Getting away mode to work overnight

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Getting away mode to work overnight

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Getting away mode to work overnight
Getting away mode to work overnight
2021-12-24 11:33:39

So I'm finally posting this question after having about 8 x HS100s for 4 years. On the whole I'm happy with them. However why are the restricted by such a clunky KASA app? I expected years ago that my question would be corrected by a software update by the devs but alas not.

 

Can anyone help incase  I am missing something???

 

I would like to set multiple lights to come on and off randomly at night, to give the appearance that someone is home....when they aren't. I chose the smart plug, select Away mode (so far so good) and chose to start at Sunset and finish at Sunrise. Clinking save gets the error message that the end time must be the same day as the start! Most unhelpful. The only wat to sort of get it partially working is to start at sunset and stop at 23:59 or start at 00:00 and stop at Sunrise. Thus what should be so simple becomes overly restrictive and leaves me with a potential security issue for the 8 hours of darkness before midnight or the eight hours after (middle of winter).

 

Alternatively, manually creating on-off-on-off-on.... times throughout the night but if a burglar was surveilling the house for a couple of nights, they'd see the pattern.

 

Any suggestions, especially from TP-Link developers much appreciated, thank you.  

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Re:Getting away mode to work overnight
2021-12-24 23:03:18

@Firefox73 It is pretty silly if that's what they do, I'll leave that for tp link to explain... esp after they published a paper here saying how their support is...

One comment about light timers, after implementing random light timers for my app while reviewing interviews with B&E experts and criminals, is that it's a waste of time (I kept it only 'cause customers ask for it).  Unless you're a very high value target criminals are not going to waste their time casing your place all night for a few nights recording the on/off times for the lights, then guessing if you're home.  They just troll through the neighbourhood looking for the worst lit homes that look empty with relatively easy access.  They don't even worry about home alarms as they know they'll be out within 10m - long before the police arrive.  Just have as many outside and inside lights as you can afford come on at dusk and turn off at dawn.

AutomationManager: Secure home automation without relying on cloud servers.
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