Question

Is there a hub that allows my light bulbs and other smart devices to work even when the internet is down? Also must be easy to use as I've never used a hub and am not very techs savvy?  

Answer 1

I don't know that I'd call hubitat easy, maybe compared to other products. Im very technical but am often googling and watching YouTube videos to try to figure out how to program certain things. Or finding plug-ins written to make things easier that I can install. For work and forget it lights, gonna have to go with recommending just simple lutron Caseta.  

Answer 2

Home Assistant. It’s fully local control. So your router and wireless access points still needs to work and be online for control.  

Answer 3

Another vote for HomeAssistant. Here's a great getting started video.  
https://youtu.be/sVqyDtEjudk

Answer 4

I feel like anytime someone asks for advice, 90% of people just reply with whatever they use . "not very techs savvy" Hubitat is local and easy. You can get the basics up and running with very little technical knowledge.  

Answer 5

Home assistant

Answer 6

The internet doesn't go down. (Knowing this will boost your tech savvy creds! ) However, your ISP's connection might drop, or your ISP's gateway may need to be rebooted. Does your internet connection go down often? If yes, then get a new ISP, or call them and tell them what is happening. Most ISPs can fix most issues remotely. If your gateway is more than 5 years old, ask for a new one. One of the top reasons for having Home Automation is to be able to control and monitor your home while you are away. If your internet connection is going down all the time, then your internet connection is the first thing to fix. I cannot even remember the last time my ISP (AT&T GigaPower) lost its internet connection. I do reboot the gateway about once a month (whether it needs it or not). I only use Wi-Fi, Echo, and a smartphone. I don't need a hub, nor does anyone.  

Answer 7

I run Home assistant on a Orange PI zero. Works perfectly

Answer 8

All the hubs mentioned are great and affordable and have many forums to help you customize but if you don’t want to do anything but plug and play and are willing to spend a little bit more money; the Insteon hub is a great hub to check out.