TP-Link Tapo Plug P115

Matter

While the standard of home automation interfaces grows toward "Matter" - there are still many manufacturer-depended protocols in use. Tapo is such a protocol. Lucky for us some people managed to reverse-engineer most of its functions. With this we can take control of these devices and make them do what we want.

Tapo Plug Control

TP-Link has two similar product-lines that are not compatible. It seems that Tapo is a bit newer but both products are said to be supported and updated. This guide is made for the Tapo P115 plug:

• TP-Link Tapo plug P115

Counter part (US outlets):

• TP-Link Kasa plug KP115

Basically:

• P100 is big an clunky
• P105 same as P100 but supports energy monitoring
• P110 is the same as P100 but a smaller-sized version
• P115 is both small and supports energy monitoring

The Tapo devices can officially only be controlled with the TP-Link Tapo app, you need to register for an account and link your devices. Ultimately, credentials will be stored on the device, a continuous live internet connection is not necessary after that.

Setup

With the TP-Link Tapo app:

1. Connect to your Tapo account
2. To restart setup of Wifi: hold the reset button for 5 seconds
3. To factory reset the Tapo device: hold the reset button for 10 seconds
4. The Tapo device will start with a Wifi open network
5. Connect to this network with you mobile device
6. Detect and register the device with the app
7. Using the app, connect the device to your Wifi Guest network

The device is now in your Wifi network, for the next part it is best to make sure it always receives the same IP address. You can configure this in the DHCP settings in your router.

Firmware updates

• Currently (2023 july) having firmware 1.2.3 Build 230425 Rel. 142542 and it works
• Once you have everything working it is probably best to disable automatic firmware update from the app

Python control

There are some people who managed to work out how to control this device without the app in the local network. It this particular case using a Python module.

I used the code from this project:

• https://pypi.org/project/tapo-plug/
• https://github.com/fishbigger/TapoP100

pip3 install PyP100

Packages are installed in the 'local' directory of the user: /$HOME/.local/lib/python3.7/site-packages/

Login python3:

import PyP110

p110 = PyP100.P110(ipAddress, user, password)

#Creates the cookies required for further methods
p110.handshake() 

#Sends credentials to the plug and creates AES Key and IV for further methods
p110.login()

Control python3:

#Turns the connected plug on
p110.turnOn() 

#Turns the connected plug off
p110.turnOff() 

#Toggles the state of the connected plug
p110.toggleState()

#Turns the connected plug on after 10 seconds
p110.turnOnWithDelay(10)

#Turns the connected plug off after 10 seconds
p110.turnOffWithDelay(10)

#Returns dict with all the device info of the connected plug
print( p110.getDeviceInfo() )

#The P110 has all the same basic functions as the plugs and additionally allow for energy monitoring.
print( p110.getEnergyUsage() )

Reverse Engineering

Some notes

• The device connects to outside servers, using the app you can control it from anywhere.
• If you block internet access to the device:
  • You can still control it with the app from within your local network. From outside the network it will look offline.
  • Once it has been without power, a function like 'get_energy_usage' will stop working (error -1003) until it has had a connection to the internet. It needs only a minute or so to make it work again.
  • Datetime is not synced and starts at 2000-01-01 after boot, but we can set it ourselves
• With internet access it connects to these domains:
  • ntp.org, pool.ntp.org (sync datetime)
  • security.iot.i.tplinknbu.com, aps1-openapi.i.tplinknbu.com
  • n-euw1-device-api.tplinkcloud.com, euw1-device-cloudgateway.iot.i.tplinknbu.com

Project: Tapo-plug

The "tapo-plug" project didn't work out for me but it has some reverse engineering information (without further documentation)

• https://pypi.org/project/tapo-plug/
• firmware Tapo P105, 1.3.2 Build 20210122
• Firmware list on GitHub

Some method examples may help figuring out how other methods should be called:

• get_device_running_info
  • { "method": "get_device_running_info" }
• get_device_usage
  • { "method": "get_device_usage" }
• set_led_info
  • { "method": "set_led_info", "params": { "led_status":False, "led_rule":"never", "night_mode":{ "night_mode_type":"unknown", "sunrise_offset":0, "sunset_offset":0, "start_time":0, "end_time":0 } }, "requestTimeMils":0, "terminalUUID": uuid, }
• get_wireless_scan_info
  • { "method": "get_wireless_scan_info", "params": { "start_index":0 } }
• set wifi settings
  • { "method": "set_qs_info", "params": { 'account': { 'password': b64encode(deviceInfo['tapoEmail'].encode()).decode("utf-8"), 'username': b64encode(deviceInfo['tapoPassword'].encode()).decode("utf-8") }, 'time': { 'latitude': 90, 'longitude': -135, 'region': deviceInfo['region'], 'time_diff': 60, 'timestamp': 1619885501 }, 'wireless': { 'key_type': deviceInfo['key_type'], 'password': b64encode(deviceInfo['password'].encode()).decode("utf-8"), 'ssid': b64encode(deviceInfo['ssid'].encode()).decode("utf-8") } }, "requestTimeMils":0, "terminalUUID": uuid }
• get_schedule_rules
  • { "method": "get_schedule_rules", "params": { "start_index":0 } }
• set_device_time
  • { 'method': 'set_device_time', 'params': {'time_diff': 60, 'timestamp': round( now().timestamp() ), 'region': 'Europe/Amsterdam' }, 'requestTimeMils':0 }
• edit_schedule_rule on
  • { "method": "edit_schedule_rule", "params": { "id": "S3", "enable": True, "mode": "repeat" } } )

