Smart plugs/sockets, recommendations wanted

In message snipped-for-privacy@davenoise.co.uk>, "Dave Plowman (News)" snipped-for-privacy@davenoise.co.uk> writes

I'm writing from a position of ignorance. Just concerned that electronic development is moving beyond justifiable applications and way beyond the understanding of most users. Potentially inviting unforced security risks. The back up spare key to our Fiesta is not coded.

I already have to hide credit cards in foil but accept that for convenience. Conceivably I could operate an irrigation pump remotely. The consequence of it not working might be such that I have to install and check a monitoring system.....

Neighbour had their new Disco stolen. Keyless entry. Very common, said plod. They now have a DiskLock on the steering wheel and keep the car keys or whatever in a special safe that is RF proof.

All much more convenient than a decent lock and key. ;-)

;-)

I don't really like using my phone less I have to, even over finding / picking up a dedicated remote.

For example, my home page is already full of my 'essential' apps so no more room for anything else. This is especially so for those that need to be accessed instantly and I have so many in total that it's quicker to search for them than look for them. Then I have to launch them etc. ;-(

Cheers, T i m

Ok maybe I'm missing something - but that means that something is by-passing my wifi security? Nothing on my wifi can connect to anything, or anything connect to it, unless that device connects using WPA2 to the SSID I've setup.

So I ask again how does the smart plug connect to or get connected from another device?

Curious.

Jim

Jim Jackson pretended :

Guessing - My Iphone connects directly to the SP, I select the AP I want the SP to use and request I enter the password for my wifi AP. Before I start this process, I already have to have my Iphone within range and connected to the wifi AP I intend the SP to use, which has to be a 2.4Ghz one.

Once that is done, I can then move my Iphone back to to any AP on my network, 2.4 or 5Ghz. I can also control the SM's when either on my network, on 4G, or via any other network I happen to be connected to, or check the status of the SP's.

Probably when you press the button, the smartdevice broadcasts its own temporary SSID, maybe in ad-hoc mode, the phone connects to that and broadcasts/multicasts to search for "unclaimed" devices when it sees one, it tells the device the credentials for your wifi and the device then connects to that SSID

Ah, yes. From the other reply it seems that is way it works.

Thanks Jim

But is the steering wheel bolt cutter proof ?

How would they get to the wheel in a DiskLok?: