Many smart devices on the market work through the cloud: when you tap a button in the app, the command travels from your phone to a manufacturer's server somewhere in the world, and from there back to a bulb two metres away. It works, as long as everything in between works.
With local control, the "brain" of the system sits inside your home. The switch, the sensor and the bulb talk to the hub directly, without going out to the internet.
Local control or cloud
Most days you won't notice the difference. You notice it on the days something goes wrong:
- Speed: with local control, the response is immediate. With the cloud, every command waits for the round trip to the server.
- Reliability: if your line goes down, or the manufacturer's server does, cloud devices often stop responding to the app and to automations.
- Control: in the cloud, the rules and data sit on a system you don't control. Locally, they sit on a device you own.
The NIX Hub, built on Home Assistant, is designed for local control. We also choose equipment that can be controlled locally, via Zigbee, Z-Wave, Matter, KNX or the local network.
What keeps working when the line drops
In a NIX system, when the internet connection is lost:
- Switches, the app on your home Wi-Fi and scenes work as normal.
- Climate and shutters follow their schedules.
- Motion, door and leak sensors keep triggering automations, such as shutting off the water valve.
- The alarm arms, disarms and sounds locally.
- Cameras keep recording to the recorder at home.
- Smart locks open with a code, card or fingerprint.
What pauses temporarily is access from outside and phone notifications when you are away. Voice assistants that rely on their manufacturer's cloud may also stop responding. Once the connection is back, everything syncs again.
And if the power goes out?
In a power cut, everything electrical stops, smart or not. If you want the hub, network and alarm to keep going, we recommend a small UPS for the network equipment, or a connection to a solar battery where there is one.
Privacy: cameras stay at home
A smart home knows a lot: when you leave, when you sleep, who rings the doorbell. Cameras in particular record the family's most private moments.
That is why in NIX systems camera recordings are stored on a recorder inside your home. They are not uploaded to a third-party cloud unless you ask for it, and you need no subscription to keep them. Person and vehicle detection is done locally where the equipment allows. We can also set privacy zones so that a camera does not record specific areas.
The same goes for the history of sensors, energy use and automations: it stays on the NIX Hub, in your home.
Longevity: what happens when a service shuts down
Cloud services cost the manufacturer money for as long as they run. In the smart device market it has happened several times that a company changes its policy, starts charging a subscription for features that used to be free, or shuts a service down altogether, leaving devices that can no longer be controlled.
A switch fitted into a wall should work for many years. With local control and open standards, its operation does not depend on one company's decisions. And because Home Assistant is open-source software, your system is not locked to us either.
Remote access, done securely
Local control does not mean you can't check on your home from the office or the island. It means remote access is something added with care, not the foundation everything rests on.
- Connections from outside go through an encrypted channel, without opening ports on your router to the internet.
- Each family member has their own account, and we recommend two-factor authentication.
- Smart devices sit on a separate network, so they cannot reach your computers and phones.
- Hub updates are tested before they are installed in your home.
Starlink backup
For homes where constant remote access matters, such as holiday homes, island properties or houses left closed for long periods, we recommend a Starlink backup connection. If the main line drops, the network switches automatically to the satellite link, so cameras and notifications stay available. Installation is done together with our sister company Mister Starlink.
In summary
The cloud is useful as an extra. It should not be a prerequisite for turning on a light. A smart home that works locally is faster, more private and more durable over time.