"Fake" two-way light

[ismellrainbows]

Hi!

I want my upstairs light to be two-way because it's a pain switching on the upstairs light, going downstairs, the nnot being able to switch it off, but renovations have just finished and it will now be impossible to wire.

I am currently trying to replace all my switches to smart switches. I was going to just do a single 1 gang wifi switch downstairs, as it currently is. However, the store I am buying my smart switches from claims that I can have a permanently powered second gang, that isn't connected to a light but still powers the smart bulb on/off through a wifi association. I was wondering if anyone knew how I would go about wiring this. would it just be a matter of wiring the power L into L2 ?

I have made a diagram to explain what I am trying to do.

 

[flameport]

How is that different from yesterday: https://www.diynot.com/diy/threads/powering-smart-switch-from-existing-switch.622116/

 

[Mottie]

Didn’t like yesterdays answers maybe?

 

[ericmark]

Much depends on the make of smart or remote switch, I used Energenie and TP-Link, there is also the kinetic switches, and many others, the Energenie has a remote control TP-Link a button

the latter is magnetic so will stick to the back plate provided, I used a video remote holder for the Energenie, the button much easier, the kinetic actually looks like a switch but no wiring required, however don't think they are smart.

What does matter is if there is a neutral at the main switch, the two I show don't need a neutral, but found the energenie needed at least a 5 watt bulb and default is off, so any power cut and auto switches off, removed bulb and auto switches off, so any fault hard to find, where the TP-Link (Tapo) has a battery so with no power is like any normal switch.

The other problem is all wifi linked switches want to reduce the power used by the switch, so nearly every one has a hub of some type to reduce power used, this is not the case with smart bulbs, some can link direct to wifi without a hub. I personally now do not use the switches with my landing light, they are there, but not in a convenient place, I fitted a smart relay to retain the use of switches, but in hind sight since switches not used, could have used smart bulbs. In my case google Nest Mini's, with google home bringing all smart devices to one app, and voice commands used to turn lights on/off.

However I have 4 hubs as well as router due to using different makes, and to program them in when bought I have around 6 apps, and only energenie will work on the PC without an emulator.

So I would say wait for more replies, then decide which make to use, and try and keep to one make. I prefer the TP-link switches as large area so easy to use, and not problems selecting bulbs which will work, it could even switch 12 volt if you wanted. But why not simply use a smart bulb? You can even get them with built in PIR so don't even need to use your voice.