My internet being out for next week due to an issue showing me how much tech junk I have that needs a connection, I mean seriously, why make a smart device that relies on an internet connection, something that is often fragile here in Australia.
Tapo plugs & all my Aeotec devices not working, wallmote, buttons and worst of all my sauna offline due to the Aeotec heavy duty 40a ZW078.
At least all Hue works, I should have went with their smart plugs instead of Kasa/Tapo junk
Chat GPT says that the ZW078 has a physical button? Only one I know is the action button under the cover and very dangerous to open that, thought that was just a pairing button.
GPT also says the wallmote can turn it on off without internet, my Aeotec buttons dont work on it and I cant program the wallmote.
Does anyone know a way to turn on the ZW078 without internet and has anyone else gone on the journey of eliminating devices that rely on the web, would love to hear how you did it as I will be, just no point in having any switch that need the web, shows how immature and short sighted this whole smart home concept is.
Is adding a hub like home assistant green (maybe in addition to ST hub) the answer, I read it focusses on working over wifi without internet, lets nominate it for the Nobel prize eh
SmartThings works only partially without Internet, the app depends on the Internet, but automations can be local and work offline as long as there’s a local interface for the device (like Zigbee, Z-Wave or Matter).
You can check in your automations if they have that gray house icon and say “this automation will work offline” or something like that.
Regarding Kasa and Tapo, with the Tapo app you can control them locally, and with Matter models you can add them to local automations (not using the cloud integration but Matter).
I’ve not actually tested the Tapo app offline but the Kasa app definitely has local control.
BTW Home Assistant would be 100% offline even for non-Matter Tapo/Kasa products since they use the proprietary local API used by the app. In SmartThings only Matter versions would be local and only for automations.
That’s the main reason why I’m eagerly waiting for the P300M, because my two P300 are the only devices (6 devices in ST) left that won’t work locally.
Thanks Andreas, what devices are the P200M & P300, I cant find them when I search online.
Also are you aware what buttons work offline? GPT suggesting the wallmote will but I need to be back online to setup and test that.
Thanks, but my Tapo app wont let me control any of my 24 Tapo sockets, HS100’s & P100’s and a KP 303 power board through wifi, nor will the kasa app.
I have controlled the HS100 with the Kasa app during Internet outages, the app will actually say “only local control”.
The problem with smartphones is that as soon as WiFi does not have Internet access they may switch to mobile data if enabled and no longer have access to the local network.
Hey Andreas,
Thanks for providing this link, finally got around to testing it. Nothing works on snartthings without internet, none of my devices that are listed as local through your link above work through the phone or through Aeotec switches.Not even Tapo & Hue through snartthings even though they work fine locally through their own apps.
I am so pissed off about this, all my Aeotrc switches dependant on the internet to work, a recipe for disappointment
Can this be fixed any way? I wonder if the latest hub from Aeotec could fix this? @Andreas_Roedl @mocelet
Only automations with local devices will work locally, look for the gray icon I mentioned in my first comments. The SmartThings app is useless without Internet access.
My automations with, let’s say, Zigbee buttons that turn on Matter lights, work when there’s no Internet. That’s the only thing you should expect to work offline.
You seems to only have wifi devices, added to their own app first (like tapo) and then integrated with smartthings via cloud 2 cloud integration! How do you expect that they work locally with smartthings automations without internet connection?
That said, if you want local control in routines in smartthings you need devices that can connect directly to the smartthings hub, and that is not very common with wifi devices (unless they’re are matter over wifi). That’s why many of us have been using zigbee or zwave devices, instead of wifi (until the rise of matter)!
Smartthings app not seeing your local hub to control the local devices, well, thats another subject
Ok, now i think i get it. Zwave devices are local to the hub, but the smartthings app, saddly, not. So, only way to control local zwave devices without internet(and the app), as others already said, is having local (zwave or zigbee) actuators like switches, remotes,… and set automations that will run locally (ex.: if button press toggle outlet). Or set automations based on time, presence (with pir/human detection sensors, not the presence of the phone), …
Mind OP asks about offline situations with no Internet, the SmartThings app won’t be able to control any device with no Internet, no matter the connection type. Only automations if local work offline.
SmartThings as a platform has always relied on communications with its cloud, which means it always needs the Internet. They didn’t have to design it that way, but they did.
Among other things, as @jkp mentioned, that means the SmartThings app will not be able to control any of your devices, regardless of protocol, unless You have Internet connection to the SmartThings cloud. Again, they didn’t have to design it that way. (see, for example, Apple Home, which doesn’t require the Internet to be up in order to use its app). But they did.
Here’s the official architecture schematic for SmartThings.
When people say you can set up a routine to run locally, they don’t mean you’ll be able to use the app with that routine.
They mean if you have a device which is eligible to run locally (which should be your Z wave devices) you can create a routine in advance so that, say, triggering a specific local motion sensor turns on a specific local light switch.
That action should still work when the Internet is out. But not the app and nothing else and you can’t create new local routines while the Internet is out.
There are multiple other zwave home automation systems that do not require the cloud, it’s just that SmartThings isn’t one of them.
btw, Hubitat was started by former SmartThings users who wanted more local control. So you’re not the first person who’s felt frustrated by the ST architecture, obviously. Every platform has its pluses and minuses, but local control is not what you get with SmartThings.
