Why My Amazon Smart Plug Can’t Find or Connect To WiFi?

An Amazon smart plug installed in your home is an excellent method to make your gadgets into truly intelligent devices that you can use on a daily basis. In addition, these small connectors may be useful for folks who wish to experiment with smart gadgets but aren’t sure which ones to start with.

Smart plugs, when all is said and done, are a terrific method to boost the intelligence of our devices without having to entirely replace them. These smart plugs, in particular, rely on a stable WiFi connection to keep up with the latest technological advances.

If your Amazon Smart Plug is unable to connect to your WiFi network, there could be a number of different reasons for this. Soft resetting a computer is the first thing to try when encountering computer troubles. In the following section, you will be guided through a series of progressively more innovative solutions to often encountered WiFi problems.

Learn everything there is to know about the Amazon Smart Plug in this comprehensive guide.

Image used in the promotion of the Amazon Smart Plug.

The Amazon smart plug is intended to be used just within the home and in conjunction with Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant, which is available for purchase separately.

Utilizing the Alexa voice assistant, this smart plug can manage simple on/off functions as well as much more complex schedules, routines, and schedule changes. Because of the widespread use of Amazon Echo devices, these smart plugs can also be operated using voice commands.

They’re also restricted to only being able to connect via WiFi. Therefore, any connectivity issues with your WiFi network may result in troubles with Amazon’s smart plug as a result of the same. Let’s take a look at some of the most prevalent snoring causes, as well as some solutions for dealing with them.

The following are some of the most frequently encountered reasons for Amazon Smart Plug connectivity issues

However, despite the fact that it is a multi-functional product, the Amazon smart plug is one of those smart home items that requires internet connectivity in order to function correctly. Whenever there is a problem with connectivity, this smart plug loses a significant amount of its capability.

Fortunately, this is a problem that is simple to identify, and even simpler to correct once identified. There are complicated solutions to some of these problems, particularly if the problem is an overcrowded WiFi network, but the vast majority of them are simple and quick to implement.

Errors that occur throughout the manufacturing process

While it’s typical to save the most difficult problem until last, we’re going to get it out of the way right away this time.

When it comes to smart plugs, we frequently find ourselves on the short end of the stick, to put it another way. Every day, hundreds of thousands of these devices are sent to consumers, and some of them fail to function properly right out of the box, whether it’s because they’ve encountered a few too many bumps in the road or because of a manufacturing defect.

The vast majority of gadgets are designed to endure manufacturing faults and transportation barriers, and the vast majority of devices are able to do so successfully. Having said that, some people simply do not engage in physical activity for a variety of reasons.

Alternatively, if you’ve tried all of the other suggestions on this page and are still unable to connect, it’s possible that a problem with the Amazon Smart Plug’s internal, physical components is at fault.

An item’s inherent faults, such as bad wiring or a malfunctioning chip, could create this problem, and any of these defects could have been present when the item left the factory from the time it was manufactured.

Because of Amazon’s generous return policy in these situations, the one-year limited warranty may prove useful if your problem recurs a few months after you first purchased the item.

Consider performing some basic troubleshooting first to see if you can get your smart plug back up and running as soon as possible before beginning the process of returning the smart plug to Amazon.

Try a Soft Reset to see if it will make a difference.

Try a Soft Reset to see if it will make a difference

If you’re in doubt, press the “reset” button on your computer.

Prepare yourself in advance for the possibility that a firmware upgrade or simply poor luck will result in a software issue with your smart equipment at any time. However, even if it appears to be less common as smart technology becomes more advanced, it is still something we should be concerned about. An overview of what may be going on within your smart plug that is causing these issues is provided below the fold.

Even the most basic smart gadget contains a chipset, which is responsible for instructing the device on what to do and assisting it in communicating with the outside world. The firmware for the device is saved on the chipset that is being used. When it comes to programming a smart device, this is the most essential layer to understand. This is the same notion as the firmware that may be found on a smartphone or other electronic device.

When a smartphone is reset, all data on the device is erased, with the exception of the core firmware, which is required for the device to function. These soft resets restore the firmware to its factory default settings, which may come in handy if an upgrade causes problems after it has been completed.

The steps outlined below will demonstrate how to do a soft reset on your Amazon smart plug.

