KMC Smart devices connect over 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, which reaches farther and through more walls than 5GHz. Before you pair, make sure your phone is connected to your 2.4GHz network, or to a combined network that carries both bands.

Then try these 2 resets, which solve most pairing trouble on their own:

1. On your phone, open Wi-Fi settings, forget your network, then join it again and enter your password.
2. Unplug your router, wait 20 seconds, plug it back in and let it start up fully.

If it still will not pair, use Manual Setup (also called AP Mode) in the KMC Smart app.

Most often the Wi-Fi password was entered slightly wrong. The app cannot check the password itself, so it waits and then reports a time out. Retype it carefully, watching for capital letters and similar-looking characters.

No. Like most smart home devices, they use the 2.4GHz band because it reaches farther and passes through walls better. Many routers broadcast 2 networks with nearly the same name, one ending in "5G". Connect your phone to the one without it while you pair.

No. For privacy and security, our smart devices only work on networks that require a password. A network anyone can join, or one that asks you to sign in on a web page, will not work.

Offline is temporary and does not mean the plug has failed. It shows while your router cannot find the plug, and usually clears on its own. Try these in order:

1. Check that the outlet holds the plug firmly and it is not sagging out.
2. Restart your router, then unplug the smart plug for 30 seconds and plug it back in.
3. Move the plug closer to the router for a few days to rule out distance, walls and closed doors.
4. Update your router, and check whether it limits how many devices can connect at once. Smart devices are usually the first to be dropped.

Please do not reset the plug to fix an offline message. A reset erases the settings saved for that plug.

No. It reconnects by itself. If it has been offline a long time and has stopped trying, unplug it, count to 10, and plug it back in.

That is deliberate. Power can return when nobody is home to judge whether it is safe for a device to switch on, so KMC Smart devices default to off after an outage. Once the plug reconnects to Wi-Fi, you can turn it back on from the app.

Accounts used to be created with either a phone number or an email address, which caused confusion about which one was used. New accounts use an email address only. If you created yours with a phone number, enter the 10 digit number with no spaces, dashes or brackets where it asks for your account.

Check your spam, junk, trash and all mail folders. Hotmail and Outlook addresses filter these messages more often than most. If it still has not arrived, contact us and we will check that it was sent.

Each schedule does one thing at one time, so turning a plug on and off takes 2 schedules: one set to on and one set to off. Check that each is set to the right action, since it is easy to leave both on "off", and check the days each one repeats on.

A plug takes its time zone from your phone when you first pair it, and the time zone in your app profile does not change it. If you have moved, pair the plug again from your new location.

In the KMC Smart app, tap the plug, tap the pencil icon in the top right corner, then tap Device Information. Your Virtual ID is listed there.

Not at the moment. If your plugs are linked to Alexa, you can install the Alexa app on your computer and control them from there.

In the KMC Smart app, go to Account, then Settings, then Security, then Delete Account. After you submit the request, do not sign in again for 7 days, because signing in cancels it. After 7 days the account is permanently deleted.

You do not need to add each plug to Alexa. Open the KMC Smart app, tap Account, then Alexa, then Sign in with Amazon. The Alexa app opens and asks to link KMC Smart. Tap Link, and every plug in your KMC Smart app appears in Alexa.

Re-link the two apps. In the Alexa app, tap More, then Skills & Games, search for KMC Smart, open it and tap Disable Skill. Close Alexa, then open the KMC Smart app, tap Account, then Alexa, and sign in with Amazon to link again.

Alexa accepts your plug names and controls from the KMC Smart app, but not your groups. Create your groups in the Alexa app and they will work normally.

The most common cause is more than one Google account in the home, with your phone signed into a different account than your speaker. Check that both use the same Google account. If they do, send us a support request and we will work through it with you.

Every KMC product carries a lifetime warranty against manufacturing defects, for as long as you own it. KMC surge protectors also include a connected equipment warranty.

It does not cover normal wear from use, misuse, or damage from water, improper power or accidents.

Send us a support request telling us what is happening and, if you have it, your order number. In most cases we send a replacement free of charge with nothing to return, and ask you to dispose of the faulty unit safely. We just need your full name and shipping address.

Occasionally our team asks to test the unit. If so, we email you a prepaid shipping label.

If anything about how it stopped working concerns you, unplug it, stop using it, and hold on to it until our team replies. A few clear photos help us sort it out faster.

A lifetime warranty protects you against a manufacturing defect, not against the product ever wearing out. Like all electronics, KMC products wear with use. Smart plugs switch power around the clock, and surge protectors use up a little of their protection every time they absorb a surge.

If you are not sure whether you are seeing a defect or normal wear, contact us. We look at every case individually and will tell you honestly what we find.

If equipment plugged into a KMC surge protector was damaged, start a warranty claim with your Amazon order number, the model number (engraved on the back of the surge protector), a list of everything that was plugged in, and photos. When testing is needed, the surge protector goes to our warranty lab. From start to finish, a connected equipment claim typically takes 8 to 12 weeks.

Our products are built for domestic US power. On international power, or anywhere that generates its own power such as a cruise ship, we cannot guarantee they will work or cover them under warranty.

A joule is a unit of energy. A surge protector sends excess voltage into components called MOVs, which absorb it instead of letting it reach your electronics. The joule rating is how much energy those MOVs can absorb before they are used up, so a higher rating lasts longer against repeated surges. Learn more on our Surge Protection page.

Surge protection is used up over time, a little like a fire extinguisher. We recommend replacing a surge protector every 2 years, after any significant surge, or once a year if your area has frequent small power events.

Inside every surge protector is an MOV that sacrifices itself over time to absorb surges. When it is used up, the surge protector stops working. That is expected wear, not a defect, and it is the sign that it is time for a new one.

It means the outlet has no ground wire, which is common in older buildings wired before grounding was required. The surge protector still supplies power, but it cannot send a surge safely to ground, so its protection is greatly reduced. An electrician can tell you whether the outlet can be grounded.

No. Major appliances should always be plugged directly into a wall outlet. They draw a large amount of power as they start, which can exceed the adapter's rating and make it shut off, and many have their own protection circuitry that an adapter can interfere with.

Yes. Our models are certified by Intertek to UL standards and are ETL listed.

KMC is the manufacturer. Amazon handles payment, shipping and returns for these orders, so refunds, returns and invoices come from Amazon directly. We are always glad to help with how your product works, and with warranty replacements.

We are sorry. Amazon sometimes resells a returned item as new when it still works. Send us a support request with a photo and your shipping address, and we will send you a fresh one at no charge.

Popular models do sell out, especially around the holidays. Check back on Amazon soon, or ask us which similar model is available now.