templates VS tasmotizer

Setting two on/off cycles with 50 discrete schedules seems like a very inefficient way of doing this when the same thing could be accomplished with two rules. Any compatible device flashed with Tasmota or similar FOSS firmware would make this possible.

Have a look at https://templates.blakadder.com

Another WiFi based option is any compatible smart relay or switch flashed with Tasmota. In Tasmota, SwitchMode 15 decouples the switch state from the relay and sends status changes via MQTT to HA.

2) If you want to switch on/off the light switch in your room, your best bet is to replace your regular light switch with a WiFi light switch. (Yes, you must have some electrical knowledge to do this. But trust me, this is best, most reliable way.) See https://templates.blakadder.com/ for some good devices. Many of them can be re-flashed, so instead of using "their app", the light switch can be a web server that you can talk to from any computer on your network (including your laptop, your phone, etc).

If you're familiar programming ESP boards take a look at this repository of compatible devices.

Wifi switch, I suggest one that runs tasmota. Blakadder website seems to help.

I cannot find the correct model for this plug. On the back it says "WiFi Smart Plug / TWSP017" but I cannot find any reference to this online. I looked at the (long) list of pictures of plugs and sockets at the templates.blakadder.com site, but without finding anything that looks quite like it. There is one power socket, one LED (that never seems to be lit) and one button on the left side. It is a square shape with rounded corners; too generic a description to be useful I'm afraid.

You mention incompatibilities. I am not 100% what you mean but here's a link of Zigbee2Mqtt supported devices and Heres a list of tasmota supported devices . i'd reference these before buying anything.

If you use a d1 mini it has usb, just use https://github.com/tasmota/tasmotizer

Oh, that's sad. It seems like such low hanging fruit to support it. There is already a pull request to add the support that OP could use and test.

We start with a couple sensors for temperature, humidity, and particulates. Those connect to an ESP8266 via I2C and some proprietary IKEA protocol. That IKEA protocol wasn't in the default build, so I had to enable a define and rebuild. They've made very cool use of Gitpod so I didn't even have to install anything. I used Tazmotizer.py with a USB programming fixture I got off Amazon to load my custom firmware to the board.

It’s a SonOff Basic and flashed it with Tasmotizer. It didn’t work with the first try but after the third it works pretty well. I was too lazy to solder the pins on it. But if you have many of them, it would be great when you can upload it without a pc.

Incase you don't have a flasher,tasmotizer is an super easy software to flash a single bin file. https://github.com/tasmota/tasmotizer/releases/download/v.1.2/tasmotizer-1.2.exe

Flashing software https://github.com/tasmota/tasmotizer/releases

do i have to do the wiring and run Tasmotizer ?i assume not because the tasmota interface comes up just fine.

Tasmotizer is probably the easiest way to serial flash in Windows (and has cross platform versions for Mac and Linux). That said, it does require a hardwired serial connection.

Hands down easiest way is with Tasmotizer on Windows with a 3.3v FTDI. It's virtually plug and go.