TapoSwitch

A Windows system tray application for controlling a single TP-Link Tapo smart device switch.

TapoSwitch is a lightweight .NET 9 Windows application that provides quick access to your Tapo smart plugs and switches directly from the system tray. With a single click, you can toggle your devices on or off without opening the Tapo mobile app or web interface.

This is useful for turning external audio equipment (monitors, mixers) that are connected to a PC on and off.

Features

• 🖱️ One-Click Control: Toggle your Tapo device on/off from the system tray
• 🚀 Auto-Start: Optional automatic startup at Windows login
• 🔄 Auto-Shutdown: Automatically turns off device when you log off or shut down Windows
• 🔒 Secure: Supports both SecurePassthrough and KLAP protocols
• 💾 Lightweight: Minimal resource usage, runs quietly in the background
• 🔁 Auto-Reconnect: Automatically reconnects if connection is lost, with configurable retry attempts
• ⚙️ Easy Installation: Automated installer with interactive configuration
• 🔧 Configurable: Set device credentials and IP address during installation

Quick Start

Prerequisites

• Windows 10/11
• Visual Studio 2026
• .NET 9 Runtime
• Administrator privileges (for installation)
• TP-Link Tapo smart device (plug or switch)
• Tapo device registered and on known LAN IP address

Installation Steps

1. Build the Application

dotnet build -c Release

Note: The project automatically downloads the TapoConnect NuGet package (v3.2.4) and dependencies during the build.

This creates the executable at: TapoSwitch\bin\Release\net9.0-windows\TapoSwitch.exe

2. Run the Installer

Option A: Double-Click Install (Recommended)

• Double-click Install-Startup.bat
• Choose "Install"
• Follow the prompts to configure your device

Option B: PowerShell

# Run PowerShell as Administrator
.\Install-Startup.ps1

The installer will:

• Display current configuration settings
• Let you edit Tapo credentials (username, password, IP address)
• Optionally install to Program Files (default, recommended)
• Create Task Scheduler entry for automatic startup at login

What Gets Installed

• Task Scheduler entry to start TapoSwitch at user login
• Program Files installation (optional, default: C:\Program Files\TapoSwitch)
• Configuration stored in TapoSwitch.dll.config

Usage

Once installed and configured:

1. System Tray Icon: Look for the TapoSwitch icon in your system tray
   • 💡 Icon shows current device state (on/off)
2. Left Click: Toggle device on/off
3. Right Click: Access context menu (Exit option)
4. Auto-Start: Application starts automatically at login (if installed)

Automatic Device Control

TapoSwitch automatically manages your device in the following scenarios:

• Startup: Device is turned OFF when the application starts (to ensure a known state)
• Log Off: Device is turned OFF when you log off Windows
• Shutdown: Device is turned OFF when you shut down or restart Windows
• Exit: Device is turned OFF when you exit the application from the tray menu

This ensures your Tapo device (e.g., a desk lamp, monitor light, or PC-connected equipment) is automatically controlled based on your computer usage patterns.

Note: The device will NOT automatically turn off when you lock your screen (Win+L). You can manually control the device at any time using the system tray icon.

Configuration

During Installation

The installer allows you to configure:

• Username: Your Tapo account email
• Password: Your Tapo account password
• IP Address: Local IP address of your Tapo device

After Installation

Edit the configuration file at the appropriate location:

If installed to Program Files:

C:\Program Files\TapoSwitch\TapoSwitch.dll.config

If using build folder:

TapoSwitch\bin\Release\net9.0-windows\TapoSwitch.dll.config

Configuration Format:

<configuration>
  <appSettings>
    <add key="Username" value="your-tapo-email@example.com"/>
    <add key="Password" value="your-tapo-password"/>
    <add key="IpAddress" value="192.168.1.100"/>
    <add key="ShutdownTimeoutSeconds" value="2"/>
  </appSettings>
</configuration>

Configuration Parameters:

Parameter	Description	Default	Valid Values
Username	Your Tapo account email address	(required)	Any valid email
Password	Your Tapo account password	(required)	Any string
IpAddress	Local IP address of your Tapo device	(required)	Valid IPv4 address
ShutdownTimeoutSeconds	Timeout in seconds to wait for device to turn off during system shutdown/logoff	2	Positive integer (1-10 recommended)
ConnectionRetryAttempts	Number of retry attempts when connection fails	3	Positive integer
RetryDelayMilliseconds	Base delay between retry attempts (uses exponential backoff)	2000	Positive integer (milliseconds)

About ShutdownTimeoutSeconds:

• Controls how long the application waits for the device to turn off when Windows is shutting down or logging off
• A shorter timeout (1-2 seconds) is recommended for local network devices
• Increase the value (3-5 seconds) if you have a slower network or the device is not turning off reliably
• If the timeout is reached, Windows shutdown/logoff proceeds anyway to prevent hanging

Note: Restart the application after changing configuration.

