bocaboy

I've noticed that Standby goes completely black in the middle of the night, about 4 hours in. A tap on the screen makes it reappear and stay on until morning.  Does anyone think the problem discussed in this thread is tied to this behavior?

Based on this review, I decided to take a chance and order it. I was trying to install it in a 2019 Honda Accord. It does NOT work.

There is no tech support. The 24/7 claim on their Web site is baseless. After trying to contact them for a week, I finally got an e-mail that asked me "What color is the light?" I responded, but never received an answer and never heard from "Julie" again.

I was able to get a response about returning it, but it needs to be shipped to China at a cost of at least $44 PLUS they want a $25 restocking fee.

I get it: I'm royally screwed.

I expect more from AppleInsider. I'm a bit stunned that they don't vet vendors, but apparently they didn't with this item.

Don't buy this POS. The company is disreputable, doesn't sell a legitimate product, and makes it ridiculously hard to return the dongle.

Skip the Koogeek and stick with either TP-Link or WeMo, in that order. I've been using these switches for a couple years now. I have the plug-in and wall switch from both vendors. My recommendation tips towards TP-Link. Their wireless reception performs better where a WiFi signal isn't very strong. In areas where WiFi reception is good, both are equally good. Every device I have connected to either a TP-Link or WeMo is controlled by Amazon Echo and allows for a completely automated home.

Here a couple other things to consider when deciding on a vendor.

1. When the WeMo devices need to update their firmware, be prepared to have to reprogram your entire system, one by one. The process that Belkin engineers have instituted to update these devices is on the verge of sinister. In over two years of using WeMos, I've never had an update go smoothly.
2. TP-Link has the exact same automatic programming choices as WeMo except one: the switch can't be automated to turn on or off relative to sunrise or sunset. As an example, I have two lamps that I want turned on 15 minutes prior to sunset. TP-Link can only turn them on/off at either a specific time or exactly at sunrise/sunset.
3. TP-Link is less expensive, especially from Amazon.
4. TP-Link customer service blows away Belkin. If you have a problem, TP-Link responds very quickly and don't hesitate to replace a problematic product. I had a couple TP-Link powerline connectors that went bad, and TP-Link replaced them promptly with no fuss. On the other hand, dealing with Belkin is like talking to the DMV. They really aren't approachable and really don't care about customer input.
5. A minor design feature, but one that you may find important. If you ever find that you need to access a switch that is behind a bed stand or other furniture, the WeMo off/on switch is on the top and easy to reach, even blindly. The TP-Link is on the front, and more difficult to reach.

When all is said and done, TP-Link is my preferred product. It's ability to be more tenacious in holding on to a weak wireless signal and not being fussy during upgrades are the two reasons I use them. The sunrise/sunset problem will hopefully be fixed in a future update of their Kasa app. Either way, both can be controlled by an Echo, which is way more functional than Homekit.