5 Smart Devices You May Want to Block on the Internet

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Many smart devices in your home are only “smart” because they connect to the Internet to access cloud services or allow remote control from your phone, wherever you are. However, some smart devices can communicate with each other in other ways. If a gadget doesn’t need the Internet to work, you may want to block it from the Internet altogether.

Smart devices can be a major source of Wi-Fi interference in your home. If you have a dozen devices regularly sending signals to the Internet, it can overload your network and slow everything down. It’s also worth noting that every device connected to the Internet can pose a potential vulnerability that hackers can exploit. If the product manufacturer fails to implement effective security updates, malicious parties can break in and access your personal data. Blocking unnecessary devices from the Internet is one of the best ways to protect your smart home from hackers.

The five smart devices listed below are strictly those that can connect to other devices via Bluetooth, Zigbee, or proprietary local protocols. These are not devices that will lose all their smart functionality if disconnected from the Internet. In fact, keeping them offline may be the best way to use them.

Smart locks typically use Bluetooth or Wi-Fi to connect to your smartphone or other wireless device so you can unlock your home without a key the old-fashioned way. Some may use biometric locks or keypads instead, but the fact is that there is no traditional lock that can be picked or accessed with a stolen key. Most smart locks can use internet connectivity to let you lock or unlock the door from anywhere, which adds another layer of convenience and peace of mind. But if you’ve ever wondered how secure smart locks really are, then getting one that works offline is probably the right decision.

By blocking your smart lock over the Internet, you reduce the risk of hackers turning it off remotely before breaking into your home. And if you unlock the door strictly with biometrics or a nearby wireless connection, there’s no need to clutter your Wi-Fi network with an always-on smart lock. In many cases, a Bluetooth-only smart lock will have a much lower upfront cost than Wi-Fi alternatives. The Kwikset Aura Reach Smart Lock costs $159, almost half the price of the Kwikset Halo Select Plus, which costs $299 from the same manufacturer.

Smart security cameras can connect to the internet to enable live monitoring on your phone, generate real-time alerts and store recorded footage in the cloud. However, you may want to block your security camera from the Internet, either to reduce the number of connected devices or because of privacy concerns associated with cloud storage of home video footage. You may be wondering if disconnecting your security camera will negate all of its “smart” benefits.

This is not the case with hybrid security systems that can use cellular data to enable live streaming and push notifications. The Eufy 4G LTE Cam S330 is an example of a security camera that can operate over a cellular signal and also stores footage locally on a microSD card, giving you full control over video recordings. Consumer Reports rated the best home security cameras with local storage. While not all local storage-enabled cameras are compatible with cellular networks, each one is worth considering if privacy is your main priority.

Perhaps the biggest benefit of a smart TV is that it lets you run streaming apps like Netflix or YouTube without connecting an additional device. But if you prefer to use a Roku, Amazon Fire TV Stick, or video game console to play your favorite media, there’s really no reason to keep the TV connected to the Internet. The best part is that there are still plenty of smart features that you can access without an online connection.

One of the coolest things you didn’t know your smart TV could do is wirelessly connect your phone or computer and mirror content to the big screen. This allows you to play games or work on the big screen without connecting the TV to the Internet. Smart TVs also tend to have built-in media players, which allow you to watch video content directly from a USB drive, external hard drive, or your local media server.

A lighting system can include many smart devices, with bulbs, switches and sensors as the main components. That’s a lot of activity for your home Wi-Fi network, but it can all be controlled offline via Bluetooth or a smart hub with local connection protocols. Even if you block the entire lighting system from the Internet, you still have ways to configure brightness, color, and energy-saving options for every bulb in the house.

It’s best to design your home lighting system to be independent of the Internet. If your lighting requires a Wi-Fi connection to turn the lights on or off, any internet outage can feel like a total outage for your home. Take a look at the best Bluetooth smart bulbs you can buy on Amazon to see that some of the top-rated smart lights are fully functional without internet access.

If you have a wide range of smart devices in your home, a hub will centralize their control. It is a device that allows different smart gadgets to work together, monitor their usage and enable advanced automation. Your smart hub can also be your main point of contact for controlling your entire technology ecosystem with voice commands. Some of the most popular hubs, like the Samsung SmartThings Station or the Amazon Echo Hub, rely on internet connectivity to link all devices and process voice commands. However, it is entirely possible to block the Internet while using a smart home automation hub.

A local smart hub uses Zigbee or other short-range communications protocols to create a smart network independent of your home Wi-Fi network. And because you’re removing the extraneous factors of being online, you’re ignoring many of the reasons why some people think it’s no longer necessary to have a smart home hub. The hub is more relevant than ever in an ecosystem blocked on the Internet. It’s something that brings out the full potential of many types of smart devices, without the security risks and network burdens of connecting all of those devices to Wi-Fi.