What is this (round white thing plugged into a wall outlet) ?
May 8, 2026 | 3:27 pm
#1
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What is this (round white thing plugged into a wall outlet) ?
During a recent night at a full-service property we stay at frequently I found this plugged into one of the wall outlets. Thinking a previous guest had left a phone charger I unplugged it for a closer look. It appears to be some kind of sensor and had our room number written on it. I'm just curious if anyone else has encountered this and perhaps discovered what it is.
May 8, 2026 | 3:47 pm
#3
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If it's a presence sensor, and now that you've unplugged it, have you noticed stuff like the HVAC/AC/furnace/room lighting/TV working weird?
EDIT: oh my god i'm so stupid it's just a bluetooth low energy to wifi sensor https://www.ebay.com/splashui/challe...snKNDAuNTc*oDK
May 9, 2026 | 5:29 am
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May 9, 2026 | 9:38 am
#7
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May 10, 2026 | 10:33 am
#9
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Thanks for the info and concern. It was just plugged into a standard wall outlet next to the bed and we assumed a previous guest had forgotten their phone charger (which is what my wife wanted the outlet for). Once I saw it wasn't, I plugged it right back in and no one came knocking. I've found abandoned phone chargers more than once but had not seen one of these devices.
May 10, 2026 | 11:11 am
#10
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in addition to potential security applications for staff wellness it could also be used to track if the room has been serviced, how long the attendant spent in the room, who may have accessed the room, etc.
I've never come across one to this point, but I can see the application.
I've never come across one to this point, but I can see the application.
May 12, 2026 | 9:24 am
#11
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I can't speak for the specific use case, but Ebay has exactly an example of this device for sale at this moment. It is described as a bluetooth wifi beacon
identical device for sale on Ebay
identical device for sale on Ebay
May 12, 2026 | 9:56 am
#12
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I just came out of a long stay in the hospital (mending well, thanks) and I saw these a lot in the equipment and storage areas I passed by. Definitely a Bluetooth beacon, and as others have mentioned seems likely that its for keeping tabs on housekeeping service and equipment location. Not sure about a panic button, but it seems plausible.
May 12, 2026 | 1:55 pm
#13
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Bit odd for the hotel to just leave these plugged into outlets in guest rooms without any indication that they belong to the hotel and should not be removed. I wonder how many guests assume they have been left behind and take them ?
May 12, 2026 | 8:20 pm
#14
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The HID BluFi-AC00 is an AC-powered Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) to Wi-Fi gateway that acts as a bridge between HID BEEKs beacons and the Bluzone cloud. It plugs into standard wall outlets to monitor and manage BLE devices, enabling real-time location services, condition monitoring (temperature/vibration), and IoT functions, often used in hospitality and industrial environments.
