Meet the D-Link DSP-W218 smart plug with consumption control

Why do I need a smart plug at home?

Smart plugs are really useful devices to turn on or off lamps, electrical appliances of any kind and, in short, anything that needs electricity to work properly. The good thing about smart plugs is that they have the possibility of remote turning on and off, that is, from the Internet, so we could remotely turn the smart plug on or off without problems. Other very common features of smart plugs are that they allow us to configure automations, this will allow us to turn the plug on and off based on an event that we have previously defined. We could also quickly configure an automatic schedule, based on this schedule, the plug can be turned on or off automatically, without the need to do it ourselves or based on an established automation.

It is very important to choose a smart plug that has a large number of configuration options and possibilities at the hardware level, what you should pay attention to if you want to buy a smart plug is:

• Wi-Fi connectivity to connect directly to the WiFi router or access point. There are some models that use ZigBee and need a “base” or “hub” to connect properly.
• Little sizethis is important in case we want to buy several and place them very close, if it occupies too much it is possible that the second smart plug cannot be connected.
• supports a 16A maximum load (3680W power), ideal for appliances such as ovens or ceramic hobs that consume a large amount of energy. There are smart plugs that only support up to 10A (2300W of power).
• Watch instant electricity consumption and accumulated.
• Have an easy-to-use app with many configuration options.

As you can see, finding a WiFi smart plug that meets all these requirements is not an easy task, although there are and from different manufacturers. The D-Link DSP-W218 model has all these features. Next, we are going to explain in detail all its specifications.

Features of the smart plug DSP-W218

This smart plug has the Same features as DSP-W118 model that we have seen previously in RedesZone, but this device incorporates a real-time electricity consumption meterand will also allow us to know the accumulated consumption.

This smart plug has a size as small as the previous model, it’s one of the smallest smart plugs we’ve tested so far. Thanks to this small size, we will be able to connect several of them directly to the wall light sockets, and even to a power strip, to individually control the different electrical appliances that we connect in our home.

This smart plug is compatible with WiFi 4 networks in the 2.4GHz bandThis means that we can connect it directly to the WiFi router or WiFi access point in our home. There are other smart plugs that need a “hub” or “base” to connect the different devices to the Internet. This smart plug can be connected directly, without the need to use any hub, so we will save a device and its associated additional cost. That it works in the 2.4GHz band is ideal to get the best possible coverage, we must bear in mind that these types of devices do not need a high speed, but they do need a good coverage to avoid connectivity problems. The DSP-W218 uses the mydlink Cloud To execute all the actions and to verify that the device is working properly, we will not need to open ports or make complicated configurations, we simply have to register it with the free application, connect it to the WiFi network and make sure that there is an Internet connection.

This smart plug not IP certified for outdoor environmentsTherefore, it is not recommended that you use it in outdoor environments where rain or dust may cause problems. Surely D-Link will soon launch a plug similar to this DSP-W218 but for outdoor environments, as other manufacturers have done. In the event that you place it outdoors, you will have to control extreme temperatures and humidity, but in principle, if it is not going to get wet from the rain, its operation in gardens with porches or garages should not be a problem.

A very important detail that users overlook is the maximum electrical power that it is capable of providing. Smart plugs generally support 10A, or up to 2300W of electrical power, suitable for connecting various appliances that have low consumption. However, for appliances that consume a lot, such as an oven or a ceramic hob, it is possible that these 10A go a bit to the limit. For this reason, this plug from the manufacturer D-Link supports up to 16A current intensityso it can withstand up to 3680W of electrical power.

Having an application as complete as mydlink’s is also very important. From this completely free app we will be able to install, administer and manage the smart plug from anywhere in the world, we will only need an Internet connection. This app is compatible with Android and iOS smartphones and tablets, in addition, we can use both the Google assistant and Amazon Alexa, so we can send voice commands easily and quickly. Mydlink will allow us to create automations in conjunction with its IP cameras, for example, if the camera detects movement we can turn on the light, or whatever we have connected to the smart plug. This app will also allow us to create schedules with the automatic switching on and off of the plug, activate or deactivate the plug on demand, and we will even be able to control electricity consumption in real time.

As you can see, this smart plug is really complete, now we are going to show you our unboxing and first impressions.

Unboxing and first impressions

At RedesZone we already have this smart plug with us, and we have been using it for several months to automate our digital home. We have recorded a complete video with the unboxing and first impressions so that you can see all its features and the tiny size of this new smart plug with WiFi connectivity. In addition, this smart plug has a really competitive price, because we can buy it for approximately 15 euros, a very good price considering all its technical specifications.