accepted solution]

Wrapping up the saga.  Following the suggestion on the Wyze support site, I disabled mobile data and connected the other Wyze plug with my Android phone connected to Orbi at 5G.  Worked like a charm.  So, the Wyze Smart Plug WLPP1 is half the cost of similar products, available at Home Depot, and connects without doing anything on the Orbi.  No splitting SSID's.  No stopping SSID broadcast.  Nothing.

It is annoying to have to do anything except run the app, but Wyze does give directions on their web site.

[CrimpOn]

Now I am "not so sure".  The Wyze support web site advises to "turn off cellular data" for some Android phones, which I did not do.  So, maybe it was not Android 9, but cellular data.  Oh, fudge.  I have another Wyze smart plug.  Do I try again?  Not tonight.

[michaelkenward]

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@CrimpOn wrote:

The Wyze support web site advises to "turn off cellular data" for some Android phones....

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... while holding one hand over your head and rubbing your stomach with the other hand?

[CrimpOn]

Oh, I completely agree that "It's the app."  My TP-Link, Eufy, and several other plugs connected without any issues.  However, I fell into the common trap of not looking in the obvious place for a solution: the vendor web site.  How often have we said "RTFM" (Read the ... Manual).  I also realize that my trusty old Motorola phone has no SIM card.  So it might not be the version of Android, but the cellular data.

[CrimpOn · Accepted solution]

Wrapping up the saga.  Following the suggestion on the Wyze support site, I disabled mobile data and connected the other Wyze plug with my Android phone connected to Orbi at 5G.  Worked like a charm.  So, the Wyze Smart Plug WLPP1 is half the cost of similar products, available at Home Depot, and connects without doing anything on the Orbi.  No splitting SSID's.  No stopping SSID broadcast.  Nothing.

It is annoying to have to do anything except run the app, but Wyze does give directions on their web site.