Hello,
I realize your comment was from a long time ago, but this morning I was looking to see if my Wyze Smartplug, an Original Wyze Smartplug, had any movement or updates for the Apple HomeKit environment.
I found your response here lacking why Wyze wants Cloud connections versus Apple’s Local connections.
You made it sound like the industry has decided Cloud connections are better than Local connections. And for those that don’t know the difference, although everyone should by now, Here’s an example in my own home.
A. I have a Motorola Cable modem accepting an internet signal from Xfinity via coax cable.
B. I have a TPLink DECO M5 Mesh Network which consists of 3 individual circular M5 devices, one on each floor of my home.
C. I have 1 Phillips HUE Hub.
D. I have a combination of bulbs and lamps totaling 9 devices from Phillips HUE that talk to the Phillips HUE Hub.
So the HUE System is a Local connected system and visible in Apple HomeKit.
When I use the app from TPLink to manage my DECO network I do not see each individual HUE lamp or bulb as a network device with an IP Address.
When I use the app from Xfinity to manage my network I do not see each individual HUE lamp or bulb as a network device with an IP address.
E. I have about 20 various Phillips WiZ bulbs.
F. I have 1 WYZE Original Smart Plug.
When I look at my network using any network management app, TPLinks app, Xfinitys app, or any app that can manage network IP addresses, I am presented with 21 individual devices and each individual WiZ or WYZE device:
- requiring a unique IP address on my network
- communicating individually off my network and to their companies Cloud connections networks
- generates internet traffic from me similar to me owning 21 cars and me wanting to get on a highway with all 21 cars at the same time
And since I have 21 cars, and all my neighbors have 10 to 20 cars too, and the neighboring communities have 10 to 20 cars too per household.
All those individual connections slowed down the internet. The Phillips HUE System did not slow up the ISP’s because that is a Local connection.
(FYI I notice the slower response times of WiZ and Wyze devices compares to the HUE devices but then again I worry how I am negatively impacting others, something Wyze and WiZ do not worry about with their products.)
Because of all the additional individual Cloud connected internet traffic ISP’s had to begin charging consumers more money so they could do video and 10 to 20 Cloud connected devices, or more, per household.
Millions, if not hundreds of millions, of Cloud connected unique IP addresses devices, behaving like a swarm of gnats at a picnic, and each gnat organization saying…
- Our devices generate very little traffic out of a home and on the internet. -
Never do they say…
- The tipping point, the number of devices in your home from us, that cause noticeable network chatter or management issues is # devices. Because of this we do not recommend anyone installing any more than # devices in any single home. And if you have other vendors using Cloud connected devices then you should include the sum number of their devices to the sum number of our devices to insure the total of all Cloud connected devices does not exceed # devices. -
Can you see where this discussion has turned?
Cloud connected devices are the problem and not a solution. This is why Apple and Phillips HUE do Local connected device products.
Cloud connected devices are cheap for a reason. They save the companies who produce Cloud connected devices a lot of money. They push connectivity and management costs onto the consumers and ISP’s. And over time, sometimes very quickly, those costs add up for the Consume and never impacts the company that made the device.
We all know us Consumers forget to apply at least a $15.00 an hour minimum wage to the amount of time we spend managing each individual Cloud connected device when problems come up.
So for Phillips HUE I only have to worry about 1 device, the HUE Hub. For Wyze and WiZ I need to worry about 21+ devices.
Locally connected devices are much more stable, they do not send additional individual chattering devices onto the Internet, And they require less management time from me the consumer. Unfortunately, for some stupid reason, they sometimes cost more upfront.
Cloud connected devices are much less stable, they do Send additional individual chattering devices onto the Internet. They require more management time from me to Consumer per individual device. These devices are typically lower in price because the hidden cost is my time And pushing more traffic onto the ISP’s to resolve.
In summary, in my professional opinion, Cloud connected devices are worse for consumers, worse for the environment, and a cheap way for companies to sell devices without thinking about the impact to consumers, the ISP’s, or the environment.
Note: The app from TPLink, allowing me to manage my DECO M5 Mesh Network, allows me to put devices into Family Member Groups, i.e. “Parental Comtrols”. And every month I can see how much traffic Wyze and WiZ devices generate monthly in and out of my network. And hackers are always trying to connect to each individual device to use their download or communications protocols, which I cannot restrict because then the devices would not work.
This does not happen with Local connected devices like Phillips HUE.
Wyze’s decision to only have Cloud connected devices is lazy and greedy. They prop up the Google & Amazon Monopolies by NOT doing an Apple HomeKit Local connected solution.
It’s no different than PC manufacturers having Windows on new PC’s and Internet Explorer only. Netscape was correct that move propped up the Microsoft Browser Monopoly because people just decided we’re not going to do multiple browser option installs on PC’s and Microsoft said “We can’t remove Internet Explorer.”.
I see no difference when Wyze decides “We’re not going to do Apple HomeKit. We are only doing Google or Amazon because it is easier for us.”
p.s. My apologies for any grammatical or punctuation errors in this post. My thoughts travel faster than my single thumb typing out my thoughts. 