Installation Options

Advanced Installation

Install without copying to Program Files:

.\Install-Startup.ps1 -NoInstallToPrograms

Install with custom startup delay:

# Delay startup by 15 seconds after login (default is 10 seconds)
.\Install-Startup.ps1 -StartupDelay 15

Combine options:

# Install to build folder with 5 second startup delay
.\Install-Startup.ps1 -NoInstallToPrograms -StartupDelay 5

Uninstall:

.\Install-Startup.ps1 -Uninstall

or double-click Install-Startup.bat and choose "Uninstall"

Installation Parameters:

Parameter	Description	Default
-AppName	Name of the application (used for Task Scheduler and Program Files folder)	TapoSwitch
-StartupDelay	Delay in seconds before starting the app after login (allows system tray to initialize)	10
-NoInstallToPrograms	Skip copying files to Program Files, run from build folder instead	(not set)
-Uninstall	Remove the application and scheduled task	(not set)

Verification

After installation:

1. Check if installed:

   • Task Scheduler: Press Win + R, type taskschd.msc, look for "TapoSwitch" task
   • Program Files: Check C:\Program Files\TapoSwitch for installed files (if applicable)

2. Test it:

   • Log out and log back in
   • Check system tray for TapoSwitch icon
   • Or run manually: C:\Program Files\TapoSwitch\TapoSwitch.exe

Troubleshooting

Application Doesn't Start

1. Check configuration: Verify the config file has correct credentials and IP address:
   • Program Files: C:\Program Files\TapoSwitch\TapoSwitch.dll.config
   • Build folder: TapoSwitch\bin\Release\net9.0-windows\TapoSwitch.dll.config
2. Check network: Ensure device is reachable from your PC
3. Check logs: Look in Event Viewer → Windows Logs → Application
4. Run manually: Double-click TapoSwitch.exe to see if there are errors

Configuration Changes Not Working

If you change configuration and it doesn't take effect:

• Make sure you edited the correct config file (see locations above)
• NOT the source file TapoSwitch\App.config
• Restart the application after changes
• You can re-run the installer to update configuration interactively

Device Not Responding

• Verify the device IP address is correct
• Ensure the device is powered on and connected to your network
• Check that your Tapo credentials are valid
• Try pinging the device IP to verify network connectivity

Device Not Turning Off During Shutdown

If your device doesn't turn off when shutting down or logging off:

1. Increase the timeout: Edit TapoSwitch.dll.config and increase ShutdownTimeoutSeconds:

   <add key="ShutdownTimeoutSeconds" value="5"/>

2. Check network speed: Slow network connections may need more time
3. Verify device is reachable: Test by manually toggling the device before shutdown
4. Check Event Viewer: Look for errors in Windows Event Viewer → Application logs
5. Test the installer delay: The Task Scheduler startup delay (default 10 seconds) may need adjustment:

   .\Install-Startup.ps1 -StartupDelay 15

Permission Issues

If you get "Access Denied" errors:

• Run PowerShell as Administrator
• The installation script requires admin rights for Task Scheduler and Program Files
• Use -NoInstallToPrograms flag if you cannot install to Program Files

Wrong Executable Used

The installer looks for executables in this order:

1. bin\Release\net9.0-windows\TapoSwitch.exe (preferred)
2. bin\Debug\net9.0-windows\TapoSwitch.exe (fallback)

Always build in Release mode for production:

dotnet build -c Release

Uninstalling

Run any of these:

# Batch file
Install-Startup.bat
# Then choose option 2 (Uninstall)

# PowerShell (as Admin)
.\Install-Startup.ps1 -Uninstall

The uninstall will:

• Stop any running TapoSwitch instances
• Remove the scheduled task
• Remove files from Program Files (if installed there)

Security Notes

⚠️ Important: Your Tapo credentials are stored in plain text in the configuration file.

