Controlling AC gear with Node-RED and a Tapo Smart Plug (without using Matter or Home Assistant)

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If you’ve ever needed a reliable and inexpensive way to control AC gear remotely (power supplies, network equipment, etc) here is a simple solution for you. It will give you simple on/off control of a 15A outlet (with status) that integrates cleanly with an existing Node-RED setup.

Recently I needed exactly that for a remote station I was building where I wanted to utilize an old Raspberry Pi 3B I had sitting in a drawer unused. I also wanted:

    • A real AC outlet
    • Enough current capacity for a piece of radio gear
    • Local control (with minimal cloud dependency once set up)
    • Something that works on armv7 / 32-bit Pi OS
    • No Home Assistant or Matter complexity

Here’s the solution that worked and why it’s a good fit for other hams.
 
The Hardware: TP-Link Tapo P125M

The TP-Link Tapo P125M is a compact smart plug with a built-in AC outlet that is under $10 per unit. It supports high-current loads, is inexpensive and can be controlled locally over your LAN.
Key points:
    • Built-in AC outlet (no external relay wiring)
    • Handles typical shack loads (PSUs, many radio power supplies, routers)
    • Stable Wi-Fi connectivity
    • Already widely used and well supported

Yes, it supports Matter, but here’s the catch…
 
Why I Didn’t Use Matter or Home Assistant

Matter looks great on paper, but in practice:
    • Home Assistant’s Matter Server does not support armv7
    • Raspberry Pi 3 users are effectively locked out
    • Docker, firewall rules, and container networking add complexity
    • All I needed was ON / OFF / STATUS

For a Pi that already runs Node-RED, Matter is simply overkill right now.
So instead, I went with direct local control.
 
The Approach: Node-RED + Local CLI Script
The architecture is simple:

Node-RED → exec node → local Node.js script → Tapo plug (LAN)

Almost no cloud calls (only needed occasionally for login token updates) .
No polling services.
No Docker containers.

Node-RED triggers a small Node.js CLI script, which logs into the Tapo plug by LAN IP address, performs the action and returns JSON that Node-RED can parse.
 
How It Works (At a High Level)

1. Tapo mobile app is used once to set up the plug and join your local wifi

2. A Node.js script:
            o Logs into the plug using your Tapo credentials
            o Talks directly to the device over the LAN

3. Node-RED:
            o Calls the script using an exec node
            o Parses the returned JSON
            o Uses the result in flows, dashboards, or automations
 
What You Can Do With It

• Power-cycle devices remotely
• Add automatic shutdowns on fault conditions
• Tie power control into solar / battery logic
• Integrate with radio, AllStar or contest station flows
• Use Node-RED dashboards for manual control

Example JSON returned to Node-RED:

{
  "ok": true,
  "cmd": "status",
  "ip": "192.168.1.100",
  "device_on": true,
  "model": "P125M"
}
 
Why This Is a Good Fit for Ham Stations

This setup checks a lot of boxes for amateur radio use:

• No GPIO wiring
• No relay boards
• No USB drivers
• Works over Wi-Fi
• Survives reboots cleanly
• Integrates with existing Node-RED telemetry flows
• Easy to troubleshoot from the command line

For remote stations, simplicity is important.
 
Security Considerations

• Credentials are stored in a protected .env file
• Permissions are locked down (chmod 600)
• No secrets are hard-coded in Node-RED flows
• All communication stays on your LAN

If you’re already comfortable running Node-RED, this won’t introduce new risks.
 
Why Not Just Use a Smart Plug App?

Because:
• Apps don’t automate
• Apps don’t integrate
• Apps don’t talk to your station logic

 
Final Thoughts

This isn’t meant to replace purpose-built power controllers like DLI those still have their place and offer a lot more features and flexibility but at a cost.

But if you already run Node-RED on a Raspberry Pi, and you just need local AC power control, this approach works extremely well especially on older Raspberry Pi hardware.
 
If you’re interested, I’ve posted to Github
• The full Node-RED flow
• The Node.js control script

Remember to experiment carefully when switching high-power gear and make sure to stay under the plug’s 15A rating.

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