I am looking to move my smartplugs to a private Wifi network, which is blocked from accessing the Internet. The plan is to use it locally from Home Assistant. I created a separate SSID for this purpose.

I reset one smartplug. It is blinking orange. I then connect my Android phone to my private Wifi (again, without internet). And I launch the Kasa app. I then click "+", Device, Smart Plugs, Smart Plug Lite / Mini (Wi-Fi).

I am greeted with a "No Internet" error , further stating "Make sure that your router is functioning properly and that you have a strong Wi-fi signal". Both are true - my router is functioning just fine (although it is a pfSense wired a router, and does not provide Wifi). The phone is very close to the Unifi NanoHD access point and has an excellent signal of -63 dBm, listed as 100% in the Unifi controller.

The problem is that the Kasa app won't even bother trying to setup the smartplug if Internet is down. It aborts right away. There is no reason that should be the case, especially since I have enabled "Third-party compatibility" in the app to support Home Assistant. I do not need or want the smartplug to be registered on a cloud server. Certainly, the app should not stop me from setting up the smartplug if cloud is not accessible. It can be true for a variety of reasons - ISP down (that's been true today),  TP-Link no longer operating the cloud server, etc. The cloud support should be optional. Either opt-in or opt-out, but optional.

Does that option actually exist today, and did I miss it ? Or is there any chance TP-Link can fix this problem in the app ?