I will be using a standard windows 10 PC with some z-wave (Using Z-wave USB in PC) and I would also like to use some WIFI products as well. My question is this. Do ALL the wifi controlled products typically need an internet connection to work? I want to create an entirely closed system for the home automation with no outside influence unless specifically desired. If the internet goes away forever I want the units I have to still work. IE I have a media room that I wanted to put some smart RGBW recessed lights in and have the ability to control them from OH without an internet connection. I am not finding any wifi based products that would allow that. Do you folks have any advise or is it basically “Stick with the more cost prohibitive Z-wave products”? Thanks!!!
Unless they are flashed with some custom firmware I think all vendors want to lock you into their cloud services.
The Zigbee and Z-Wave standards mandate some interoperability.
Where are you located?
Some Z-Wave products can be more reasonably priced. I have a vendor I like for North American products. They are helping us with openHAB support for their products too.
Massachusetts.
I have found some decent prices for zwave but was really hoping for some wifi items that I didn’t need to be on the net for. A co worker just pointed out a product that points internet back to a home base instead of a cloud. I will be investigating that as well.
Just for an example, I was looking at these lights…https://www.amazon.com/Sylvania-Lightify-Smart-2700-6500K-Color/dp/B07H9H1K81/ref=pd_bxgy_img_3/146-1442639-6231349?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07H9H1K81&pd_rd_r=ea242499-7a37-4c7f-8c13-0a0da2ae6b3e&pd_rd_w=D9sEO&pd_rd_wg=E3PXf&pf_rd_p=fd08095f-55ff-4a15-9b49-4a1a719225a9&pf_rd_r=VKG6JDVQNXTK0D7HR7PG&psc=1&refRID=VKG6JDVQNXTK0D7HR7PG
Just found these as well,https://www.amazon.com/Downlight-FVTLED-Bluetooth-Multicolor-Touchscreen/dp/B07WLC9ZBB
They are Bluetooth… will look into BT within OH… never thought of that.
I like Zooz and their store thesmartesthouse.com I see no downlights though but they have dome RGBW bulbs and RGBW LED controllers.
Those lights use a bridge and a special app though. There may not be an OH binding or an open API.
yeah good point… sigh
Why not a little tinkering and using a wemos d1 and an rgb strip (like ws2812)? Many ready compiled firmwares for the wemos and ws2812 there, you would just need to flash & solder them. Would take 30min.
The wemos would work in your network without any internet, no problem
I planned on items like that for accessory lighting. Was just hoping for “premade” solutions to get started. Looks like your idea would be the best bet instead. Thanks!
If you use the suggested solution you have the full control but obviously have to put some effort into it.
however personally I doubt that every manufacturer of wifi products lock you into their cloud and without internet access nothing works. For this every communication must be sent and retrieved over the internet, causing a lot of traffic and latency. I more likely think that the communication to control works over the Lan and just for some stastics information are sent to the cloud. But not every action.
you would simply have to test it
iam one from the group which does not allows any iot without my own control in my own environment.
What that means I never buy a device which cant be flashed to my liking eventho it looknice and convenient. Imagine to have bazzilion apps mainly chineese in your mobile to control each device 
sonoffs, wemoses and quite a few others is the way how to proceed. There might be steeper learning curve if you are not into soldering, flashing, compiling or writing your software… but at the end of the day, you have your home under your command and nothing is peaking into your privacy.
its alarming how many people does not care about privacy, security and etc. … or maybe they have no idea, who knows