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Medion Smart Wi-Fi Plug - Compatible with Alexa & Google Home $19.99 @ ALDI
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Pperfeksionitst on 05/10/2018 - 20:39 aldi.com.au (6086 clicks)
Last edited 30/03/2021 - 16:08 by 2 other users
Last edited 30/03/2021 - 16:08 by 2 other users
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Trying to find of there is an API, so I can run scripts to turn on/off but can't find anything. Anyone know if it has an API or method to control it?
“MEDION Smart Home” app on apple App Store
It should have one for sure. Doubt youll find the documentation though
Don't know about this one. One of their previous ones did though and I was able to script (Linux) on/off commands.
Good plan
Broadlink RM Pro ($30) + RF remote switches ($10-$30) allow you to switch multiple sockets AND IR devices.
You can play with $20 Wifi switches, but if you want to do lots of devices then the cost mounts up fast.
Have the Bauhn version of this. Broadlink app sucks, and no visibility through app whether switches are on or off. Agree RF is cheaper but much better control using zigbee or wifi.
What do you use the IR for?Don't use the the Broadlink app, control via Home Assistant.
IR controls certain home AV stuff
@sane would the IR device stuff work with a ceiling fan too?
@191919: Provided they are in line of sight.
Putting Home Assistant at the centre gives you the ability to automate whole setups, either to a voice command, or to events (you approaching home, sun going down, etc.)
The usual problem with 'smart devices' is they all want their own apps, and their own systems that put themselves at the centre of everything - which means it's hard work to get them to work together. However if you can, you can go beyond things like this plug, that you can just turn on or off via an app.
This can hook up to google assistant now, and I can bind things, but always fails when triggering. Anybody with better luck?
Are you referring to Broadlink? Ours is running smoothly but we've had occasional issues when the Broadlink app updates, such as having to re-log back in and the updated app sometimes needing to be relinked to Google Home. Try relinking and see if that improves things?
Yes I’m referring to broadlink. But I’m not sure it’s talking to the app. It goes off to the cloud somewhere.
Mi Home smart plugs do the same thing for $15 each and they are far cheaper to get in with the Xiaomi smart ecosystem of lights/strips, buttons, IR controllers, fire/gas/flood alarms and door/motion sensors.
these at least comply with all Australian electrical standards
It's hard to get a Broadlink RM Pro for $30 now…I am still waiting
What does a smart plug do exactly?
What happen if you plug google home to this smart plug and ask it to terminate itself.
Ok Google. Turn on yourself
I don't think it has a haptic feedback motor.
“Ok. Here are some directions to Sexyland.”
It turns into a Dalek
To turn on/off the portable fan/heater for example.
turn on and off
thanks, interesting! what's the real life scenario for that?
I can only think of plugging dumb light to it, so then you can power on/off the plug via Home/Alexa and thus control your light, something like that?
I have the computer connected to one switch, the TV, etc. to another, spotlight lamps to others, amp,chromecast and speakers to still others.
Ok Google, turn off the kids Wi-Fi
my kid.. Hey google, turn on the kids WiFi.
me.. Dammit.
i was sure you can set voice for only your voice (so people cant say, say, read my appointments etc and hear others info)
@PVA: Yeah, you can, and it works about as well as putting a post-it note on that says "don't touch."
It's safer to ensure that certain functions (like home control) are restricted to use only on an unlocked device than it is to reply on voice recognition.
what's the real life scenario for that?
- turn on/off the 3d printer
- turn on and off lights
- reset devices like security cameras
- turn on/off fans
That's what ive got mine doing
Good list, very similar here:
laser printer - used to be on standby all the time because the switch is stupid to reach, now I can turn it on from my laptop before I print and off after
Xiaomi cameras: turn on automatically when I leave the house, and off when I come home, security without the Chinese watching me all the time
bathroom exhaust fan, timed to turn itself off after 15 minutes
I'm using Home Assistant to drive all that and a lot more.
so instead of the printer being on standby, you have a wifi switch on 24/7…
@Davo1111: Not sure about a 3D printer, but a modern printer, even Ethernet/WiFi should be under 2W. I tested our HP and it was about that.
its more dangerous to let china people watching your home when you are not at
Can also be used to make your big sister think there is a ghost in her room switching on and off her lamp
I have mine turning on an electric blanket automatically during winter (an hour or so before bedtime).
