Sonoff S20 Smart Socket: easy home automation
The Sonoff S20 WiFi Smart Socket is a switch that you can control with your smartphone. This can be done locally via your own wireless network and worldwide via the internet. This way you can make almost every device suitable for the “Internet of Things”. What makes this smart plug quite special is its ease of use in combination with the low price: you can buy one for less than 10 USD/10 euro. Despite this low price, the build quality is excellent. Another major advantage of the S20 is the “hackability”, which we will discuss in a subsequent article. We will first examine an unmodified S20.
What is the Sonoff S20?
The Sonoff S20 is a switch that you plug into an outlet. To the Sonoff you then connect another device. This device can then be switched on or off remotely with an app on your smartphone. The app is called “eWeLink” and is available for both Android and iPhone (iOS). You can also operate the device manually with the push button on the Sonoff, the app will then display the current status. In addition, the Sonoff is also compatible with Google Home Assistant, Amazon Alexa, Nest and IFTTT. The maximum power that the S20 can switch is 2000 Watt. That is enough for, for example, lamps, fans, coffee machines, aquarium pumps and small heaters.
Link Sonoff S20 to eWeLink app
Before you can link the Sonoff S20 to the eWeLink app, you must first create an account. This can be done with an email address or a telephone number. Then you will receive a registration code by email or SMS to confirm your registration. The registration procedure speaks for itself.
After the account has been created and you are logged in, you can link the Sonoff S20 to the app. Follow the instructions of the app. In summary, it comes down to the following steps:
- Plug the S20 into a power outlet, the green LED will flash (+/- 1 time per second).
- Press the button for about 7 seconds until the LED begins to flash more quickly.
- Click on the ‘+’ at the bottom of the screen of the app.
- On the next screen select ‘Quick Pairing Mode‘, then ‘next’.
- In the next screen you choose the WiFi network, enter the password and press ‘next’.
- The app will now ‘pair’ with the S20. This may take some time. When pairing fails, try again. If it still does not work then choose ‘Try Compatible Pairing Mode‘.
- After the pairing is successful you can give the device a name, for example “Sonoff S20”. Then press ‘Complete’.
Device list
You will now see your Sonoff in the “Device list”. To the left of the name you see the current status: on, off or offline. To the right of the name you see an indication of WiFi signal strength.
If you press the left part of the bar (A) you can switch the device on or off immediately. If you press the right part (B), you will go to the screen with the various functions.
The functions of the eWeLink app
First of all, you can of course manually switch the connected devices such as the Sonoff S20 on or off. In this way you use the smartphone as a glorified remote control. If you press the (physical) pushbutton of the S20, the status in the app also changes.
In addition, there are also 3 timer functions:
- Schedule: allows you to set a time at which a particular device should turn on or off.
- Timer: with this timer you can set a time period after which the device must be switched on or off.
- Loop Timer: allows you to set a repeating timing cycle. For example, a cycle in which an aquarium pump runs for five minutes every half hour. You can also indicate when this cycle should start.
And there are a number of useful extras built into the app:
- Compose scenes, with which you can switch multiple devices on or off at the touch of a button.
- Send notifications when one of the paired devices is being operated.
- Sharing linked devices with other eWeLink users, for example family members.
- Keep logs of all commands sent to paired devices.
User manual
The Sonoff provides a concise manual binding in two languages (English and Chinese). Do you need more information, look here for info in multiple languages.
Technical specifications:
- Maximum power: 2,000 W
- Maximum current: 10 A
- Mains voltage: 90 Vac to 250 Vac
- Quiescent current: 80 mA
- Internal supply voltage: 3.0 Vdc to 3.6 Vdc
- WiFi standard: 802.11.b / g / n
- Frequency: 2.4 GHz
- WiFi encryption: WEP / WPA-PSK / WPA2-PSK / WPA / WPA2 / WAPI / WPS2
- Network protocol: IPv4, TCP / UDP / HTTP / FTP
- Dimensions: 110 mm x 62 mm x 52.5 mm
- Weight: 120 g