Configuration file locations:

• Program Files: C:\Program Files\TapoSwitch\TapoSwitch.dll.config
• Build folder: TapoSwitch\bin\Release\net9.0-windows\TapoSwitch.dll.config

Security recommendations:

1. Never commit the built output folder (bin\, obj\) to version control
2. Set appropriate file permissions on the config file to restrict access
3. If installed to Program Files, only administrators can modify the config by default
4. Keep your build output folder excluded from backups or cloud sync services
5. Consider using Windows Credential Manager in future versions
6. The source TapoSwitch\App.config file should remain with placeholder values only

Best Practice:

• Use the interactive installer to configure credentials securely
• Keep TapoSwitch\App.config with placeholder values (safe for repository)
• Create a .gitignore entry for bin/ and obj/ folders (should already be present)
• Install to Program Files for better security (admin rights required to modify)

For Developers

When working on the codebase, you can create an App.config.user file to store your credentials without risk of accidentally committing them:

1. Copy the template (in the root directory alongside Install-Startup.ps1):

   copy App.config App.config.user

2. Edit App.config.user with your actual credentials:

   <configuration>
     <appSettings>
       <add key="Username" value="your-email@example.com"/>
       <add key="Password" value="your-actual-password"/>
       <add key="IpAddress" value="192.168.1.100"/>
       <add key="ShutdownTimeoutSeconds" value="2"/>
     </appSettings>
   </configuration>

3. How it works:

   • Place App.config.user in the root directory (same location as Install-Startup.ps1)
   • When you run the installer, it automatically detects App.config.user
   • The installer copies App.config.user to the build output folder as TapoSwitch.dll.config
   • Then uses that configuration for installation
   • App.config.user is in .gitignore so it won't be committed
   • When you build the project, your build uses the standard App.config (with placeholders)

4. Keep App.config with placeholders:

   <add key="Username" value="[YourTapoRegistrationEmail]"/>
   <add key="Password" value="[YourTapoRegistrationPassword]"/>
   <add key="IpAddress" value="[YourTapoSwitchIPOnTheLAN]"/>

This approach allows you to:

• Work with real credentials locally without modifying App.config
• Install and test the application during development without re-entering credentials
• Prevent accidentally committing credentials to version control
• Keep the repository safe for sharing

Note: When the installer detects App.config.user, it will show "[Dev Mode]" and automatically use those credentials for the installation.

File Location: Make sure App.config.user is in the root project directory:

TapoSwitch/
├── App.config              # Template with placeholders (tracked in git)
├── App.config.user         # Your credentials (ignored by git)
├── Install-Startup.ps1
├── Install-Startup.bat
└── ...

Advanced Configuration

Change Task Scheduler Settings

After installation, you can modify the task in Task Scheduler:

• Change trigger (e.g., add delay after logon)
• Change conditions (e.g., only on AC power)
• Configure for multiple users

Running as a Different User

To run TapoSwitch as a different user:

1. Open Task Scheduler
2. Find the TapoSwitch task
3. Edit the task
4. Change the user account in "General" tab

Finding Your Device IP Address

To find your Tapo device's IP address:

1. Open the Tapo mobile app
2. Go to device settings
3. Look for "Device Info" or similar
4. Note the IP address displayed

Or check your router's connected devices list.

Technical Details

• Framework: .NET 9 (Windows)
• UI Framework: Windows Forms
• Protocols Supported: SecurePassthrough, KLAP
• Target OS: Windows 10/11
• Dependencies:
  • TapoConnect v3.2.4 (NuGet package)
  • Microsoft.CSharp v4.7.0
  • System.Data.DataSetExtensions v4.5.0

Project Structure

TapoSwitch/
├── Program.cs              # Main application entry point
├── App.config              # Source configuration (placeholders)
├── Install-Startup.ps1     # PowerShell installation script
├── Install-Startup.bat     # Batch installation wrapper
├── README.md               # This file
└── bin/Release/            # Build output folder
    └── net9.0-windows/
        ├── TapoSwitch.exe
        └── TapoSwitch.dll.config  # Runtime configuration

Support

If you encounter issues:

1. Check the Troubleshooting section above
2. Verify your build is up to date
3. Check the GitHub repository for issues
4. Create a new issue with logs and error messages

Contributing

This project uses the TapoConnect NuGet package (v3.2.4) for device communication.

For more information about TapoConnect, visit the GitHub repository.

License

See the LICENSE file in the repository for details.

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Made with ❤️ for TP-Link Tapo device automation