The big catch with smart plugs though is that you have to switch them on/off via the app (or smart button via automation) instead of the device itself. It also only works on devices that don't need to remember it's previous state (eg. an electric heater might default to off when the power comes back on, instead of whatever heat setting you had it set to when you switched it off).
I have some rf ones and some to-link hs110 smart plugs. All of them have switches on the device as well as app/Alexa control
I could be wrong (it's been known to happen before on rare occasion) but in the image it looks like a physical power button on the device itself.
By 'device' I mean the device that is plugged into the smart plug. If you switch it off, toggling the plug power via the app (or button on smart plug) naturally has no effect on the device (the device needs to be left on at all times for the smart plug to work). This can be a hassle if you have to access your app (or reach behind/under the furniture for the button on the plug).
I have one integrated with home assistant. When both my partner and I aren't home, it turns on a smart plug that powers remotely accessible IP camera in the house. When either one of us gets home, it turns the camera off.
One of these or a Xiaomi?
Can't find any details online about whether home assistant supports Medion.
cheaper than xiaomi wifi plug ?
the zigbee versions (require mi home base) are about half that.
But they're not AU certified.
Got any current source for them at a price lower than this Aldi deal?
I know, a year ago we stocked up on them for a good price, but now I can't find more.just went online via pandacheck. $12 USD (~17 AUD) via aliexpress and DX seems to be the going rate atm. They have been cheaper in the past but appears to have a price increase
keep an eye on this page
that was last year, now the zigbee one rarely goes on sale and usual price around $15-20 mark
Even $15 is better than what I found recently, if you have a source, please link. I need a couple more.
And the Zigbee ones have energy monitoring features.
There's a new xiaomi smart plug with built in usb sockets. I'd wait for a deal on this.
Again, uncertified and often not well designed for 240V. Many things might be ok at 110, but 240V they aren't properly designed inside.
China is 220v, they are actually designed/built for China. I'm sure they are built well for their home country.
@King Colbra: I am sorry, but the assumption that China and electrical safety going together is simply flawed and dangerous.
There are so many products that have an unsafe design and use components that might have a rating stamped on them, but are nothing like that rating. There are so many videos on Youtube about this sort of thing.
@whats up skip: I'm not disagreeing that you have to be careful, but I'd argue that many Chinese power boards and sockets are safer than AU standards as many have safety pin covers that stop children putting objects into the live sockets.
Also, there's plenty of unsafe Australian devices out there.
@dm01: Wow you guys are super. I was just replying to the dumb statement that they "not well designed for 240V".
I never said anything about AU standards or insurance or even using it here.
If I was designing something for Australia, I wouldn't design it great for 110v systems and only so so 240v now would I?
Does anyone know if i can just use this as a stand alone via an App (as i don't have either Google home or Alexa)?
i just plan to use this to turn on/off light for security.
That's how they usually work. I've used 2 different brands (orvibo, sonoff) and they have their own standalone apps which need to be set up before alexa (and probably google) can turn them on/off. The standalone app also have a timer function so they tun on/off at set times and you can also set one off countdown timer to turn off after a set time.
Not sure medion version has all these features, but they're pretty standard features.
Hmm, couldn't you just download the Google or Amazon Alexa app on your phone?
Can this product be integrated into Apple home?
Maybe through homebridge
Nope. You wont get an Apple home compatible at this price point
So I now have 5 units running well with home bridge (flashed with Tasmota) Glad to do the extra work to get apple Home working thanks ALDI can't wait to see them in the sellout bin I will get more
These units?
