Wifi light switches - do they work if the wifi or internet is down? (and any other advice and feedback...)

Forums › Gadgets, robotics, home automation, electronics (including wearables) › Wifi light switches - do they work if the wifi or internet is down? (and any other advice and feedback...)

jonathan18

7413 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

#288733 19-Jul-2021 20:21

I'm thinking about having one or more wifi-controlled light switches installed in our bedroom (the ability to turn on and off with a button will be more acceptable to my wife than the reliance on voice control!), but I'm not sure what the presence of a physical button means in relation to using it when the wifi and/or internet is down.

The types of switches I'm talking about are ones like these:

For those of you who have some experience with such switches, can you confirm whether they still can be turned on or off via the button if there's no wifi or internet?

Also, are there any other gotchas? Do they fit in and screw into a standard light switch box? How significant is the delay between pressing the button and the light turning on or off?

Thanks for any advice.

1 | 2

1051 posts

Uber Geek

#2746820 19-Jul-2021 20:30

They also hook directly into the lighting circuit, so the lights on that circuit work.

If you are using it as a wifi triggered button that works with no internet, but needs wifi. App control has limited functionality with no internet, but needs wifi.

Deta and Smarterhome are both rebranded Tuya. you can manage them both from the same app, and I have a mixture of both and others (lenovo gear is also tuya).

Chippo

129 posts

Master Geek

Trusted

#2746822 19-Jul-2021 20:34

All the switches you've linked are Tuya cloud switches.

Different hardware vendors, same software and cloud capabilities.

All will work as a regular switch without internet
None will work from their apps without internet
No schedules will work without internet
That Tuya cloud service, although massive, may go away at any time

To be fair the risk of Tuya going away really is a very low risk but isn't unprecedented in the home automation industry.

There's also an entirely unfounded risk that, all of these send their data to servers outside of NZ.

So, what do you do?

Try and find a Zigbee or Z-Wave switch and a local Home Automation System
Just accept that if your internet is off, your home gets much less smart for a while

Personally, I'm using the Deta switches on a WiFi network with no internet access, Home Assistant and the unofficial "LocalTuya" integration. ymmv.

I work for a global Data Protection Software company - But my opinions are my own.

jonathan18

7413 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

#2746847 19-Jul-2021 22:01

Thanks for the replies - useful info.

I'm especially interested in the Deta switches (or possibly the SmartVU, but no local store), given many report difficulties with the button on the one-gang Kogan model. @Chippo - can you comment on:

whether they fit fine when retrofitted to a standard wall box?
how well the button responds to being pressed? (ie, anything like the problems reported with the Kogan, eg 'Some switches are good and others (which is the majority) work when pushed really hard or for a long time')
how quickly they turn on when the button is pressed?

Many thanks.

CokemonZ

1051 posts

Uber Geek

#2746850 19-Jul-2021 22:07

I have a bunch of deta fitted. They have fat arses, so depending on your wall box and cabling they will fit or not. All bar one that had 4 leads coming in fitted for me. Button is essentially instant except for the wifi trigger - that's a second or two.

I've got 9 and they are all fine.

tkr001

416 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2747042 20-Jul-2021 10:39

jonathan18:

Thanks for the replies - useful info.

I'm especially interested in the Deta switches (or possibly the SmartVU, but no local store), given many report difficulties with the button on the one-gang Kogan model. @Chippo - can you comment on:

whether they fit fine when retrofitted to a standard wall box?
how well the button responds to being pressed? (ie, anything like the problems reported with the Kogan, eg 'Some switches are good and others (which is the majority) work when pushed really hard or for a long time')
how quickly they turn on when the button is pressed?
Many thanks.

I use the Kogan switches (1 and 2 gang) throughout my home and they all work fine. You don't have to "press" the button, they are touch sensitive. They were a cheap solution and I am happy with them. Fitting into existing wall box was easy, they work by touching the button without internet and IMHO they look a whole lot better than the traditional wall plates.

chevrolux

4962 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#2747060 20-Jul-2021 11:00

Shelly modules!!

Means you can retain the existing PDL/Schneider/Whatever plates you have. Buttons work in no internet situation. And best of all, connect them to a local Home Assistant instance and have fast local control without connecting to some dodgy server in China.

jonathan18

7413 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

#2747087 20-Jul-2021 12:18

chevrolux:
Shelly modules!!

