Does Philips Hue need an Internet Connection to Work?
The short summary is, a hue lighting system is able to work even if you have got no internet connection. However, for a hue bridge to work, you must connect it with a wireless router via Ethernet cable. It’s not necessary that the wireless router has an internet connection or not. The bridge only uses that router to send wireless signals to other hue bulbs.
So to be very simple, the answer is NO. You won’t need any internet connection to control your Philips Hue lighting system as they are based on their own wireless network.
A lot of people are concerned with this issue and it is becoming confusing as the day passes by. The only question they have got is, will they need an internet connection to control the smart lighting network that they have got?
Today we are going to talk about the connection on which Philips Hue lighting system is based. So, sit tight and clear your confusion if you have got this question in your mind.
Let’s dive right in.
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Does a Hue Bridge Works Without Any Internet Connection
Yes. The hue bridge is able to work without any internet connection. It’s basically a standalone gadget and doesn’t require any kind of internet connection to work. Now you might be thinking that on which network it works. So, the answer is, the hue bridge works with a separate wireless network known as Zigbee. The same connection works for all other smart bulbs that you are using in your home. They are interlinked with each other and then to the hue bridge network via Zigbee Light Link or simply ZLL protocol.
How Does The App Works Without Any Internet Connection?
Now, we know that you might be wondering about the working of the app. The answer to this question is also simple. The app will also work on Zigbee Light Link protocol just like hue bridge and hue bulbs. It will operate without any internet connection and won’t cost you any money at the same time.
However, there is an exception. Even when there is no internet connection required for the hue bridge, it must be connected to a wired router and that’s because the hue bridge is not wireless. Therefore, it will use your router to get connected with the local network you have got in your home.
What To Do In Case of a Power Cut?
Hue Bulbs function same as traditional bulbs in terms of power. They will need power for sure and if there is a power cut, they won’t be able to work just like typical bulbs. Once the power comes back, the bulbs should come back to it’s last used settings.
If not update your bridge to the latest update to prevent your Hue lights from turning on automatically after a power outage. There will be a ‘Power Loss Recovery’ setting inside the Philips Hue app where you can set a specific behavior for what the lights will do after a power outage.
How To Connect Philips Hue Bridge With Wi-Fi?
Your hue bridge must be connected to the wireless router that you have got in your home. That’s because it doesn’t have any Wi-Fi feature and is unable to send wireless signals to other hue bulbs. The simple way of connecting hue bulb to the wireless router is by connecting it through a typical Ethernet Cable that you can mostly see when you are connecting the local area network with your pc. The connection of a wireless router to the internet is also not necessary.
In case you don’t have a wireless router, you should look out for one as the hue bridge won’t be able to interlink with other bulbs without the router.
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17 thoughts on “Does Philips Hue Need an Internet Connection to Work”
i got an router withour ethernet and just for my room, it isn’t connected to any other routers or whatever, how can i connect my hue bridhe to this router? The hue app can’t see the bridge even when i on the same network. Could somebody help me please
I’ve got same question . I was told yes but no results
Did you mean the router is ‘without ethernet’? The bridge has to be connected to the router via an ethernet cable.
Thanks for this!
But how is your phone connected to the zigbee / WiFi network signal?
When there’s no internet connection found on an WiFi network, your phone will disconnect from that WiFi network right? And when not connected to WiFi, the app will try to send the signal via 4g to the hue servers, to send it to my hue that they expect to be connected to the internet…
I’ve gave up on my landline internet, so only internet is on my mobile phone now, and the hue connected to a WiFi router… Can’t get the app working after since I shut down my internet…
I have Smart Wifi box; which is a secondary Wifi feeded from ethernet cable to the primary Wifi (the router).
My problem is; the third light won’t turn on;; if I connect the Hue Bridge to the Smart Wifi Box via Ethernet Cable. Only two blue lights are on.
I tried to connect directly to the router instead of the Smart Wifi box; then I got the third light on, but since it is limited in range; I want to use the secondary wifi; which covers the whole house via Mesh technology.
Is there something to be switched on or off on the primary router to to make it work (e.g. Port forwarding or should the provider of fibernet do something?