You can use a Raspberry Pi running Home Assistant to control wifi plugs and it integrates extremely well with Apple Home / Siri.
How many amps could this handle? Could I use it for my pool pump (aka so I can turn off pool pump automatically when solar isn’t generating enough power)
10A
You clearly have no clue what you're talking about.
Some care needs to be taken with using these with pool pumps. I have a dead Belkin WeMo switch that can testify to this.
I also have a rough Node Red flow that controls the pool pump based on solar output and house power load if you are interested.
Interested
I get orvibo plugs for about $15 each from aliexpress so $20 for aust electrical certified versions isn't bad. If the power LED on the medion is not too bright, or not lit when it's off it might be good for the bedroom. I've found some (especially the sonoff ones) have very bright LEDs that light up the bedroom at night.
I use them mostly in the garage where the electrical points are hard to get to. eg I've wired LED strips lights as shop lights to the ceiling and the power points are nowhere near the entrance so I use alexa voice commands to turn them on/off using an amazon echo dot.
I also have the compressor using one. The compressor is in a noise dampening box so the switch is not easily accessible nor is the power point. I also sometimes put the sonoff on a timer to turn off automatically after a couple of hours so it's not running all night if I forget to turn it off.
My workbench powerboard is using the last one. It's got 18v chargers and a monitor/amazon tv hooked up to it.
And I could be wrong, but I don't think xiaomi plugs with alexa or google. It only works with its own app?
Alexa turn off electric saw NOW.
Xiaomi work with Google Assistant, and Home Assistant.
I'm currently trying to get it to do "ok Google, vacuum the living room" using the Xiaomi Roborock… Can get it to do it via Homeassistant too apparently…
It's taking to Mi Home, but the zoned cleaning is doing my head in.
Lights on and off work perfectly via Google
whats the xiaomi called?
Anybody know if these would work with home assistant?
Not currently, but HA is open source. Writing an interface would make for an interesting project if you've got the inclination.
Unfortunately I wouldn't know where to start.
I haven't checked with Home Assistant yet as I need to rebuild mine first but I successfully integrated it with Google Home using 'Tuya Smart'. I'm thinking we should be able to use it via the tuya component in HA. The Medion life+ app looks like it is a re-branded 'Tuya Smart' app.
Wish one of these could turn on my coffee machine on demand, but unfortunately my coffee machine doesn't have a mechanical switch =(
That's a pity - it's my #1 use for Wifi switches - turning on the machine 30 minutes out from home. So you have some electronic button that must be pressed once power is supplied?
Yes unfortunately it's an electronic button. Bloody sunbeam 😂
I doubt these will work with home assistant as it will need to be popular enough for someone to find and use the API.
I thought maybe these are a generic version of something else.
I'd have thought the same. Hopefully either an existing component will work or could be adapted fairly easily by someone familiar with coding.
I doubt they will be supported.
I think someone said Aldi carried some smart switches last year, so if they aren't supported, then I doubt these would be.
I am just hoping that someone will put the TP-Link HS100 switches on special. I don't think Bunnings carry them and Officeworks only seem to have the HS110.
One thing to keep in mind, especially if you want those switches to save power: check how much they use themselves.
For the Xiaomi ones the WiFi version draws lot more power than the Zigbee version.
Mind you 'a lot' still is only about 1W.
this guy worked it out a sonoff plug to be just under 1W or US$0.8 per year, so about AU$1 per year?
We pay more for our electricity. 1W would be 8.76 kWh/year. About $2.50 in WA.
But yeah, if the Zigbee version only costs $1 to run per year the initial price difference of $2 is recovered reasonably quickly.
I'd like one to be able to know when I've left a heater turned on, but I don't want it hacked to turn on and overheat when I'm not at home…
Depends on the Medion server that they are using and how secure it is
If the heater has a temperature setting, this shouldn't be a problem.
Yeah I wish I could find more details about it. I'll just get a couple and see what's what.