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I would like to connect an iDevices WIFI wall switch to an end of line single pole connection which controls the my table lamp connected to an upper wall outlet. The wifi switch has a red, black white and ground. My wall switch has a black, white and ground. The white is the load (hot wire) coming into the switch.

I know there's a way to do this but I can't seem to find a diagram on line.

My question is in the title: How do I connect a WiFi enabled wall switch?

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  • Were instructions not included in the packaging? Do you have photos of how the switch is currently wired?
    – BrownRedHawk
    Mar 17, 2017 at 18:35
  • Can't help with the idevices switch other than suggesting rewiring but one of the few smart wall switches I know that doesn't need a neutral wire of is the Lutron Casetta Dimmer works great. You may need the smart bridge to work with ios. I had one of those but I'm using it with Wink hub 2 now. Works with SmartThings too if you have that.Some of the Casetta switches require a neutral wire but not the standard dimmer. homedepot.com/p/…
    – OrganicLawnDIY
    Mar 17, 2017 at 19:01
  • There is a white, black and ground. I set up the iDevice outlets connecting the 2 black and 2 white to the black and white wires out on the new outlet and copper ground to ground as well as a 3 way wall switch which uses the red traveler. Both work flawlessly either with i?Device iPhone app or my Apple TV4 which I prefer. The issue is connecting to a wall switch which only controls a split top outlet for a 3 way table lamp. In this case the white is load and the black is line and a ground only and no traveler. On line diagrams show that connection with the red traveler capped.
    – Denny
    Mar 19, 2017 at 15:37
  • In response to BrwonRedHawk comment. Of course there were instructions, silly. They weren't very detailed and their support wasn't too helpful. See my other posts which outlines the potential solution. The LED night light emits a small current which apparently causes a 3 way build (which I didn't mention in my original question) to flash. I found this out on another site where a user experienced the same problem. Internet research is a wonderful tool.
    – Denny
    Mar 19, 2017 at 15:54

1 Answer 1

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The problem you have is that your current switch is wired as a switch loop. This means that a hot lead comes into the switch box and a switched hot lead leaves the box. There is no neutral wire in a true switch loop. Commonly a white wire is used for the line to the switch, but it is supposed to be marked with black tape or a marker to indicate it is hot.

While these are common in older circuits, current practice also requires a neutral wire to be present in most switches. And your new wifi switch needs a neutral. Unless there are other wires in the switch box, this switch cannot be used without additional new wiring.

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  • After checking several configurations on line I did see that the current wiring is normal for my circuit. The switch is dead end to control the top wall out let for a table lamp. the bottom out let is always hot. The diagram shows the white wire as load coming into the switch, The red traveler wire would be capped with tape and black as line out with ground to ground.However when I connected everything the table lamp
    – Denny
    Mar 19, 2017 at 14:14
  • This a revised edit to my above comments as follows: After further researching on line I found that the switch configuration is correct for a split outlet. Apparently my problem is that I am using a 3 way bulb lamp that cannot be used with an LED night light switch wifi switch that always supplies a small amount of current to the lamp which causes the flashing. I have not tried the new configuration which will be white in toe black switch and white with to black in and ground to ground with red traveler capped and taped.
    – Denny
    Mar 19, 2017 at 14:27

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