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Door staff@engadget.com (Roger Fingas) - 17 Oct 2026
The reason so many accessories turn dumb is that they connect directly to Wi-Fi to fetch instructions from a cloud server. Wi-Fi accessories are often the easiest to set up — if the internet goes down, however, or if your Wi-Fi router encounters hiccups, they may have no way of storing and triggering automations on their own. They may not even switch on or off at scheduled times, which you'd think would be dead simple.
Whenever possible, then, it's best to turn to accessories that route everything through a local hub. These hubs still connect to the internet, but they can store and process many automations locally as long as everything still has power. The only major exceptions are automations that depend on live data, like current weather conditions, or involve sharing data remotely. If you're going to install a smart security system and internet outages are a regular issue, cellular backup is a must.
These hubs can take many forms. If you're using Apple Home, for example, HomePods and Apple TVs can act as home hubs, enabling both remote access and local automations. Some security cameras can record to local hub storage, even if they have to go online to trigger alerts or perform advanced functions. Matter-enabled smart speakers and displays are capable of executing offline commands, though in practice, companies like Amazon and Google don't really exploit this. We discovered this the hard way.
The most bulletproof hubs tend to be those that link local hardware not through Wi-Fi, but through Thread, Zigbee or Z-Wave radios. All three are low-power, low-bandwidth mesh standards. A hub can often connect many compatible accessories simultaneously, and the mesh aspect means that accessories farther away from the hub won't drop off. Thread is preferable, since some Wi-Fi accessories can act as Thread "border routers," but we've had great experiences with Zigbee-based hubs like the Philips Hue Bridge. The only real problem with these technologies is that their low bandwidth limits them to things like lights, locks and sensors.
Whenever possible, then, it's best to turn to accessories that route everything through a local hub. These hubs still connect to the internet, but they can store and process many automations locally as long as everything still has power. The only major exceptions are automations that depend on live data, like current weather conditions, or involve sharing data remotely. If you're going to install a smart security system and internet outages are a regular issue, cellular backup is a must.
These hubs can take many forms. If you're using Apple Home, for example, HomePods and Apple TVs can act as home hubs, enabling both remote access and local automations. Some security cameras can record to local hub storage, even if they have to go online to trigger alerts or perform advanced functions. Matter-enabled smart speakers and displays are capable of executing offline commands, though in practice, companies like Amazon and Google don't really exploit this. We discovered this the hard way.
The most bulletproof hubs tend to be those that link local hardware not through Wi-Fi, but through Thread, Zigbee or Z-Wave radios. All three are low-power, low-bandwidth mesh standards. A hub can often connect many compatible accessories simultaneously, and the mesh aspect means that accessories farther away from the hub won't drop off. Thread is preferable, since some Wi-Fi accessories can act as Thread "border routers," but we've had great experiences with Zigbee-based hubs like the Philips Hue Bridge. The only real problem with these technologies is that their low bandwidth limits them to things like lights, locks and sensors.