Various possible methods found as text in the firmware

Category	Method	Type	Params	Error	Result
Network	get_wireless_scan_info	information	start_index:0	0
Network	set_wireless_info	settings		-1008: Parameter?
Network	set_qs_info	settings		-1003: Invalid json
Network	set_qs_extra_info	settings		0
Network	connect_cloud	action		0	ok
Network	get_connect_cloud_state	information		0	Status=0: not connected
Network	account_sync	action		0	ok, what does it do?
Firmware	fw_download	action		does the upgrade: dl and reboot	needs internet access
Firmware	get_fw_download_state	information		shows the download, progress and status: 0=ok, 2=needs upgrade, 3=upgrading	ok
Firmware	get_latest_fw	information		checks for updated firmware	internet access
Log	get_flash_log	information		-1002: Method?
Log	set_flash_log	settings		-1002: Method?
Log	get_device_log	information		-1002: Method?
Log	set_device_log	settings		-1002: Method?
Log	get_device_running_info	information		0	ok
Device	get_device_info	information		0	ok
Device	set_device_info	settings			Set Plug on/of, Nickname
Device	get_led_info	information		0	ok
Device	set_led_info	settings		-1601: Cloud?
Device	get_device_time	information		0	Get timestamp, region
Device	set_device_time	settings		0	Set timestamp, region
Device	get_device_usage	information		0	ok
Device	get_energy_usage	information		0	ok, cloud access?
Device	get_diagnose_status	information		-1002: Method?	no
Device	get_factory_info	information		-1002: Method?
Device	get_ffs_info	information		0	ok, pin?
Schedule	get_next_event	information		0	ok
Schedule	get_schedule_day_runtime	information		-1002: Method?
Schedule	get_schedule_month_runtime	information		-1002: Method?
Schedule	get_schedule_rules	information	start_index:0	0	ok
Schedule	set_schedule_all_enable	settings		-1001: Parameter?
Schedule	add_schedule_rule	settings		-1001: Parameter?
Schedule	edit_schedule_rule	settings		-1001: Parameter?
Schedule	remove_schedule_rules	settings		-1008: Parameter?
Schedule	remove_all_schedule_runtime	settings		-1002: Method?
Schedule	get_countdown_rules	information		0	ok
Schedule	add_countdown_rule	settings		-1008: Parameter?	ok, internet access
Schedule	edit_countdown_rule	settings		-1001: Parameter?
Schedule	remove_countdown_rules	settings		-1008: Parameter?
Antitheft	get_antitheft_rules	information		0	ok
Antitheft	set_antitheft_all_enable	settings		-1001: Parameter?
Antitheft	add_antitheft_rule	settings		-1008: Parameter?
Antitheft	edit_antitheft_rule	settings		-1001: Parameter?
Antitheft	remove_antitheft_rules	settings		-1008: Parameter?
Other	heart_beat			-1002: Method?
Other	exec_atcmd			-1008: Parameter?
Other	sync_env			0	ok, what does it do?
Other	close_device_ble			-1002: Method?
Other	close_device_ble			-1002: Method?
Other	component_nego			0
Other	qs_component_nego			0
Other	device_reboot	action		0
Other	device_reset	action			factory reset?
Other	get_inherit_info	information		0
Other	set_inherit_info	settings		-1001: Parameter?

NOTES

Check for upgrades:

{ "method": "get_latest_fw" }

{
    "result": {
        "type": 2,
        "fw_ver": "1.2.3 Build 230425 Rel.142542",
        "release_date": "2023-06-07",
        "release_note": "Modifications and Bug Fixes:\n1. Optimized performance of Energy Monitoring.\n2. Fixed some minor bugs.",
        "fw_size": 786432,
        "hw_id": "6F7160E893925CCDAF804C57049E549F",
        "oem_id": "763B71FDC7202E1AC59AB1909F97296B",
        "need_to_upgrade": true
    },
    "error_code": 0
}

Do the upgrade:

{ "method": "fw_download" }

Check for progress:

{ "method": "get_fw_download_state" }

{
    "result": {
        "status": 2,
        "download_progress": 71,
        "reboot_time": 5,
        "upgrade_time": 5,
        "auto_upgrade": false
    },
    "error_code": 0
}

TODO

• Is it possible get the downloadlink of the current Firmware. How does the checksum work? It might be possible to use the firmware functions and find the download link.
• Can we fix the problem when there is no internet access and after a power loss