How to Get Setup With WeMo Home Automation App Install

I wanted a light that would turn on and off when I came in to my home office, but didn't want it do drive me batty during the day.

This Instructable will explain how to set up WeMo on your Network, use the Sunset, and Sunrise rules to have the motion sensor only in effect when it is dark out.

This later inspired me to do a bigger setup as part of a hackathon!

Step 1: Plugin the WeMo Power and Motion

WeMo works over wireless, but starts with being plugged in. If you don't know if someone has played with the WeMo before giving them to you, you may want to press and hold the reset on the device for 10 seconds after plugging it in to make sure it doesn't remember the old network.

You can press the power button on the top of the WeMo Power to manually operate the switch. This is good for making sure the lamp you plugin to it is actually on.

Step 2: Install the WeMo App

While the picture shows the iPhone App, the app for Android looks almost the same and uses the same steps.

Step 3: Ignore the Instructions and Skip to Setup

You don't need their instructions. You have mine. Mine are superior in every way, except that they aren't already on your phone. But you can print these... So there is that.

Step 4: Connect the WeMo to the WiFi

You will end up doing this for both the Motion and the Power. Each WeMo device will show up as a WiFi in your phones setting, so close the WeMo App, and go to your WiFi Settings, connecting to one of the WeMo access points as though it were a public WiFi.

Step 5: Tell the WeMo Your Network Settings

Even though it looks like the WeMo is "on your network" you are really on its network. So on this screen we are going to tell it how to connect to the network in the house.

You will need to know the password for your WiFi.

Step 6: Your Device Will Connect

The WeMo will connect to the network. It will then show in the device list.

Step 7: Upgrade the Firmware If Prompted

WeMo is constantly making improvements to the software that is in the device. So take a moment and upgrade the firmware if prompted.

You have 10 minutes roughly, and you don't have to watch it, so you might want to feed your cat/kids/puppy/shark or see if you can sprint around the block in that amount of time. You could also take out the trash, or throw in a load of laundry. As long as you don't pop a breaker or reset the router, this will finish when you get back.

Step 8: Rinse and Repeat With the Second Device

Do all of those same steps with the other WeMo Device.

Step 9: Create Rules

Our rule is that if it is after Sunset, and before Sunrise (so it is dark) that if the motion sensor detects motion, then for 10 minutes the light will come on.

You can use the Sun icons to use this rule, or you could use the Clock icon to specify a time. For example you could have an Open sign that was only on if people were moving outside and it was between 9 am and 5 pm.