Means you can retain the existing PDL/Schneider/Whatever plates you have. Buttons work in no internet situation. And best of all, connect them to a local Home Assistant instance and have fast local control without connecting to some dodgy server in China.

Sure, in an ideal world- but I don’t have the necessary skills or spare time to set up a HA-based system. Unless you’re offering to do it for me, gratis?! Total joke; I’m ok with China controlling these lights, given I’ve come to terms with them doing so for most of the house lights already.

Equinox IT

Cloud spending continues to surge globally, but most organisations haven’t made the changes necessary to maximise the value and cost-efficiency benefits of their cloud investments. Download the whitepaper From Overspend to Advantage now.

jonathan18

7413 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

#2747088 20-Jul-2021 12:20

tkr001: I use the Kogan switches (1 and 2 gang) throughout my home and they all work fine. You don't have to "press" the button, they are touch sensitive. They were a cheap solution and I am happy with them. Fitting into existing wall box was easy, they work by touching the button without internet and IMHO they look a whole lot better than the traditional wall plates.

Thanks, @tkr001 - I do note some of the comments on the Kogan 1 gang switch suggest the product has changed, and the problems have come about with the more recent version. How long ago did you purchase your ones?

richms

28168 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2747091 20-Jul-2021 12:30

The issue with the touch controls is that they calabrate at power on, and if the conditions change - like powered on with the cover off and then attached, they will be very unresponsive. Power cycling the circuit solves that. There is hardly any available with proper switches on them. Harvey norman had some but they seem to have killed that range off.

Richard rich.ms

tkr001

416 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2747096 20-Jul-2021 12:35

jonathan18:
tkr001: I use the Kogan switches (1 and 2 gang) throughout my home and they all work fine. You don't have to "press" the button, they are touch sensitive. They were a cheap solution and I am happy with them. Fitting into existing wall box was easy, they work by touching the button without internet and IMHO they look a whole lot better than the traditional wall plates.

Thanks, @tkr001 - I do note some of the comments on the Kogan 1 gang switch suggest the product has changed, and the problems have come about with the more recent version. How long ago did you purchase your ones?

I bought and installed them about 8-10 months ago.

mattenz

190 posts

Master Geek

#2747103 20-Jul-2021 12:53

richms:

The issue with the touch controls is that they calabrate at power on, and if the conditions change - like powered on with the cover off and then attached, they will be very unresponsive. Power cycling the circuit solves that. There is hardly any available with proper switches on them. Harvey norman had some but they seem to have killed that range off.

They were rebadged Zemismart switches, if I'm not mistaken. Bell press, and quite a clean look, without retina-searing LEDs.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/124423773338

jonathan18

7413 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

#2747653 21-Jul-2021 14:35

I called into Bunnings today and saw Deta also makes dimming versions of their smart switches - they're not on the Bunnings NZ website, but are priced only a few bucks more than the non-dimming type. Has anyone used these?

This is the single gang one on their AU site that's the same as they had in-store here. (There's also a different one on their site that I didn't see in the NZ shop.)

I assume we would just need to ensure the bulbs we put in the light fittings were compatible with dimmers, yeah?

Also, has anyone experience with the SmartVU Home Smart ones sold at PB Tech? A decent amount cheaper than the Deta, but feedback from those who have used them would be helpful in making the decision.

Thanks again.

jbrook3708

34 posts

Geek

ID Verified

#2747697 21-Jul-2021 15:33

I have loads of Deta switches/adapters, they work great, plug and play..

I have put them all on a IoT VLAN.

FWIW, I traced the network activity back to AWS servers based on the US west coast, and central US.

jonathan18

7413 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

#2747703 21-Jul-2021 15:44

jbrook3708:

I have loads of Deta switches/adapters, they work great, plug and play..

I have put them all on a IoT VLAN.

FWIW, I traced the network activity back to AWS servers based on the US west coast, and central US.

@jbrook3708 - any experience with their dimmer switches in particular?

A good reminder I need to get around to setting up a separate VLAN for all our IOT devices (of which we have a significant number)... one day...

richms

28168 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2747772 21-Jul-2021 16:46

Not all the deta switches are wifi. One linked to was a touch dimmer with no wifi. Not sure why you would bother IMO and I have seen other touch switches on clearance at Bunnings in wairau.

Richard rich.ms

1 | 2