BN-LINK WiFi Heavy Duty Smart Plug Outlet, No Hub Required with Timer Function, White, Compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant, 2.4 Ghz Network Only (2 Pack)

I'm not sure why this is a "Frequently Returned Item." I've got 2 other systems in the house (no voice control, thank you, very much!) and I'm buying more of these to replace the two others. The older Avi-On were great but have been discontinued & units go out of service & new plugs can no longer be updated. The other one being replaced, Aoycocr, similar to this one, but small, round plugs are too frequently "Off Line" so can't be easily controlled via the app. (The Aoycocr has also apparently been discontinued.) Not the BN-Link, these show up ALL the time, only once has one device been off line.I have several lights that come on near sunset. (Adding or subtracting minutes from sunset or sunrise is REALLY nice feature.The only issue I can see is people trying to connect them 5GHz which won't work. (I've got an old 2.4GHz router just for IoT, or "Internet of Things" devices. It makes setup easier AND it keeps it segregated from laptops, etc. where I might do banking. IoT devices are less secure, but if hacked, they will be segregated from PCs.)Just make sure before you start the setup process for any plug, that you switch your phone over to the 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and setup the plug close as possible to the router. That's 90% done before you start the setup with any plug. (I'll wager missing of these two steps is a majority of the reason for the returns.)

Regarding connection problems, I have ascertained that since these devices work on 2.4GHz WiFi networks ONLY (no 5GHz!!) the method by which to assure proper setup is to disable the "5GHz radio signal" within your router which will subsequently prevent the router from broadcasting any 5GHz signals. Performing this step essentially make the 5GHz band invisible, or hidden from any 'receiving' devices. This method worked flawlessly for me, and I have not experienced a single connection issue since installing the outlets.♦ IMPORTANT ♦ When you've finished successfully connecting the smart outlets to your 2.4GHz WiFi network, don't forget to reactivate the 5GHz radio signal on your router! The two included images will give you an idea of what to look for in your own router. For the most part, routers are all different, but mine happens to be an ASUS RT-AC66U.Also, I used the 'Smart Life' App to setup (provision) my outlets (I own four) using the "Manual" method, just follow the instructions that are supplied with the outlet, and also the directions within the 'Smart Life' App. The entire process took about 10 minutes on the first outlet, and less than 5 minutes on the remaining three outlets.Using the Smart Life' App, I am now able to easily control these outlets which provide the capability to control them from any geographic location, and also have three of them on custom time schedules which turns them on/off at specific time intervals that are provisioned within the 'Smart Life' app. I currently have my coffee pot, a space heater, and a lamp on a timed schedule, but also have the ability to override the schedule and active/deactivate any of the four outlets manually. 😁

These are great once you've paired them but they are seriously awful to get paired. I've had to call tech support almost every time. I have four of them.

These smart outlets are so easy to set up and work great!To have access from your smart phone to at any time turn on or off the power to whatever you have plugged into the outlet is a great feeling.

Update 1/26/24:Received my replacement box for the 4 that didn't measure power and they too did not measure power, but this time I noticed the box was labeled NEW (as-in new version). So I think BN-Link has performed a bait and switch. The new edition are actually an older chipset model which is very poor quality.I tested this NEW version (but with older chipset model) and :1) it uses twice as much current as the better older model. 0.45W idle versus 0.86 W idle.2) It runs significantly hotter. The original was cool to the touch. When I draw the same load on this supposed new and improved model, it ran very hot, almost dangerously so.3) The older better model measured the power of the attached devices. These new ones don’t. I needed this to automate power down when my attached device are idle (like chargers have charged all my devices, or I turn off my A/V system)So, I would not purchase this brand going forward unless the company returns to the better chipset that measures power of the attached devices, draws less power when idle, and does not run hot when actively loaded.DO NOT BUY THIS BRAND GOING FORWARDUpdate 1/22/24:Be careful and check your devices right away when received. I ordered a second set of 4 and the new set contained older sockets. The first set of 4 I purchased contained sockets with firmware 1.3.5 which supports power tracking. The second order of 4 contained firmware 1.0.3, which does not support power tracking. The hardware in the sockets on firmware 1.0.3 cannot support power tracking period and cannot be upgraded. Still no issues with the original 4. These first 4 I purchased are working very well and without any issues.------------------------I don't know the long term reliability yet, but these are working well within my Feit app (my Feit bulbs only work in the Feit app and do not work in Smart Life). I like that this smart socket tells how much power is being drawn by the attached devices.I purchased the single socket outlet module and then attached power strips to control multiple devices at one time.1) This app / smart socket does not measure power draw less than 3W.2) I think someone else measured that this device draws 0.5W without any device connected.3) All my chargers draw less then 0.5W when idle and not charging, so it takes more than 6 idle/standby devices to even measure power on this device4) I found out that my Apple TV, TV, and stereo all used less than 3W combined when powered down. So for me, I don't think putting devices on it to control vampire power drain will save too much power. If I have 3 devices using about 1.5W when idle, then I'm saving about 1W of power with this set of 3 devices on this smart socket if the power is turned off with this smart switch instead off just plugging these devices into the wall directly. So I think it would take years to save enough power to pay for this device.5) I found that my subwoofer and speakers with powered subwoofers drew about 20-40W when idle. So I set up my theater to power down everything if the power draw on the socket dropped below 30W. So, if I turned off my TV and stereo, this smart plug automatically turns off everything saving me 20-30W vampire power draw. This device should easily pay for itself in a year.6) I bought a 10 outlet power strip to plug all my chargers into it. If I see the power draw is less than 4W, I assume every device has finished charging and I then power down all the chargers. I also only turn on the plug after midnight so I know my chargers only charge when electricity is cheap for me and it will then automatically power down all the chargers when charging is complete.7) Lastly, I just use these for convenience, to automatically turn on and off devices at certain times of the day.

Still working well after so many year great product easy to install

Es un gatget genial, fácil de instalar, programar y utilizar, estoy muy contento con su funcionamiento