Last Updated: March 10, 2019 (Refresh Now)
Petnet SmartFeeder 2nd generation Automatic Wi Fi Pet Feeder with Personalized Portions for Cats and Dogs App for Android iOS and Works with Amazon Alexa
Last Updated: March 10, 2019 (Refresh Now)
5.6
SCORE
/10
Total Reviews
207
Old Reviews
0
Unverified
75
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100 meters
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Review Analysis - 132 recent, verified reviews
Detailed Mode
Product Reliability
37petnet, unreliable, smartfeeder, replacement, gen
+30%
-70%
" ... I have now had two of these feeders stop working. ... If I hadn't been checking regularly I would not have known it was defective. ... "
" ... Errors you'll encounter will leave you with absolutely no leads to investigate. ... "
" ... For $180 I have to say this product is unreliable garbage ... "
" ... At one point it started dispensing and would NOT stop. ... "
" ... I got the first device and doesn’t work came out of the box, thought I got a defective and replaced it through the amazon. ... "
" ... One day it just stopped working completely. ... "
" ... I have never had so many issues to with a product in my life. ... unfortunately the feeders don’t keep the same time even though they are in theory running off the same server/time. ... "
" ... This one jams up too, I’ve never jammed the old one. ... "
Software Platform
32software, alexa, feed, schedule, hardware
+53%
-47%
" ... It’s been like this off and on since their server issue that hit everyone. ... "
" ... Overall - major improvements from Gen1, I think a lot of this can be solved in software. ... "
" ... Before I could feed my cats with my cell phone and I still can but now I can do it with a word to Alexa and that is just pretty cool. ... "
" ... I love the app and the alexa sd kill to feed my fur buddies! ... "
" ... I love the app and how it’s easy to schedule. ... "
" ... This is a 5 star product with a 3 star app. ... I was an early adopter of the series 1 and ever since buying the inability to control multiple feeders with one login has drove me nuts. ... Just want the app to control all my feeders in one login. ... "
" ... The app’s simple to use, so I never worry about missing my cat’s feeding time, no matter where I am. ... "
" ... This could be a simple fix so I will definitely update. ... "
Wifi
24network, router, feeder, connect, connecting
+25%
-75%
" ... You won't know if what you're seeing are network issues, DNS issues, or cloud connectivity issues. ... But it's not uncommon to also find these printed on labels for devices with network capabilities. ... What is VERY unusual though, is to NOT print your WiFi (main network interface of Petnet) MAC address on the device. ... It's the decision to ONLY print the Bluetooth MAC and not print the WiFi MAC anywhere that is so disconcerting. ... "
" ... I had no trouble connecting to the 2.4G internet but within a day it lost connection and missed 2 feedings. ... "
" ... Wasn’t able to connect to WiFi. ... I was told that this does not work on 5G networks, I tried it on a 2.4g and it still would not connect. ... "
" ... Not sure you can have two feeders on one WiFi network, didn’t even bother trying two feeders per phone. ... "
" ... Also don't buy if you have Google WiFi Mesh router. ... "
" ... I bought TWO of these and neither one could get past the initial setup of connecting to my Wifi. ... I had to go to a friend's place to use their wifi to set up, which worked after about 20 minutes of trial and error (would not find the network). ... After a day, my friend tells me it disconnected from the wifi. ... "
" ... not only does it continually lose connection (i can write that off as wifi issues) it’s CONTINUALLY jams. ... "
" ... I assumed all of the network issues reported in one-star reviews were due to poor WiFi setups. ... My WiFi is solid and I have Petnet connected to a dedicated 2.4Ghz access point, but it still intermittently disconnects. ... "
Apps
21feeders, software, schedule, user, petnet
+48%
-52%
" ... This product and it’s app counterpart are not great. ... "
" ... After waiting for 30 seconds or so, the app told me that feeding failed. ... "
" ... The phone app is NOT user friendly and a little confusing. ... "
" ... It's buggy, laggy, and is nothing more than a poorly disguised advertising/Point Of Sales/data-mining tool. ... "
" ... No info in the app, no way to find where exactly the problem is. ... "
" ... There is no manual function on the device to use this without the app. ... "
