Smart home devices should work without the internet

The discussion centers on keeping smart-home devices useful without a vendor’s cloud. The author describes a setup built around Tasmota, MQTT, and Node-RED, with core functions controllable locally; another commenter says cheap devices can often be adapted with custom firmware and Home Assistant. Others favor simpler Home Assistant installations over elaborate customization, while some recall Insteon and X10 as systems that offered useful local control. Commenters cite internet radios that became stranded when remote services shut down, and question what practical value appliances such as smart fridges gain from being online.

Several commenters frame local control as a security and resilience issue, warning that vendors or hackers could interfere with connected devices. Others argue that ordinary household appliances should retain basic functions without networking, and that smart features should not displace physical controls. One commenter holds tightly to the rule that essential devices must work even when the automation server is down; another accepts a server-dependent switch for more useful, time-based lighting, because local control makes that choice reversible. The exchange also distinguishes local access over home Wi-Fi from dependence on the public internet. Some see Home Assistant as an existing answer for nontechnical households, while another imagines a standardized, appliance-like hub that is easier to install. A side disagreement concerns the author’s AI-assisted writing, which some readers find generic and irritating.