Anywhere Switch - But Is It?
I'm looking for a fully wireless (so battery powered) remote switch that pairs up with a wired smart switch. In Leviton language that would be an "Anywhere" switch. Like:
(the forum is having a cow over my trying to link in a competitors site. Ok, how's this)
Leviton makes one called the "Decora Smart WI-DI Anywhere Switch Companion" that exactly matches what I describe. Of course it's crazy expensive, so...
Reading the Kasa "Anywhere" switch webpage, I'm either getting the wrong impression or the thing has no business being called "anywhere". Is what it is, but I'd sure like actual user feedback instead of the helpless desk I called.
Comments?
TIA!!
-d
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Hey @dafish,
Can you point me to the page that you thought was misleading on the topic? Normally when TP-Link is talking about control 'anywhere', the company is normally referring to controlling your devices by your phone, voice, or integrations.
When it comes to battery-operated smart devices, the main issue is battery life, especially when trying to communicate with devices using standard wifi protocols. I do not have any experience with the Decora System, however, I know that many companies are currently looking into low-energy wifi technologies. One of these is Tapo, which is starting to offer battery-powered smart home devices in the future.
When it comes to wireless switches that are available now, most will be using the Zigbee Protocol or ZWave. While these are very openly supported standards, companies are just now slowly beginning to add support for these technologies as there are potential security issues with adding open-source platforms into a secure ecosystem. Some companies have included the technology in their own form, such as the Phillips Hue Remote, however, all of these come with high price tags and will only work with their bulbs; others will often require a hub to get started.
In my personal smart home, I have a few Zigbee Buttons, and switches that connect to my Samsung Smarthings Hub, This lets me control all my devices from Kasa and my generic Zigbee devices in one application and set automation so that when a Zigbee button is pushed, a light will toggle on/off. I am hoping that the next few years are going to be exciting for new smart technologies and I am hoping that we will see some new innovative uses for these devices once companies adopt the technology into their products.
For now, I would highly recommend creating a product request for a wireless switch so that the team can document the interest of users in the product.
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Could you explain how to create a Product Request? I am looking for a similar solution to what is described. I need a "remote" for my smart switches, that can be mounted to the wall to look like it's own switch. Imagine it acting like a 3-way switch where no wiring exists. While some people may want to carry around the remote, in my case I want it mounted to the wall. And while using a phone is obviously an alternative, there are so many use cases where someone will not have their phone handy (think kids, seniors, etc). They are looking for and expecting a wall switch.
this is a similar product (I tried posting the Amazon link but the forum will not allow me to).
Lutron Caséta Wireless Smart Lighting Switch
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Under the other category for the various forum categories, there are specific forums for both product and feature requests. All you have to do is create a new thread there, I monitor those threads and relay feedback to our team for any request found in that section of the forum. This section of the forum is what was also used to create the smart home product survey.
A Smart Wireless Button or Switch was actually one of the products offered as a predetermined option in the Smart Home Product Survey from last month. TP-Link is rapidly growing the automation features available for their products and applications. I'm sure that this product will be considered as it would be extremely useful for triggering smart actions and scenes. We also have plenty of new products and technologies coming out that are far more accommodating to low-energy battery devices such as a smart button.
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@Riley_S :
Lets hope they do. I wish I'd known about said poll, I'd have voted (again), for the satellite switch..
Interesting that Leviton and Lutron both have them.
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While the survey is open, I try to change out banners and add a featured story for the survey. We also let the community know through our community newsletters when a survey is starting for the month.
Our team is also currently working on potentially adding a notification area to the community main screen so that we can notify everyone whenever there is an event happening.
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