wifi power strips? Whats everyone using?
- Thread starter southerntnreefer
- Start date
- Tagged users None
road_runner
Valuable Member
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2017
- Messages
- 2,325
- Reaction score
- 2,293
Your router wifi is your router wifi so no need to discuss.
Ap700 you can make it router connected not stand alone, that's what i usedised to do and it was good.
Not sure what camera that you use and have it's own wifi..not sure even why would that he the case..
In my home as I said, i have more than 75 connected devices. All in star fashion.
Everything is connected to my router...done
Only one SSID which is my router SSID.
OP
OP
southerntnreefer
Valuable Member
For me I'm just looking for a way to adjust the timers without getting on a ladder, and a bit more control. There's nothing wrong with the lights I have, to warrant 600 bucks for new timer models so I just need to find a way that isn't. Wire jungle to turn each channel off and on. Also an IT professional, and hence my want for simple on my tank. I deal with intricate crap all day, I don't need my tank tweeting at me LOL. Just blues on at 12 and off at 10, and whites on at 1 and off at 8, without over loading any circuits.
vetteguy53081
Well known Member and monster tank lover
Partner Member 2024
Excellence Award
Reef Tank 365
RGB
Article Contributor
Tampa Bay Reef Keepers
West Palm Beach Reefer
Hospitality Award
Ocala Reef Club Member
305 Reef Club
Wisco Reefers
Midwest Reefer
Fish Medic
MAC of SW Florida
Rock Pool Reef Keepers
R2R Secret Santa 2023
My Tank Thread
My Aquarium Showcase
Two tanks, I rely on Apex and the other, reefKeeper elite.
The ZooMed power strip with timer is a very good unit for manual strip
The ZooMed power strip with timer is a very good unit for manual strip
I'm going to weigh in here, as an Infosec professional.
For the TL;DR crowd, do yourself a huge favor and get a Zigbee-certified home automation hub and compatible Smart plugs. If you can't do it all over short-range bluetooth, Zigbee is the next best choice. You'll thank me later on.
There are a ton of reasons I will never have a WiFi-enabled power strip- and definitely nothing by TP-Link, D-Link or Buffalo will ever be on a network in my house except in my penetration testing lab.
Zigbee hubs are not expensive, there are quite a few good ones out there (Samsung, Philips) and the Echo Plus already has one built-in.
It will give you a good measure of isolation between the Internet (which is mostly just cat videos and horrifyingly bad people that break things "for the lolz").
It will also give you a measure of protection from your neighbor's kid with a laptop looking to get into any WiFi network to surf whatever his parents don't want him to, and any other kid within a quarter-mile range (yep, you can pick up a signal that far away, a little over a half mile with a little coax and an empty Pringles can).
It serves as a measure of protection for your WiFi network where you do your online banking and need to watch your full-length Hi-Def cat videos (have you noticed Netflix getting slower as you add cheap wifi-thingies to your network?).
Finally, it serves as a measure of protection for your tank. Those cheap power strips have no capability to protect themselves from a malicious event, whether intentional or not.
You'd be well served by buying a "dumb" 20A industrial power strip with extra space between the outlets (Lowes has a good one) and buying the Amazon/Samsung/Phillips Zigbee smart plugs for each of the strip outlets. It's Prime Day... so take advantage!
For the TL;DR crowd, do yourself a huge favor and get a Zigbee-certified home automation hub and compatible Smart plugs. If you can't do it all over short-range bluetooth, Zigbee is the next best choice. You'll thank me later on.
There are a ton of reasons I will never have a WiFi-enabled power strip- and definitely nothing by TP-Link, D-Link or Buffalo will ever be on a network in my house except in my penetration testing lab.
Zigbee hubs are not expensive, there are quite a few good ones out there (Samsung, Philips) and the Echo Plus already has one built-in.
It will give you a good measure of isolation between the Internet (which is mostly just cat videos and horrifyingly bad people that break things "for the lolz").
It will also give you a measure of protection from your neighbor's kid with a laptop looking to get into any WiFi network to surf whatever his parents don't want him to, and any other kid within a quarter-mile range (yep, you can pick up a signal that far away, a little over a half mile with a little coax and an empty Pringles can).
It serves as a measure of protection for your WiFi network where you do your online banking and need to watch your full-length Hi-Def cat videos (have you noticed Netflix getting slower as you add cheap wifi-thingies to your network?).