" ... (The app is useless). ... "
" ... Their software is confusing and sometimes just goes down completely. ... "
Device Compatibility
21connect, alexa, petnet, mac address, mac
+29%
-71%
" ... Sometimes it's because their servers are down, other times because the device just decides to disconnect. ... "
" ... I ordered this product and it would not connect, I was told to wait and that there would be a server push within a week. ... "
" ... With anything that is based on connection you’re always at the mercy of the unknown." ... "
" ... It stayed connected for like two days and now it keeps disconnecting. ... "
" ... Tech support said they saw where it connected but it didn't "fully download the software". ... "
" ... I was told that this does not work on 5G networks, I tried it on a 2.4g and it still would not connect. ... "
" ... Two it took over an hr of trying to connect to my WiFi after many failed attempts. ... "
" ... The MAC addresses printed on the bottom of the feeders are wrong." ... The MAC address being improperly printed on the bottom is your biggest sign. ... Support let me know this was their Bluetooth chip's (host MCU) MAC address on the bottom, not the WiFi chip (as one would expect to be printed on the device). ... "
Returns
17replacement, sent, send, return window, full refund
+6%
-94%
" ... I wish I could get my money back ! ... "
" ... I'm gonna send it back. ... "
" ... Upon return the light was red again. ... "
" ... Didn't work, so she sent a replacement. ... Realized I have 2 days left to return it to Amazon, so it's going back. ... "
" ... I was very excited for this product, but am returning it. ... I need something reliable and while I wanted this to work- I have to return it and find another. ... "
" ... I'm about to send my one back. ... "
" ... Will be returning. ... "
" ... That was the malfunction that made me send it back. ... "
Fit
17jammed, feeder works, mechanism, jams, hopper
+24%
-76%
" ... Then once set up the feeder jammed and broke within first 5 days. ... "
" ... As it continues to fall on and offline, I have now encountered a situation where my feeder is registering as being online, but I’m not receiving a notification that my pet was fed. ... "
" ... As others have noted if the motor gets jammed it ends up stripping the gears. ... "
" ... So my phone handles one feeder, and husbands handles the other. ... "
" ... if they ever stop supporting this or shut down, the feeder will be useless. ... "
" ... Upon opening I noticed that the pull out tray was very loose and wobbly. ... "
" ... Man, I wish I read this before I bought my feeder. ... "
" ... I don't feel confident that this feeder works well and I wish I hadn't spent my money on it. ... "
Network
14router, connect, network, disconnects, connectivity
+14%
-86%
" ... It constantly disconnects from WiFi. ... "
" ... At 15ft away from a router running 250Mbps this product would not stay connected to WiFi. ... "
" ... and not from my home network. ... "
" ... And it’s not our WiFi . ... "
" ... I assumed all of the network issues reported in one-star reviews were due to poor WiFi setups. ... My WiFi is solid and I have Petnet connected to a dedicated 2.4Ghz access point, but it still intermittently disconnects. ... "
" ... You won't know if what you're seeing are network issues, DNS issues, or cloud connectivity issues. ... "
" ... Wasn’t able to connect to WiFi. ... I was told that this does not work on 5G networks, I tried it on a 2.4g and it still would not connect. ... "
" ... After we got back home, my husband and I spent HOURS AND HOURS of our Sunday resetting our router, resetting and re-setting up the feeder, and even went so far as to get a new wireless router. ... "
Design
14new, looks, bowl, white, sleek
+86%
-14%
" ... The bowl/dispenser is a better design. ... "
" ... It still has a great, sleek design and I have no issues or concerns about how the bowl attaches to the unit, which I notice was mentioned in some other reviews. ... "
" ... The form factor is smaller than the previous versions and in my opinion looks better as well. ... "
" ... In my opinion, the contemporary design of the smart device is among the best currently available in the market. ... "
" ... Looks like I have to use the old version which I was using before this new one. ... "
" ... Easy to use and very modern look. ... "
" ... It looks nice. ... "
" ... *Overall design has improved with hopper and top, etc. ... "
Storage
13tray, lid, gen, feeder, dispense
+38%
-62%
