Smart bulb
Turns the light on and off and dims it, from an app or on a timer. It connects either straight over wifi or through a separate bridge.
What data it sends and where
- Bulb or bridge → The manufacturer's server: When the light was switched, and the timer schedules
- The manufacturer's server → The app on your phone: The controls, and the state the bulb is in
- Bulb → The other devices in the home: Local-network traffic, if the router does not isolate devices from one another
Checklist
Do these during setup. Later, check only that updates continue and the settings still match how you use the device.
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Your ticks stay in this browser. They are not sent anywhere, and the list prints without the boxes.
A smart bulb is a networked device even though its visible job is only to control a light.
Traffic between devices may be possible on the same local network. A guest network limits the bulb or bridge’s access to computers and phones when the router isolates the networks correctly.
What is unusual about this kind of device
A bulb has no reason to reach computers or phones. Put it on a guest network with the other smart devices.
When this device is not worth buying
If you are buying it for security. A light on a timer gives the impression that somebody is home, but it is not a security product and it is not worth buying as one.