Finally, it serves as a measure of protection for your tank. Those cheap power strips have no capability to protect themselves from a malicious event, whether intentional or not.
You'd be well served by buying a "dumb" 20A industrial power strip with extra space between the outlets (Lowes has a good one) and buying the Amazon/Samsung/Phillips Zigbee smart plugs for each of the strip outlets. It's Prime Day... so take advantage!
BantyRooster97
Valuable Member
I picked this one up on amazon prime
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074CJYPZV/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074CJYPZV/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
road_runner
Valuable Member
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2017
- Messages
- 2,325
- Reaction score
- 2,293
I disagree with this statment.
Unless if you are referring to sub gig zigbee(common zigbee based in the markets are all 2.gh) zigbee will have the same issues as the wifi which usually are interference induced on the 2.4ghz band.
Further more zigbee is such a decentralized technology it has all the backward compatibilietes issues zigbee is known for while wifi is a well defined standard any wifi will work with any wifi.
Zigbee (and to an extent zeewave) been in the market for more than 10 years it did not survive against wifi and BLE.
That is why now the industry is moving to sub gig based radios like Lora and other NB-WAN.
Wifi issues are mainly interference induced(assuming the wifi is from reputable vendor).
My 2 cents.
Last edited:
I am all for being the paranoid type. All of my IOT things are on a separate SSID and VLANed and cannot access my main network. Devices like a Smart TV never get internet access. Though I am sure I am in the minority.
If they can compromise your WiFi, then isn't your hub a potential target? A compromised hub gives them the exact same control over your devices in fact it gives them the keys to the whole kingdom. To be honest if your WiFi gets compromised your screwed anyways, your PCs, online banking and cat videos are just as screwed. So prevention (strong passwords, good devices with up to date firmware, aka no cheap consumer crap) is worth an ounce of cure.
Or are you more worried that the device has a brain fart and ends up back in pairing mode with an open wireless AP then I agree that is an issue. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of devices do that on reset.
Non-nerds can just skip this post and drive on.. this is gonna be boring [emoji51] .
Zigbee and WiFi coexist quite well, despite overlapping frequencies. Just like we talk about LUX vs. PAR vs. PUR, the secret is in how effectively they use the spectrum.
Zigbee allocates spectrum in 5MHz channels, in this case (b/g) WiFi is 20 or 40 MHz and only has 3 non-overlapping channels. Interference on a channel means the entire channel needs to be shut down- with a partial overlap, WiFi loses quite a bit of capacity. Zigbee works well in challenging environments- it has 16 non-overlapping channels just in the 2.4 GHz spectrum alone.
On the flipside, it's unlikely ZB will interfere with WiFi, even when not using its 900MHz channels, thanks to its 1mW RF power.
I'm not sure why you'd say Zigbee lost out... it's by far the most common WPAN protocol out there, but Bluetooth LE Mesh is hot on it heels. Maybe it looks like that because it's a huge industrial protocol and because it's open, there is no vendor lock in with proprietary Smart Home ecosystems you'd see advertised on TV (WeMo... cough... ADT.. cough... Ring..). Nest, Iris, Samsung SmartThings, Amazon all do implement Zigbee... and they're not highlighting ZB as their core tech.
I like where you're going with LoRa and NB-IoT but those are WAN technologies, expensive, not suitable for use as a LAN/PAN, and not found in consumer-grade products.
Everything on that SSID will be subject to the awful performance of .11b, even if they are using .11g or n. All because the older protocols can't get on and off the air in a timely fashion, they tie up the channel for everyone else, for hundreds of feet.
So we adapted to get around interference by using a larger 5GHz spectrum, better waveforms in .11ac and ax, and more precise radios. (Btw, the #1 source of interference is microwave ovens, second is 'reputable' devices without radio resource management pinging away at 100% power, third is cheap WiFi radios that bleed RF across channels). Cheap wifi doesn't support 5GHz. So we have to turn 2.4 back on and suffer (search R2R for "Apex not connecting to WiFi").
My $0.02.. avoid cheap WiFi like the plague. Wired, BLE and Zigbee are all better choices. Two cans on a string may be an even match.[emoji58] If you do get stuck using WiFi, put it on its own SSID, or better yet, it's own AP with its own SSID, on its own subnet, on its own VLAN.
