List of my former home's rooms and the types of switches in each
I started this page to track normal switches that I can replace with Smart Switches.
When I started, I had a much simpler view of a smart switch; either it was up or it was down. With so many switches, I now have a more complex view. For example, a smart switch can be up and running and controllable through its app, but for some reason Amazon Echo cannot control it. Hopefully, this nonsense is all gone after replacing all WeMos with TP-Link/Kasa.
Over time I have become more familiar with my circuit breaker boxes. The original labels aren't very helpful when determining if a switch is on a particular breaker. I was doing the dance: turn on a light, flip a breaker, did that turn it off and repeat until found. Writing it all down reduces the time it takes to find the circuit breaker powering a switch.
Find Malfunctioning Switches:
My ISP's gateway doesn't help much in discovering down or impacted switches. I don't use a traditional home automation hub. I use my Smart Phone as my hub.
On a Smart Phone, open the Alexa App. Go to Devices, and All Devices.
Check the devices marked as unresponsive. It is unclear why they are marked as unresponsive, and yet work. Perhaps, this issue will go away after replacing the WeMo switches.
Garage Circuit Breaker Box:
Attic light by game room is undetermined
Doorbell voltage regulator by AC units is undetermined
Outside Circuit Breaker Box:
Key to tables above:
Brand:
K or T = Kasa or TP-Link
S = Smart Home or Smart Life. These come in black, which fit within the decor of the home offices
W = WeMo Smart Switch Yay! Replaced all WeMos
Type:
L = Light
F= Fan
Switch:
3W = 3-Way
D = Smart Wi-Fi with Dimmer
N = Normal dumb switch
S = Smart Switch (no dimmer)
SSID
N = downstairs AP
N2 = upstairs AP
Notes on SSID:
WeMo recommends 802.11n (set to n-only; changed from g-only) with bandwidth set to auto. While I removed all WeMo devices from my home, I kept these settings.
I set channel for each SSID so it is fixed (attempt to eliminate one source of variability)
The switches are evenly distributed and kept below 20 per AP.
I shut off all extraneous functions on the Arris Gateway (BW210-700): no Wi-Fi, no Cable, no landline.In general, home gateways (or routers) have the cheapest processor possible to provide a cost effective solution for "normal" home use. I have 80+ devices connected on my home LAN, which is probably not normal,