As with the other plug in device there really is no set up required for the device itself but you do need to install the Avi-on app which I will cover. The app is officially available for both Android and IOS devices. Once the app is installed you can log in with your existing account or register for a new account. Some reviews of the app complained about requiring a sign in but this helps to secure your devices. Without this anyone who downloads the app can reprogram your lights. After registering you will get an email to confirm and complete the registration, then the app will request a phone number to link to the account. This step I believe is a bit much since two-factor authentication through text is not the recommend method.
From here the app will walk you through connecting your device; you simply tap the “+” and the app finds any devices you have. In this case it quickly found my GE Outdoor Switch. I will say the range to find and pair this switch seems to be slightly less than the operation range you have once paired. But this is a common issue with Z-Wave devices too, in fact with one device I had to bring the hub to the switch to pair.
Selecting the device from the list allows you to start customizing it but the first thing you should do is select the “i” in the top right. This will bring up info stored in your device like date/time, firmware and MAC address. The first time you open this, the date and time will be hashed out and you need to hit “Sync.” Now the outlet will use this time and time zone for any future schedules you may make. I did confirm that interruptions in power do not seem to have an effect on this device. The only time I had to resync the time was after a particularly nasty electrical storm and a tree was struck within 20 feet of this device. So I will give it a pass on that. Scheduling is super easy and allows for up to (7) individual programs to be run. As with most schedulers you can set on/off times at whatever time you choose, sunset/sunrise, random etc. You can choose different schedules to run different days; it really is a pretty feature rich scheduler. Once you have set your schedule you can name them so they make more sense to you if you have multiples and you can provide an image to be displayed as well. From the Device Details tab I like that you have easy access to turn the schedules on and off as well as see a graphical representation of on/off times for that schedule by the day.