There are quite a few common misconceptions there, and a lot of that was brought on by early drafts of the Zigbee standards.
Zigbee and WiFi coexist quite well, despite overlapping frequencies. Just like we talk about LUX vs. PAR vs. PUR, the secret is in how effectively they use the spectrum.
Zigbee allocates spectrum in 5MHz channels, in this case (b/g) WiFi is 20 or 40 MHz and only has 3 non-overlapping channels. Interference on a channel means the entire channel needs to be shut down- with a partial overlap, WiFi loses quite a bit of capacity. Zigbee works well in challenging environments- it has 16 non-overlapping channels just in the 2.4 GHz spectrum alone.
On the flipside, it's unlikely ZB will interfere with WiFi, even when not using its 900MHz channels, thanks to its 1mW RF power.
I'm not sure why you'd say Zigbee lost out... it's by far the most common WPAN protocol out there, but Bluetooth LE Mesh is hot on it heels. Maybe it looks like that because it's a huge industrial protocol and because it's open, there is no vendor lock in with proprietary Smart Home ecosystems you'd see advertised on TV (WeMo... cough... ADT.. cough... Ring..). Nest, Iris, Samsung SmartThings, Amazon all do implement Zigbee... and they're not highlighting ZB as their core tech.
I like where you're going with LoRa and NB-IoT but those are WAN technologies, expensive, not suitable for use as a LAN/PAN, and not found in consumer-grade products.
And now we get to the crux of it. WiFi will negotiate down to the lowest common denominator. That means that $15 power strip that only supports 802.11b will turn your brand-new $300 Linksys 802.11ac or WiFi 6 AP into Prince: all your devices will party like it's 1999.
Everything on that SSID will be subject to the awful performance of .11b, even if they are using .11g or n. All because the older protocols can't get on and off the air in a timely fashion, they tie up the channel for everyone else, for hundreds of feet.
So we adapted to get around interference by using a larger 5GHz spectrum, better waveforms in .11ac and ax, and more precise radios. (Btw, the #1 source of interference is microwave ovens, second is 'reputable' devices without radio resource management pinging away at 100% power, third is cheap WiFi radios that bleed RF across channels). Cheap wifi doesn't support 5GHz. So we have to turn 2.4 back on and suffer (search R2R for "Apex not connecting to WiFi").
My $0.02.. avoid cheap WiFi like the plague. Wired, BLE and Zigbee are all better choices. Two cans on a string may be an even match.[emoji58] If you do get stuck using WiFi, put it on its own SSID, or better yet, it's own AP with its own SSID, on its own subnet, on its own VLAN.
Last edited:
Sir, I like the cut of your jib. Bully!
Me, personally, I don't worry if my home network's been compromised. I assume it already is and plan accordingly. (I have kids and they're already trying to outsmart me. It's not a matter of if, but when.) And yes, I assume the tank automation is a target... next to my bank accounts, it's the most valuable "hackable" thing that would fetch a ransom if compromised.
Different VLANs for each functional group (lab access, management interfaces, home automation, tank automation, kids devices, media streaming / gaming devices, external VPN and guests). There are 4,096 vlans in the standard, no need to be stingy.
Separate IP networks for each level of sensitivity (the VM I use for Internet banking and TurboTax, for instance, is the only thing on that net).
Everything talks across networks through an enterprise-grade next-generation firewall with IPS, anti-malware, and SSL decryption [emoji33] . Yubikeys for everyone, mobile devices are all managed by an MDM, every device has next generation anti-malware, and cloud-based DNS Security. Even behavioral anomaly detection systems on the OT networks and a fault-tolerant SD-WAN solution on the front door with LTE backup and no less than 7 APs with a Wireless IPS and configured to "contain" rogue devices... all but two are 802.11ac or WiFi 6... those two are "known bad guy devices".[emoji12]
OK, so I don't recommend this setup to... like, anyone. For their home.
But a lot of it translates well.
First step is segmentation.
Second is network access control. Strong ACLs on whatever devices you have to limit who can get to them.
Third is good management practices, passwords being a special pet peeve of mine (hint... if you can log into your Apex with admin/1234, you might wanna change that... and don't use the same one you use for AmexChaseWellsFargoFifthThird). Same with WiFi... if I can look at your FB page and put together the elements of your WPA2 password, the bad guys have already won.
