Alexa Says my Smart Outlet is Not Responding. What Do I Do?

 

Smart Outlets can be finicky.  Of all Smart Devices, Smart Outlets seem to have a great variance in capabilities.  Some generic Smart Outlets are just junk.  If you are having connectivity issues with a no-name Smart Outlet, it may very well be because you get what you pay for.  Often, these generic outlets claim compatibility with a few different Smart Control apps, and trying to pair the device with a different control app may solve your connectivity issues.  But unfortunately, many of the no-name plugs are just garbage and are not worth the money.  If a no-name plug keeps dropping wi-fi, and you do not like to constantly troubleshoot, it may be time to invest in a better Smart Plug.  Sometimes, the best thing to do is to replace the cheapie with a Wemo or TP-Link.

However, quality Smart Plugs can also glitch.  The minis seem to be more prone to dropping out than their larger compadres.  If a mini is constantly dropping wi-fi, you may need to move it closer to your router, and replace the mini with the full-sized Smart Outlet.  The internal antennae are just better on the larger plugs.

 Still, like the Echo, few Smart Outlets are error-free. Even a good Smart Plug will fail to respond at some point.  So long as it is not a regular occurrence, you probably do not need to replace or relocate the plug.

The first thing to check is user error.  At least once a month, my Dad complains his Wemo is no longer turning the light on and off.  I say "Alexa, turn on Wemo," and then I manually turn the switch on the lamp.  In my Dad's case, most of his errors come from using the switch on the lamp itself to turn off the light, and failing to turn the switch manually before trying to turn it back on by voice.

 Not all issues are due to user error though.  But as with most electronics, many connectivity and control issues can be solved with a reboot.  EVERY Smart Outlet has a manual switch on the outlet itself.  The minis usually have a square button on the end of the plug, while the larger ones usually have a button by the status light.  Pressing this reset button effectively reboots the Smart Plug. there are some problem which user generaaly faces

Like-Alexa not responding, Echo not responding, Amazon app not connecting to internet

So the first thing to do to address connectivity issues is to press the button on the plug itself. You should press this button a few times.  Each press should cycle the attached appliance/light on and off.  If that does not fix the issue, try rebooting your modem/router.

If your Smart Device isstill not responding, open its associated app.  See if you can control the outlet using the app.  If the app is also failing to connect to the device, you may need to delete and reinstall your Smart Outlet.  Make sure the Alexa app is closed, and delete/re-add the Smart Outlet through its own app, using the EXACT naming conventions you used previously.  So long as you do this, you should NOT lose any settings previously configured in the Alexa app.  Ensure you enable remote access in the app before re-running discovery on Alexa.