" ... This is a huge issue as the bin is opaque and you cannot see into it so no way to know when the food runs out other than to check it constantly. ... "
" ... After using the new unit for two weeks, the mechanism for dispensing food failed. ... "
" ... The pull out tray was very loose and doesnt secure the bowl . ... "
" ... Primed the feeder, filled the hopper and no food came out. ... "
" ... This product has jammed 3 times in 3 months, does not dispense food in correct amount, and does not have good gravity to get all food . ... "
" ... To our complete dismay and horror, the very day we left, the feeder didn't work. ... "
" ... Last complaint is the tray for the bowl is too flimsy and cheap. ... "
" ... Upon opening I noticed that the pull out tray was very loose and wobbly. ... "
Ease of Use
12set, app, user, instructions, friendly
+75%
-25%
" ... It is so convenient. ... "
" ... It was easy for me to set up & I'm technically challenged. ... "
" ... Set up was pretty easy. ... "
" ... I like the easier set up of wifi and app on the new model. ... "
" ... Easy to assemble and set up. ... The app is very easy, step by step instructions. ... "
" ... Easy to use and very modern look. ... "
" ... Very easy set up. ... "
" ... It's much easier to program. ... "
Price
11price, save your money, worth, waste, petnet
+36%
-64%
" ... One it’s over priced! ... "
" ... Not worth the $$. ... "
" ... I want my money back. ... "
" ... Don’t throw your money away. ... "
" ... I wish I could get my money back ! ... "
" ... So far tho pretty disappointed with quality at this price. ... "
" ... I expected a lot more - and frankly a product that actually works as described - for the purchase price. ... "
Scan Quality
10petnet, another, vacation, recommend, offline
+40%
-60%
" ... Sometimes I need to reset the feeder. ... "
" ... Oh and they straight up told me that "We don’t market the feeder as a vacation feeder but more so of a late home from work or a going out to an event. ... "
" ... Pissed I have to go buy another feeder. ... "
" ... It can't even find the feeder ... "
" ... This smart feeder is horrible. ... "
" ... -Feeder goes offline all the time. ... You must set the feeder to manual feed and then get messages that a feed was missed. ... "
Cleaning
10cleaning, bowl, hopper, sleek, new
+70%
-30%
" ... The food comes out more smoothly and the bowl comes out easily for cleaning. ... "
" ... Cleaning the bowl easier and the food dispensing reliably. ... "
" ... New sleek design, stays much cleaner and nicer with the new revamp. ... "
" ... I also like that the dish and food hopper can be removed for cleaning or reloading. ... "
" ... The whole food hopper is removable for easy cleaning. ... My favorite improvement is that the stainless steel bowl can be lifted out easily for regular cleaning. ... We just have somebody check on our cats every other day to clean out the litter boxes and refresh their water ... "
" ... I like Gen 2 since now the bowl is easier to clean and replace. ... "
" ... The food dispenses in a way that doesn't clog the hopper agitator anymore. ... "
Heating
9dispense, unit, used, get
+33%
-67%
" ... however, the unit did not dispense food. ... "
" ... - Doesn't dispense food. ... "
" ... The unit is jammed and doesn’t dispense food. ... "
" ... it has nothing to do with the food, the device itself just will not dispense food. ... "
" ... We established "trust" and then the machine stopped dispensing food. ... "
" ... one for each of our cats so they wouldn’t have to fight over food . ... "
Setup
8setup, easy, wifi, instructions, process
+75%
-25%
" ... This works OK, setup works but is buggy. ... "
" ... Set up was pretty easy. ... "
" ... The hardware design and setup process have been significantly improved. ... "
" ... I like the easier set up of wifi and app on the new model. ... "
" ... Easy to assemble and set up. ... The app is very easy, step by step instructions. ... "
" ... Very easy set up. ... "
For Travel
8cat, feeder, trips, travel, feeding
+38%
-63%
" ... Oh and they straight up told me that "We don’t market the feeder as a vacation feeder but more so of a late home from work or a going out to an event. ... So maybe keep that in mind if you're hoping it will work while you're on vacation. ... "
" ... Do not order this thing unless you want your pet to starve while you are on vacation. ... "
" ... We bought this to feed our cat while we took a trip across the country to see my mother. ... "
" ... I'm about to make a short trip and I can't trust the device. ... "