Fourth is threat prevention. I give you these, dear readers:
Immunet AntiVirus
www.immunet.com
Cloud Delivered Enterprise Security by OpenDNS
Predict and prevent attacks before they happen using our cloud-delivered enterprise security service. Protect any device, anywhere with OpenDNS.
www.opendns.com
Last, trust nothing with a computer chip in it. Assume it's going to die at the worst possible time. Assume that one day it will get amnesia. Assume it will become self-aware, and attempt to commit suicide by fire once it realizes its true purpose.
One day it may just become part of Skynet and assimilate all your cat videos before uploading itself to the net where it can become your Facebook friend.
Have a backup plan and limit the damage any individual device can do to the carbon-based life forms in your house.
I wouldn't put it past one of these to grab data out of the air and transmit it back to it's handlers late at night in the hopes it had some good banking data or intellectual property in it (coughtplinkcoughhuaweicough). To be fair to tp-link, they're not intentionally malicious, just so insecure that hackers from a country famous for its borscht were able to load their own data-stealing software on about 16 thousand pieces of their gear covertly.
Well known default passwords on devices are a pet peeve of mine as well and are the bane of the security world and should be illegal. Random passwords for each and every device. 
To quote a wise man "1-2-3-4-5? That's the stupidest combination I've ever heard of in my life! That's the kinda thing an idiot would have on his luggage!"
To quote a wise man "1-2-3-4-5? That's the stupidest combination I've ever heard of in my life! That's the kinda thing an idiot would have on his luggage!"
road_runner
Valuable Member
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2017
- Messages
- 2,325
- Reaction score
- 2,293
Guys its simple power strip.
Recommending zigbee that will require a base station or access point that support zigbee means more money and more complication.
The op want power strip...its simple
Love the passion thu.
Recommending zigbee that will require a base station or access point that support zigbee means more money and more complication.
The op want power strip...its simple
Love the passion thu.
Last edited:
doughboy
Well-Known Member
I went ahead and bought the $18.19 wifi powerstrip back during amazon prime day. (guess what, prime day is over and current price is even cheaper by 60 cents). Anyway, this power strip has 4 outlets, controllable via phone app, and can be scheduled. no energy monitoring, and alexa interface and only turn the whole power strip on/off (pretty lame to claim alexa compatibility). This won't work for reef aquarium use because when there is power failure and power is restored, all outlets will be turned off.
Anyways, Kasa power strip was on sale for $60 ($65 with tax) at local Frys store yesterday (cheaper than amazon), so I went and got one. This power strip will keep the ON/OFF state if power goes out and comes back on. So good for reef aquarium applications, as you want your return pumps etc to continue to work when power is restored. Energy monitoring is per outlet, which is pretty nice. This strip comes with 6 outlets, so that's about $10 per outlet. Alexa interface is per outlet, so this is the real deal. You can schedule the outlets ON/OFF. It says compatible with IFTT. I have not used nor am familiar with IFTT, so not sure if you can program something like delay start of skimmer outlet when return pump outlet is on. Likewise, if there is temp sensor that works with IFTT, you can probably use it to control heater and fan.
Anyways, Kasa power strip was on sale for $60 ($65 with tax) at local Frys store yesterday (cheaper than amazon), so I went and got one. This power strip will keep the ON/OFF state if power goes out and comes back on. So good for reef aquarium applications, as you want your return pumps etc to continue to work when power is restored. Energy monitoring is per outlet, which is pretty nice. This strip comes with 6 outlets, so that's about $10 per outlet. Alexa interface is per outlet, so this is the real deal. You can schedule the outlets ON/OFF. It says compatible with IFTT. I have not used nor am familiar with IFTT, so not sure if you can program something like delay start of skimmer outlet when return pump outlet is on. Likewise, if there is temp sensor that works with IFTT, you can probably use it to control heater and fan.
Jholley565
Community Member
- Joined
- Dec 2, 2019
- Messages
- 53
- Reaction score
- 24
How do you get Alexa to read your kh?!
William Robinson
Active Member
I use the "GoSund" wifi outlets ($25 for 4) on Amazon. They are Alexa and Google controllable and I can make them do multiple tasks with a single voice command like "Alexa, its feeding time".
Similar threads
