D-Link Smart Plug and Sensor Review – We are entering the era of a smart, connected home, where everything is connected, automated, and can be accessed remotely.
D-Link has released a smart home combo kit like these Smart Plug and Smart Sensor kit that can be set to work together based on rules you set through a D-Link smartphone app.
There are times when you just get paranoid at work, wondering whether you have turned your iron (or some other appliances) off before you left home. I did remember a friend who forgot to turn his electric blanket as he left to school. Thankfully, nothing bad happened, but things could be worse.
Situations would be different if a smart plug like this D-Link Smart Plug existed back then. That is because with the Smart Plug, you can easily check the status of your appliance connected to the plug and then switch it off remotely if necessary. Cool, right?
At anytime during the day, simply open the app and see the status. Switch it on and off with just a press of a finger. That simple.
If that doesn’t excite you, there is more to it. With the help of mydlink Home app, you can schedule it to go on and off at certain time intervals, and even combine rules with the Smart Sensor.
For example, if you live on your own, you can schedule the plug to be off when you are at work (say from 9a.m to 5:30p.m). This way, even if you forgot to turn your iron off, you have peace of mind knowing that the iron will automatically go off anyway at 9.
You can also get your floor lamp to switch on automatically every time you come home from work (or when night arrives).
D-Link Smart Plug can also monitor and track the energy usage so you can make sure you don’t get a surprising bill each month. Plug your heater and check the usage as you go throughout the week, ensuring you only use it when you need it the most. Speaking of which, having the Smart Plug scheduling means you don’t have to let your heater run for the whole night. A big bonus to your electricity bill. It does not have any calculations whatsoever though, so you have to manually estimate how much you will be paying for the usage.
There is also an overheat protection so if something goes wrong, the Smart Plug automatically turns the appliance off.
Couple the rules and scheduling with a D-Link Smart Sensor, and you are in for a treat. How about turning that floor lamp on the moment you open your door? Or turn the heater off as you walk out the door? Or combine it with a supported D-Link network camera when there is motion detected.
As you can see, there are more possibilities and combinations that you can do (which may get complicated as you juggle between time scheduling with the motion sensing rules). You can make it simple, or smarter – your call.
Unfortunately, the devices do not support IFTTT (If This Then That) at this stage, but it is possible to add the support in the future, considering you can update the devices’ firmware on the fly. Also, not all appliances can be turned on through the Smart Plug alone – for example, the Dyson Hot+Cool or Humidifier won’t work because you still need to press the power button to switch them on.
The Smart Plug also takes some space on your power socket so you probably want to add a powerboard in to use it with your other stuffs.
Overall, D-Link Smart Plug and Smart Sensor don’t just give you a peace of mind, but also flexibility for a smart, connected home. If this is the first time you’ve ever had a smart connected-home devices, you’ll be pleased with the offerings from D-Link. If it’s not your first, however, you’d probably crave for more.
D-Link Smart Plug Official Video:
Disclosure: Samples were sponsored for the review but all opinions are mine
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