  1. For 12 seconds, press and hold the wall button on the smart plug to turn it on.
  2. As soon as the LED begins to flicker red, press and hold the button for a couple of seconds.
  3. Please create a new Amazon account and re-register your device with it by using the Alexa app on your smartphone.
  4. If the reset were successful, the LED light would begin to blink blue; however, this may occur before you have an opportunity to re-register.

Your connectivity troubles should be resolved as a result of this, hopefully. If this is not the case, it is necessary to investigate further to see whether your home’s WiFi settings are to blame.

If you’re having problems with your router or WiFi service, contact your ISP.

A notice appears on the phone’s screen stating that no WiFi could be discovered.

When it comes to anything from gaming to Netflix streaming, your old router has served you well. However, smart home technology may be stressing its capacity.

It is possible that older routers do not always provide the most constant signals. Buffering is vital when watching something on Netflix since it prevents interruptions from occurring. As a result, if your WiFi goes down for a brief period of time, the streaming service will preload sections of the movie ahead of time in order to prevent disruptions from occurring.

Instead, smart plugs require a steady connection, and even a slight blink might lead them to disengage from their power source – or fail during the critical first configuration process. One possibility is that the problem is caused by an unreliable internet connection, such as the kind provided by a shared apartment’s WiFi network.

It is always beneficial to turn the machine off and on again in order to resolve this issue! You could also attempt to reset your internet router and retest it in 5 minutes. If this does not solve the problem, it may be necessary to upgrade your internet router, especially if you discover that a large number of your WiFi-connected devices are experiencing difficulties. Although more expensive, newer mesh WiFi routers provide far better technology and WiFi coverage throughout your home, despite the fact that they can cost hundreds of dollars.

The next issue to investigate is what happens when you attempt to connect an excessive number of devices to the same WiFi network…

Overcrowding on a WiFi network is a problem.

Overcrowding on a WiFi network is a problem

Because it is a little technical and more than a little interesting, this problem necessitates some investigation and deliberation. If you find yourself on a WiFi network that is congested, it is possible that you have unintentionally committed a WiFi jamming hack on yourself.

Although it is illegal to own and operate a WiFi jammer in the United States, there are no laws prohibiting you from connecting an excessive number of smart gadgets to your home’s WiFi network at the same time! Despite the fact that these are two completely different things, they are both contributing to the failure of your WiFi network.

A WiFi jammer is a device that prevents a WiFi network from functioning properly by flooding it with noise. Consequently, connecting any ordinary device to the network is almost impossible. Take into consideration that you are seeking to have a pleasant chat while attending a rock event.

When there is an excessive number of smart devices all wishing to be connected to the same network, the same problem arises as in the previous example. Alternatively, if your WiFi network is unable to keep up with the increasing number of smart gadgets in your house, it may be time to examine alternative smart home communication protocols such as Z-Wave and Zigbee.

According to the concept, you will have a separate device called a Hub, which will be located somewhere in your home and will appear like a miniature internet router:

My Philips Hue v2 Bridge is located in the attic of my home. My home network is currently configured in my attic space.

In the same way that your internet router “speaks” WiFi, this gadget “speaks” a technology known as ZigBee, which is used to communicate wirelessly. After that, you can purchase ZigBee-compatible smart products, such as Philips Hue lighting, which will connect to your ZigBee Hub through the internet and communicate with it.

As a result of adopting this strategy, all of your smart devices will communicate with the ZigBee or Z-Wave Hub, rather than with your internet gateway. This is one of the most significant advantages of utilizing this method. Clearing some space may make it more likely that WiFi-only devices such as Amazon’s Smart Plugs will be able to attend the smart home gathering.

WIFI connection problems

It is equally appropriate to smart gadgets and to everyday life in general to use the proverb “A problem shared is a problem halved.”

Other issues with WiFi connectivity have also been reported.

In addition to the issues described above, there are a number of other potential WiFi issues that could be causing your problems. I go into greater detail on these in another tutorial, so if nothing else I’ve mentioned so far has been useful, please refer to that one as well.

Lance Ulanoff is a renowned tech journalist, commentator, and on-air expert with over 36 years of experience. He has held esteemed positions including Editor in Chief of Lifewire and Mashable, where he delved into the impact of technology on daily life. Lance's expertise has been featured on major news programs globally, and he has made appearances on Fox News, CNBC, and the BBC.