Looking for options for my automation setup I stumbled on the Kasa products so I looked deeper into them but there's no mention about offline control in the site anywere other than these "smart" products shouldn't be touched in the event of a temporary disconnection from a datacenter; BTW, things controlling other things using a remote interface, like a touchscreen, voice or a really long cable to break the circuit aren't "smart devices", they're called relays.

Anyway, I downloaded the app to get an idea if offline control where no supervision of what it's done is carried on a datacenter. After figuring out the dark patterns use in the app it seems there might be at least from the mobile device to the relay, using a switch after finding, unlocking, locating the apd, the device in  the app and flicking the control ain't easier than actually operating a switch.

Having to sign up for a service, even if it has no cost to reach behind a firewall isn't a feature, it is an imposition and frankly overstepping. Kasa needs an published well-documented API so users can use their purchase without a permanent connection logging things to server not of which they have no control. Kasa, being non-professionally installed, falls under the DYI umbrella, yet it doesn't let the user do anything by themselves.

There needs to be proper documentation too, a wiki/FAQ-like KB is not proper documentation. and WPA2/WPA3 Enterprise must be implemented otherwise it's a wasted SSID.

I've used TP-Link products for many years now, I trust the brand though on every line at any price point from plastic box devices to the highest end of the stackable JetStream line they have always had some flaw or some gotcha, sometimes it's minor, most often it's a quirk you have to learn to live with bc rarely they receive fixes. This time before buying I thought I should try voicing out what already I don't see working, hopefully for the next revision some of the issues are gone, then I'll have more confidence users are actually heard (with their consent, I mean, not in an analytics-improvements-nonsense-privacywhatsthat fashion) and I won't be adding 50-60th TP-LINK-branded power brick to the storage drawers for these.