LB100 association issues

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LB100 association issues

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LB100 association issues
LB100 association issues
2017-08-16 23:17:56
Model :

Hardware Version :

Firmware Version :

ISP :

I have two LB100 bulbs. Last night our utility power went off at 8:45 PM and went back on at 9:55. I have the bulbs set to turn on at sunset and turn off at sunrise. Late this morning I noticed that both bulbs were on. I opened the Android Kasa app to try to turn the bulbs off. When I tapped on their icons I got a toast message that told me I could control the bulbs when the phone was connected to my home internet. I closed Kasa and opened up a WiFi analyzer and could see that both bulbs were broadcasting their SSID. I power cycled one bulb and it did not associate with my access point (APO.) I had to go through the setup process to get the bulbs both back on my WiFi LAN. That process itself is fraught with problems. The app seems not capable of setting up more than one bulb at a time. It even has a place where if communication with the bulb fails, you cannot exit the screen except by going to Android Settings and forcing a stop. Here are specific problems that should be addressed.
[*]The bulb should wait longer following power up to associate with the AP. Some APs take longer to power up and broadcast their SSID.
[*]If the bulb cannot associate with the AP on power up, it should at the least do so following the next power up. It is clear that once it fails, it gives up forever and requires the homeowner to go through the setup process again. A better solution would be to watch for the associated SSID when it goes into setup mode (if the radio supports this.)
[*]If (during setup) the bulb is power cycled when Kasa is on the screen that allows the user to choose to reset the device settings, the next screen will fail and there is no escape (except going to settings to kill the app.) Yes, I know it is not normal to power cycle the bulb at this point in the process. I did so because earlier I was presented with two SSIDs and was not able to get the device configured so I turned one off. Unfortunately the one I turned off was the one I was in the process of configuring.
[*]Provide an option for the Kasa app to reconfigure 'lost' devices. All the information is known and the light bulbs are already broadcasting their SSID. It's ridiculous that the homeowner has to go through the setup process for each device.
Both bulbs are H/W version 1.0. One is at F/W 1.2.1 and the other at 1.4.3. The one that is at 1.2.1 occasionally does not turn off in the morning.

I hope these issues can be addressed. I generally like the TP-Link IOT devices but this keeps me from considering any additional bulbs. I have a couple outlets and they do not have this problem.

Thanks!
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#1
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Re:LB100 association issues
2017-08-17 15:36:26
You bulbs seems reset to factory default after the power outage, otherwise you won't see any wifi signal coming from the bulbs.
So the bulbs won't associate with the access point automatically, because they are not just simply offline.
If the bulbs just go offline, normally a restart will help to make the bulbs reconnect to the access point.

I think it is normal to go through the setup process for each device, the phone can only connect one bulb's wifi each time.
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Re:LB100 association issues
2017-08-18 09:16:50
Agreed. I wonder what event triggers factory reset? It seems to be a bit of a tricky issue with light bulbs I have a couple switched outlets and they don't have this issue but they have a button to press to force reset.

I understand that the app can only deal with one device at a time. It gives me the SSIDs of all known devices but without linking that to the information it knows about the devices such as the name I have given it. I can then select a device to configure but the app fails to complete the operation.

(I did see a mention in another post for how to update firmware and have done that so both bulbs are now on 1.4.3.)

Thanks!
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Re:LB100 association issues
2017-08-20 23:26:27
I see what happened. On the Amazon page for one of the bulbs I see the warning
[COLOR=#888888 !important]Beware of turning the power on and off 3 times quickly as this will reset the device
This is not a good solution to the reset problem. Standard operating procedure for a power distribution system breaker when it interrupts a fault is to close back into the fault at varying time intervals to attempt to restore power. Normal operation is to reclose three times. Typically this will start with a shorter interval such as 1/4 second with subsequent intervals being longer. The intervals and reclose count allowed before the breaker remains open are configurable so this will vary depending on local conditions, utility philosophy and need to coordinate with upstream protective devices.

This explains why both of my light bulbs reset to factory defaults following the outage. When our power goes out we can see the recloser operation as power comes on momentarily several times.

I suggest that the engineers developing the firmware for the bulbs consult with a utility systems engineer familiar with protection and develop a strategy for factory reset that does not unintentionally coordinate with typical power distribution system operation. I would suggest simply increasing the count to 10 would resolve this problem as it is nearly unimaginable that a utility would configure their equipment to reclose that many times. Closing into a fault causes measurable damage to power systems equipment and is only done to attempt to restore power. (For example a lightning strike that flashes over a lightning arrestor will be interrupted on the first trip and the reclose will be successful. A small branch across a wire may burn off and on the second or third reclose and result in resumption of service. A wire down and literally shorted to ground will not clear and continued reclosing will only result in damage to transformers and other substation equipment.)

For more information see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recloser or search for "typical recloser timing" and you will find a lot more detail.

I hope this is addressed in a firmware update for the bulb or I am doomed to have to reconfigure the bulbs following any power outage that results in recloser operation. I'm sure I will not be alone.
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#4
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