Skip to main content

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

echo do not responding

 

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. 

Labels:
Location: United States

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Alexa expanded to more places and devices in 2021, helping you get more done than ever before - here's our look back at Alexa's busy year.

  We introduced Alexa and Amazon Echo more than four years ago with a vision to make life a little easier through the power and simplicity of voice. And this year, we’ve been delighted by how you have made Alexa part of your life. In fact, the number of customers interacting with Alexa daily and those who own multiple Echo devices both doubled in 2021. This tells us Alexa is helping you get more done every day throughout your home. There’s a lot that Alexa can do. In fact, it can be hard for even me to keep up. So, I wanted to take a moment to look back on 2018 and share some of my favorite Alexa features from this year. Alexa is in more places n 2018, Alexa went more places than ever before. Alexa added stamps to her passport with new native experiences in Australia, New Zealand, France, Italy, Spain, and Mexico, and she  learned new languages along the way . We sold tens of millions of Echo devices and introduced  more than a dozen new Amazon devices that feature and wo...
Post a Comment
Read more

Best Alexa speakers

  Smart speakers   are everywhere and Amazon is one of the big three competitors with skin in the game. Not only does the company have a line of proprietary smart speakers, but there are also plenty of great third-party options. Read on to learn about which is the best Alexa speaker for you. Editor’s note: this list was updated on January 9, 2021, to update information about groups. The Amazon Echo (4th Gen) is the best Alexa speaker The  best Alexa device  is the latest iteration of Amazon’s Echo line. It is a spherical hub for controlling your smart home devices, and it does a great job at registering commands. If you’re ever unsure about if the wake up word was registered, don’t fret, because the speaker has an LED ring around its base that lights up when the microphone is activated. There’s also a button on the top of the speaker for muting the microphone so you can ensure your privacy. Amazon Echo (4th gen) The Amazon Echo (4th gen) produces high quality sound w...
Post a Comment
Read more

Alexa Says a Device is Not Responding, but She Controls it Just Fine?

  Be aware that sometimes Alexa reports a device is not responding when it really is. Sometimes, Alexa doesn't realize she actually did what you told her to, and fallaciously reports she's having issues.  Other times, she seems to think she completed a command, but nothing happens.  In other words, Alexa is not always a reliable reporter.  Don't always believe Alexa when she says a device is not responding.   I have this annoying issue with Alexa, my TV, and my Harmony Hub. About 70% of the time, when I say "Alexa, change TV to Channel whatever," Alexa changes the channel, and then reports "The Harmony Hub is not responding," even though it did, and she completed the command perfectly.   Other times, I ask Alexa to issue a Harmony Hub command, and she says "Okay," but nothing happens.  And I have to reissue the command to have Alexa perform the action I want. Alexa is particularly unreliable when it comes to my Harmony Hub and realizing ...
Post a Comment
Read more