Installing Smart Switches
Hi
I am wanting to install some smart switches in my house and it seems like the Tapo switches are reasonably priced so I'm probably going to get those.
The problem is that I am a total idiot when it comes to installing these things so could use some advice here if willing.
This is my current setup:
- The Single Switch at the end of the Hallway controls the Hallway and Laundry Room light
- One of the switches in the Double Switch controls these same two lights
- The remaining switch in the Double Switch controls the Laundry Alcove
I am assuming I can just buy three individual Tapo S500 switches and replace the existing ones. My questions are:
- How do I wire up the two switches which control the Hallway and Laundry Room lights?
- Can I use my existing wallplates? One of them is obviously a double and I dont see double switch wallplates on the Tapo site.
- Can I just buy the switches or do I get the Tapo wallplates whether I need them or not?
Thanks for helping me out in advance
Sean
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@seansykes first off I am not an electrician nor do I work for tp-link so you should ignore anything I say.
Maybe a S515 as it states it will function as single pole, 3 way or 4 way. You will need something that can do 3 way if you have a light controlled by 2 switches.
As a PSA I am currently trying to find out if the Tapo Matter switches can operate in LOCAL ONLY mode controlled via a third party app such as Home Assistant or OpenHab.
LOCAL ONLY operation is important because...
...you want the switch to operate when the Internet is off line.
...you do not want the switch contacting a company every time you use a switch.
...you do not want a company to know when you are using a light, fan, etc and building a profile of you to sell to others or use for other reasons.
...you do not want a light switch that you purchased to depend on a company or cloud services to function. The company may shut down or the company may discontinue the cloud service or may alter the cloud service in a manner that renders the purchased light switch inoperable.
I have tried multiple times to get clarification from TP-Link regarding the requirements for LOCAL ONLY operation of their Tapo Matter switches. The only response I received was an ambiguous automated AI generated response.
it would be great to have a source for low cost and reliable smart switches but from my experience any product tied to and reliant on a cloud service, either for use or periodic authentication, is neither low cost or reliable.
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The single switch and one of the switches in the 2 gang switch should be a 3-way connection. Depending on how you would like to achieve the 3-way control, here are two options: physical 3-way wiring, 3-way control through software (internet required).
- Physical 3-Way Wiring: currently, Tapo has two switches that can build a 3-way connection.
- Tapo S515D KIT: 3-way dimmer switch, two switches are included in the kit, a main dimmer switch, and a satellite dimmer switch. They're used together to build a 3-way connection in the circuit. How to install your Tapo Smart Wi-Fi Light Switch, 3-Way Kit (Tapo S515D KIT)
- Tapo S515: a smart switch that can build a 3-way connection with a traditional 3-way switch. It is also compatible with the 4-way or single pole circuit. *Two S515 cannot be used together to build the 3-way connection. How to install your Tapo Smart Wi-Fi Light Switch (Tapo S515)
- Software 3-Way Control
If you plan to use single-pole smart switches (e.g., Tapo S500 or Tapo S515) for all locations, while 3-way control cannot be achieved at the physical wiring level, you can still implement it through software features by creating automation rules. For example: 1. Activate switch B when switch A is turned on; 2. Deactivate switch B when switch A is turned off.
This functionality requires your devices to be connected to the internet. The advantage is that you can easily change the associated rules, create linked rules for different devices, and set the desired effects more flexibly. For instance, 1. use one smart switch to control all the other smart switches at one click: when switch A turns on, turn off switches B, C, D; 2. Have a switch or several switches to turn on/off xx minutes after switch A is on/off, and so forth.
A wall plate (single wall plate, of course) is included with the Tapo smart switch, but we don't have separate wall plates for sale. If you want to keep your current wall plate, you can check the switch's dimensions to see if it fits. You can find the product's specifications on our official website.
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UnplugASAP wrote
@seansykes first off I am not an electrician nor do I work for tp-link so you should ignore anything I say.
Maybe a S515 as it states it will function as single pole, 3 way or 4 way. You will need something that can do 3 way if you have a light controlled by 2 switches.
As a PSA I am currently trying to find out if the Tapo Matter switches can operate in LOCAL ONLY mode controlled via a third party app such as Home Assistant or OpenHab.
LOCAL ONLY operation is important because...
...you want the switch to operate when the Internet is off line.
...you do not want the switch contacting a company every time you use a switch.
...you do not want a company to know when you are using a light, fan, etc and building a profile of you to sell to others or use for other reasons.
...you do not want a light switch that you purchased to depend on a company or cloud services to function. The company may shut down or the company may discontinue the cloud service or may alter the cloud service in a manner that renders the purchased light switch inoperable.
I have tried multiple times to get clarification from TP-Link regarding the requirements for LOCAL ONLY operation of their Tapo Matter switches. The only response I received was an ambiguous automated AI generated response.
it would be great to have a source for low cost and reliable smart switches but from my experience any product tied to and reliant on a cloud service, either for use or periodic authentication, is neither low cost or reliable.
Tapo Matter-certified smart switch's local management through the Matter platform is supported. From what i know, there are no extra requirements or settings.
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Hello Wayne.
I am really frustrated with the Tapo Matter switches I have purchased.
I was lead to belive that the switches did not require the TP-Link cloud service to function but it seems that they do.
1. They seem to require the TP-Link cloud service to be configured and setup.
2. To add to Home Assistant the TP-Link cloud service user name and password is required.
3. If the Tapo Matter switch is blocked at the firewall from accessing the TP-Link server(s) the the led on the Tapo Matter switch turns orange. This would imply that the switch does infact "phone home" and when it cannot the led turns orange. I am concerned that the switch at somepoint will stop working because it cannot "phone home".
Also the led turing orange makes the Tapo Matter switch undesirable for use.
This is a very frustrating experience.
Please provide clarification and solution.
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