Smartthings Hub operations when the Internet is unavailable?

hubv2
#1

I am looking to turn off the internet (wireless router and modem) in my home during the evening hours once I go to bed so my kids don’t get online (we’ve completely cut the cord). I would like to install a smart outlet that I can control via the hub.

Will the hub turn the device back on in the morning when I set the event even if it doesn’t have internet access? Also, how do I disable the notification when it turns off the power itself that it doesn’t have access to the internet (secondary issue)?

Thanks!

(Bryan) #2

Can’t answer your question directly, but wouldn’t you be better off with with Parental Controls/MAC based limiting via your router? Basically, set an access availability based on a schedule for specific MAC addresses of the devices your kids use.

#3

Yes I could do that but my wife also wants to shut do the excess radiation exposure from the WiFi.

(Ron Talley) #4

:zipper_mouth_face:

I am going to slowly press the back button and continue my refreshing of recent topics…

(Mark) #5

If your hub’s internet connection is down, you will have no ability to interact with it via the mobile app. So it would not be possible to manually turn the pocket socket back on.

Although the smartlighting smartapp can run locally (ie without an active internet connection), I’m not sure if you could create an automation that uses set times in the morning and evening to turn the picket socket on/off that’s eligible to run locally.

Also, I’m with @rontalley on this one, there’s basically no evidence that radio waves in this frequency range, at the distance and power levels actually used in real life, have any detrimental health effects.

(ActionTiles.com co-founder Terry @ActionTiles; GitHub: @cosmicpuppy) #6

If this is a particular concern to you, then you could use a router which has the option to just disable WiFi while leaving the wired ethernet connection to the SmartThings Hub active.

If your router doesn’t support this, you can possibly insert a simple 4-port Ethernet Switch between your modem and the WiFi Router and connect the SmartThings Hub to one of the other ports; but that could result in other complexities like SmartThings possibly not being able to use LAN devices.

#7

The request goes to the wife happiness factor. I appreciate that there’s currently no evidence that it creates a problem, but science has also been saying for years that phone radiation isn’t carcinogenic. Given her job and the ever increasing incidence of cancer, especially brain tumors, she’s just asked that I shut it down in the evenings. Doesn’t hurt to keep the wife happy.

That said I know the phone won’t work, just didn’t know if the embedded events work or whether it relies on the internet to be triggered.

(Mark) #8

Can’t argue with that. I have a v1 hub, so none of my automations run locally. Hopefully someone can chime in on whether time-based events in smartlighting are stored in the hub or cloud.

(Nathan Curtis) #9

  1. devices… If your device does not have a ST built-in Device Handler it requires the cloud to operate. Period. (read a very small list of basic things, while there is a generic ZWave and or Zigbee outlet device handler built in, it may not work for the outlet you have.

  2. control. Someone already hit on the lack of mobile control so we’ll skip over that one.

  3. automation. The Builtin SmartLighting app is the ONLY smartapp that can run locally at the moment. So if you use anything else to automate the outlet then lack of connectivity means lack of automation.

So in short your scenario MAY work if you follow a very specific set of guidelines… No need to control via app, you use SmartLighting for the trigger and your device uses a built in handler. That said. You’ll be pulling hair out…

As to the WAF… You’re gonna have a bigger issue… When she finds out that even though these smart things aren’t WiFi, they ARE RF and run in basically the same frequency range… (in fact Zigbee overlaps and can interfere with WiFi.) Sooooo… Yeah. You’re fighting a losing battle.

For now I’d go with the suggestion to kill the wifi only l, leave the wired internet up and pray she doesn’t learn about the frequency ranges of the devices.

#11

Are you going to get your neighbors to shut their wifi down too?
Also, how are you going to keep your kids off the internet when they both probably have cell phones? They won’t have wifi but they still have cell signals, right?

#12

Actually no, we live far enough away from everyone I’m the only signal in my house. My kids phones are turned in every night and shut off.

Kind of surprising how judgmental people on here are. It’s a relatively simple question, that doesn’t require input as to the logic or lack thereof of my decision. We are exposed enough everyday to all types of issues, and if my wife (who works as a Neuro NP) wants to decrease the exposure for 8 hours then so be it. I’m more than aware of the numerous other areas in which we are exposed.

#13

Just curious, does anyone know how long the hub will keep correct time without an internet connection? I assume time is either synced from the ST servers or owners router/modem. Would an extended “outage” create issues for a local automation triggered by time?

(Ray) #14

You can use a Lowes Iris or ST plug, an Aeon Minimote and use Smart lighting Smartapps to control the plug locally. Press a button at night to turn the plug off and press another button in the morning to turn them back on.

#15

The minimote works locally?

(Ray) #16

Yes…

#17

Only if you’re using the native dth and not a custom one.

(Ray) #18

No such thing as custom DTH and local.

#19

Exactly my point. LMAO. You said the minimote is local. But not if you’re using a custom dth.

(Ray) #20

OK, I don’t see your point. What’s wrong with the official DTH with local processing?

(John Roguetech) #21

Add me to the list of judgmental people. This isn’t doing your kids any favors. There are all manner of levels and layers of wrong about this.

If you get a “certified” outlet, and use the SmartLighting app, it may all run local. I don’t have enough experience to guarantee it, and I wouldn’t trust Samsung to guarantee to not screw it up later. Try it. If it doesn’t work, get a Hubitat.