Bad news, everyone…
I use a hotspot ‘router’ (about the size of a pager, with no LAN ports) for my WiFi because there’s no internet hookup in my building, but still had my old router lying around. So I was really excited when saw this article as I was doing my research about the Bridge, which I knew I needed if I wanted to use the wake-up feature on the Hue Go light…
Long (and expensive) story short – After 45 minutes online with customer service (don’t waste your time), the answer appears to be: The Bridge only works if it’s hooked up to an actual, *working router that’s sending WiFi into your place. A router that’s plugged in for power, but not WiFi, isn’t sufficient for the Bridge to transmit. Apparently ‘Zigbee’ is a *channel, not a *network – a distinction that was pretty important to one of the reps I talked to.
Unreal that there wouldn’t be something definitive about this on the Philips website.. Kind of slime. I’m genuinely still hoping I’m wrong, and that this article is to be believed – so please correct me if I’m wrong. Unfortunately, three hours of headaches this afternoon leads me to think I’m stuck with one Hue Go light that I can only use with their sucky Bluetooth app that barely does anything.
We dreamed a dream :/
Very useful blog post, however this comment from R.E. concerns me. Is it true that the Bridge will ONLY work if it is connected to a router that creates a Wi-Fi network AND which is connected to the internet?
Will the Bridge also work if it is connected to a router that creates a Wi-Fi network which IS NOT connected to the internet?
In my case, I would like to test Phillips Hue in a house that is just constructed and which does not yet have an internet connection. However, I do have a router so I can already set-up a Wi-Fi network without internet connection. Is it possible to control the Hue lights with the app and the Bridge with a Wi-Fi network but without internet connection?
Philips Hue bridge will be connected thru wire with your WIFI router. Router must be ON and it should create wifi network. Even if it doesnt have internet connectivity it is fine. But philips person suggests to have internet connection at the installlation as the bridge gets updates .
It requires a router that has Wi-Fi capabilities but the router nor the Hue Bridge requires an internet connection. The Hue Bridge requires a Wi-Fi network in order to communicate with the lights. Users must also be connected to the same Wi-Fi network in order to issue commands from the Hue app to the lights. Internet connection still required for things like updating/downloading the Hue app but not to mere control lights or use most of the app functions.
I have got a Philips hue bride I have got it in my bedroom with Alexa and the lights can I use Bluetooth because the internet Wi-fi box in the living room ? I hope they is a other way
I was able to setup the bridge and add and control lights without an internet connection (I was configuring Hue in a new house which didn’t have an internet connection yet). I placed a router which only had WiFi configured. That went perfectly fine, the app even updated the bridge with the latest firmware without having an internet connection on the bridge (my phone of course had an internet connection). However, I was unable to add any accessories. The page for the accessories kept loading and finally gave an error message.
What steps did you take to connect it? I have not been able to get it to work. My Network light flashes no matter what I do.
The router does not need to be connected to the internet. Only connected via an ethernet cable to the Hue bridge. Yes, the third light on the Hue bridge will continue to blink because it’s not connected to the internet. It will remain like this. Whatever device you’re using the Hue app on (your mobile phone, ipad, tablet, laptop…whatever) now has to be connected to this new available ‘network’ the router has created. The network name and password can usually be found on one of the sides or underneath the actual router that’s connected to the Hue bridge. Now go into the device you’re using the Hue app on (your mobile phone, ipad, tablet, laptop…whatever) and search in the available wifi/networks and find this new network and connect to it by entering the password you just found on the router. Once you connect, you can open the Hue app and search for the Hue bridge and connect to it. Voila! Hue lights playtime begins.
Very good information.
I would like to setup a couple of Hue lights to light my Mums porch, she passed away & the house is empty with no WiFi or live phone line.
Is it possible to have a Hue setup & control through the App on my phone, all I want to do is setup a couple of screw in bulbs on a timer.
Hi
I have a Hue Bridge V2 wired into my old google mesh wifi point (I have 3 google puck points and 1 google base)puck. The Google wifi base puck is plugged into a my ISP provided wireless router (WAN) – this router is connected to the internet. If the internet goes down, will the hue still use the Google mesh wifi network and the ISP provided router to broadcast zigbee to the bulbs and stuff?