D-Link Wi-Fi Smart Plug (DSP-W115) Review

With the introduction of smart devices around the home, an obvious point to take advantage of is the sockets, how does the D-Link DSP W115 fare?

Product on Review: D-Link DSP-W115 WiFi Smart Plug
Manufacturer: D-Link
Street Price: GBP £24.98 / USD $29.99 / AUS $ 39.99

D-Link have been in business for well over 30 years now, producing consumer and business grade networking hardware, with over 2600 employees and an enormous portfolio of equipment they certainly aren’t to be taken lightly in this sector.

Today we look at a WiFi Smart Plug, a device which allows you to connect any appliance with a plug to your home network and control it via the mydlink application on your phone or tablet.

Thanks to the incredible success of voice-controlled speakers in the home, with many of us now possessing one or the other, D-Link have also added support for the two big services, Google Assistant and amazon alexa. This allows you to switch on and off your appliances without lifting a finger. Not only that, but IFTTT (if this, then that) integration is also included, giving almost endless possibilities to those willing to delve a little deeper.

The D-Link DSP-W115 offers a compact design, green, amber and red LEDs and a 2-year warranty as well as in-depth automation via the smartphone application.

Let’s see how easy the setup process is and how the product looks once attached to the wall.

D-Link on the DSP-W115 WiFi Smart Plug:

Switch your things on or off, and automate any appliances to conveniently work around you. Wake up to the scent of brewing coffee, switch anything on from your sofa, or know your dinner’s cooked before you’re home.

Technical Specifications

General

Standards
• IEEE 802.11n2

Security
• WPA/WPA2
• WEP

LED
• Power/WPS

Antennas
• One internal antenna

Buttons
• LED on/off
• Power button
• WPS/Reset button

Functionality

Support Functions
• Smart remote control
• Automation
• Power scheduling
• System LED control

Advanced Features
• mydlink app for iPhone, iPad, and Android devices

App Compatibility
• Please refer to the mobile app’s store page to check your device’s compatibility

Physical

Dimensions
• 95 x 74 x 38 mm (3.74 x 2.91 x 1.50 inches)

Weight
• 155 grams (5.47 ounces)

Power Input
• Input: 100 to 240 V AC, 50/60 Hz

Maximum Load
• EU plug (type F): 3680 W / 16 A
• French plug (type E): 3680 W / 16 A
• UK plug (type G): 3120 W / 13.5 A
• Swiss plug (type J): 2400 W / 10 A

Power Consumption
• Maximum 5 watts

Temperature
• Operating: 0 to 40 °C (32 to 104 °F)
• Storage: -20 to 65 °C (-4 to 149 °F)

Humidity
• Operating: 10% to 90% non-condensing
• Storage: 5% to 95% non-condensing

Certifications
• CE/LVD/ErP
• RoHS

Packaging & Bundle

Considering the compact size of the packaging, D-Link have managed to fit a reasonable amount of information on the front of the box, leaving almost no questions as to how it functions.

The back of the box goes into further detail around the features on the front.

In terms of a bundle, there’s not a great deal D-Link could have offered you. There’s warranty and setup information and a quick installation card featuring a handy QR code which aids the setup process.

Closer Look

The entire enclosure is brilliant white with a glossy finish, which should help the device blend into most socket surrounds. Around the outer edge is an LED indicator which helps with setup and to display its current state (on/off).

On the side is a WPS button, making connection to your router that little bit easier if you have supporting hardware, above that is a manual power switch and further up is an LED toggle, if you don’t wish to have the outer LED ring illuminated.

The rear is as simple as a three-prong UK plug and a label giving you the WiFi details, including SSID and Password as well as serial numbers and firmware versions.

Setup & Software

Setting up was a simple process, providing you own a smartphone running either iOS or Android, but that shouldn’t be a big ask in 2019.

Below is a short video showing the setup process. We have shortened the process down to around 3 minutes, cutting out roughly 2.5 minutes of waiting times from the total five and a half minutes.

Once setup, you can then pair the WiFi Smart Plug to your amazon alexa or Google Assistant devices, allowing control without lifting a finger. The setup process on both platforms was incredibly simple with the device being detected almost immediately; it’s then also possible to merge the D-Link switch with other brands within the same room, for example, setting up an echo to respond to “alexa, turn off the bedroom lights” which turns off a pair of lamps either side of a bed, despite using a different brand for the other side.

It’s also possible to setup “one tap” features, where for example, you could tell the application that you are nearly home, putting into motion several lamps to turn on, as well as the coffee machine, ensuring you have a steaming hot brew and lighting as soon as you open your door.

We found D-Link’s software very easy to operate.

Conclusion

With a product like this, you may come down into one of two camps, where you either believe this is the epitome of laziness and can’t understand why it’s so difficult to turn the lamp on manually, like we’ve done since 1879 when the bulb was invented, or you love the ability to control systems in your home using only your voice. We come down firmly on the voice control side of the fence, we love the ability to walk into a room and turn the lights on, regardless of how dark it is, saving the hassle of fumbling around trying to find the switch.

Of course, these sockets have many more applications than just turning on lightbulbs, as does the entire concept of a “Smart Home”. D-Link also provide power strips, with four controllable sockets instead of just one.

Earlier in the review we discussed how straightforward the setup process was, both for the MyDLink application and Amazon Alexa/Google Assistant configuration. Unfortunately, we ran into an issue with the first sample we were sent: it had arrived with an as yet un-diagnosed issue.
The device wouldn’t complete the setup process, but there was a silver-lining: it gave us an opportunity to judge the quality of D-Link’s customer support. And so, posing as a regular customer, we contacted D-Link’s Customer Services.
We spoke to a gentleman named Ven who, quite frankly, provided some of the best customer service we’ve ever experienced. He was fast, knowledgeable and friendly without any hint of condescension. At no point did he make us feel like we were a burden or wasting his time. And, in short order, we came to a solution.
Issues happen from time to time, but it’s how a company deals with those issues that really matters. D-Link, thanks to Ven, were impeccable.

The price, at £25 in the UK, and the equivalent in other countries, is on the more expensive side compared to many other options, but you may find that you find value in their customer services, or in the two-year warranty, or even just in the knowledge that the device is produced from a reputable brand; after all, you could be powering a device worth several hundred pounds, such as an expensive coffee machine. Do you want to trust that machine to a cheaper solution to save £5 or £10?

Overall, the D-Link DSP-W115 Smart Plug is easy to set up, is backed by an excellent application and allows the ultimate in laziness, which we fully approve!

Pros
+ Easy setup
+ 10/10 Customer Service
+ Compact and unobtrusive design
+ LED indicators

Neutral
+- Expensive but justifiable

Cons
– None

Click here for an explanation of our awards at Vortez.net.

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