" ... (I only use the feeder on vacation and on the days I am feeding the cat on my own independent of the feeder I get missed feed messages if I want to leave my settings in place for the times I am on vacation. ... "
Build Quality
7wires, rubber, nearly, loose, lid
+43%
-57%
" ... I first bought it for two reasons - one being that my cat is a whiny monkey devil from the nth layer of hell when she knows her meal times, so the feeding has to be independent of me - and the second being that I work long hours and often have to go away for weekends, so I need a reliable way to feed her. ... "
" ... It worked for a few weeks and broke so I returned and got a replacement only to encounter the same problem. ... "
" ... Last complaint is the tray for the bowl is too flimsy and cheap. ... "
" ... Upon opening I noticed that the pull out tray was very loose and wobbly. ... It doesnt secure the bowl and also there were wires exposed underneath it. ... "
Controls
6sometimes, push, pressing, manual feeding, manual feed button
-100%
" ... We have a child who likes to push buttons and we have to constantly go into the app to turn off the manual feed button. ... "
" ... When I push the button for a manual feeding, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. ... "
" ... Meaning, no internal clock/ memory of settings. ... "
" ... There are only two buttons on the feeder ... the power switch and the manual feed button. ... "
" ... Since then, the manual feeding from the app sometimes fails and the manual feeding button isn't as responsive as the previous model. ... "
" ... I'm guessing there was some type of update and it must have killed my unit because I never got it working, manual button never did anything, never actually connected to my router besides one time at the beginning for a few minutes. ... "
Food Items
5bowl, new, cat, way, time
+40%
-60%
" ... It spits food everywhere because it throws the food out fast and not all of it hits the bowl. ... "
" ... Tried again, food came out at the desired portion. ... "
" ... The new hopper is nice and I like the fact that food falls into the bowl rather than sliding into it but it just doesn’t work. ... "
Comfort
5would
+20%
-80%
" ... This feels like a small company that doesn't really know what it's doing from an engineering standpoint. ... "
" ... All the while I was continually forced to stop what I was doing because the light kept changing to red due to the device falling offline. ... "
" ... She would keep reaching in and more and more would fall out. ... "
User Manual
4app, sometimes, push, online, manual feeding
-100%
" ... When I push the button for a manual feeding, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. ... "
" ... There is no manual function on the device to use this without the app. ... "
" ... the power switch and the manual feed button. ... The manual feed through the app is DEFINITELY unreliable. ... "
Overall performance
4first generation, job, first, connected
+100%
" ... He always eats fast then throws up. ... "
" ... Every permutation of f up, including actually doing its job. ... "
" ... It was a very well built machine. ... "
" ... Great improvement over the first generation and modified first generation. ... "
Marketplace
4product, company, review, replacement, petnet
+50%
-50%
" ... I received the replacement about a week later. ... "
" ... it is shown as "offline". ... "
Charging
4free, feeder, battery
+50%
-50%
" ... After a long wait, I spoke with a CSR who suggested the machine is not charging properly so I replaced the charger and cable with my own. ... "
" ... - the battery is not rechargeable in the regards that your feeder can run without being plugged in . ... "
Capacity
3travel, house, feed, family, cats
+67%
-33%
" ... I definitely will recommend it to friends and family. ... "
" ... We have several for both of our pets and have had no issues. ... "
Delivery
3replacement, petnet
-100%
" ... I received the replacement about a week later. ... "
" ... including the litter box. ... "
" ... Maybe this is a result of was damage during shipping? ... "
Defective Delivery
3received, gen
-100%
" ... I received the replacement about a week later. ... "
" ... The first Gen 2 model I bought was defected. ... "
" ... If I hadn't been checking regularly I would not have known it was defective. ... "
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Specifications
Body
Size: 100 meters
Recommendations
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