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The only product Tapo is missing

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2
Votes

The only product Tapo is missing

This thread has been locked for further replies. You can start a new thread to share your ideas or ask questions.
The only product Tapo is missing
The only product Tapo is missing
2023-09-18 12:12:07 - last edited 2023-09-20 06:26:51

This should be very easy to do, same electronics and software as smart plugs but in a package with terminal blocks to connect bare wires directly. This would be excellent for controlling lights, fans, and any device that is wired directly and not connected to a socket. Other brands make this product, in fact, if you check Taobao you will find this is actually a very common product in China, and for some reason here in Europe we only get the "socket" version. Virtually every other manufacturer on Taobao is already making WI-Fi switch modules, and strangly TP-Link, a leading brand, is the only company NOT making this product. It seems us European consumers only get the "dumb" products that are super safe, and we never get the "dangerous" module because we have to wire it ourselves and it is "dangerous". We are responsible adults, and we need this product! 😀

 

What are the chances of Tapo delivering this product in the next few months? I ask because I'm about to buy the product shown in the picture, but would rather wait for Tapo because Tapo products are more reliable.

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Re:The only product Tapo is missing-Solution
2023-09-20 06:25:24 - last edited 2023-09-20 06:26:51

  @RandyAndy 

 

Tapo smart switches are already on the market, including single-pole switches, 2-gang 1-way switches, dimmer switches, and those that support the latest Matter technology!

 

To see if they're available in your country, search for the model on our official website or authorized online sales platforms.

 

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Re:The only product Tapo is missing-Solution
2023-09-20 06:25:24 - last edited 2023-09-20 06:26:51

  @RandyAndy 

 

Tapo smart switches are already on the market, including single-pole switches, 2-gang 1-way switches, dimmer switches, and those that support the latest Matter technology!

 

To see if they're available in your country, search for the model on our official website or authorized online sales platforms.

 

Landscape Mode - Tapo App for PadShare Your Pet Story. Win Free Tapo Care!Smart Action 2.0 Explore and meet the next level home automation.
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Re:The only product Tapo is missing
2023-09-20 10:06:35

  @Wayne-TP 

 

Hi Wayne, thanks for replying. We are talking about different products here. You are talking about the switch that is installed on the wall that controls other Tapo devices. I am talking about a relay module that is connected in-line on a power cable. This should be clear from the image I attached in my frist post. As far as my searches show TP-Link does not make this product.

 

Currently there are two solutions, one, to tear the smart plug apart and solder the cables directly onto the PCB, and two, to buy floating male and female plugs to connect bare wires without damaging the smart plug plastic housing. Option two is the better one as the product does not need to be damaged, but it is an additional expense.

 

While we are on the subjet, it would help if the smart plug plastic housing was held together by screws, instead of being glued. If you read the reviews for this product on Amazon, you should know by now that the cheap relay it uses eventually stops working. This is a common problem with electromechanical relays and is easy to repair for those of us who know how to repair electronics, simply by replacing the relay. I know TP-Link will copy-paste the official statement that this product was not designed to have any user-serviceable parts but everybody knows the real reason is TP-Link hopes the product will break so users buy more of it. Be aware that the European Comission has already submitted a Right to Repair Proposal and soon TP-Link will be required to remove essentially ALL your existing non-repairable products from the market.

 

https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_23_1794

 

I bought 8 P100 and 12 P110 smart plugs on Amazon for a project I'm working on, to control regular flush-fitting bulbs. I know Tapo offers smart bulbs but 1) they make a buzzing noise, 2) they are not bright enough, 3) they cost more than regular 'dumb' bulbs, and 4) I cannot control multiple lightbulbs with a single wI-fi device (each bulb is one separate client), so smart bulbs are a very unattractive solution for me. If the product was easy to open without damaging it, I'd be able to modify it so I could attach wires to it for the purpose I am requesting here, and keep the plastic housing unharmed in case I need to convert it back to a smart plug in the future.

 

In any case, it would be better if TP-Link offered a module for connectin wires directly. One important advantage of this product from TP-Links perspective is that it could be made to work universally in any countries because it wouldn't need a country-specific plug+socket.

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