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Guide

Matter, Thread, Zigbee and Z-Wave: a plain guide to local control

What the smart home standards are, which ones work without the internet, why you need a hub or border router, and the questions to ask an installer so your lights, locks and sensors keep working when the internet or the company goes away.

In short

“Local control” is the most useful idea in smart home buying. It means your devices and the hub that runs them talk to each other inside your house, without a round trip to a company’s servers. Local systems keep working when the internet is down, and are less likely to stop working when a company changes its plans. This guide explains the standards in plain words. Products are named only as examples, not recommendations.

The pieces

The standards

Matter. A shared application standard from the Connectivity Standards Alliance, backed by many large brands. The Alliance describes its aims as devices from multiple brands working “natively together”, “multi-admin” (the same device controlled by several apps or ecosystems at once) and “consistent and responsive local connectivity”. Matter runs over Wi-Fi and Thread, using Bluetooth Low Energy for setup. Matter 1.5 (2025-11-20) added cameras, plus closures such as shades, gates and garage doors.

Thread. A low-power mesh network built on IPv6, designed for battery devices; many Matter devices use it. A Thread network needs a border router to connect to your Wi-Fi or Ethernet network. Zigbee. A low-power, self-healing mesh standard, also from the Connectivity Standards Alliance, with a large range of sensors and bulbs. It supports 2.4 GHz, which much Wi-Fi also uses, and sub-GHz bands. It needs a Zigbee hub or coordinator, and some brands’ hubs only work fully with their own devices.

Z-Wave. A low-power mesh standard where powered devices repeat signals. In the U.S. it uses frequencies around 908 to 916 MHz, away from Wi-Fi. Z-Wave Long Range, a newer version, claims a range of “several miles” (the Z-Wave Alliance’s claim). It needs a Z-Wave controller, which many alarm panels and hubs include.

Wi-Fi-only devices. Simple to set up, but many work only through the maker’s app and cloud. Wi-Fi Matter devices are an exception: they can be controlled locally by a Matter controller.

What keeps working when the internet is down

Typical behavior, which varies by product. Test your own setup by unplugging the internet connection.

And when the power goes out: battery devices keep running, but your hub, router and border router don’t unless they’re on a UPS.

When a company walks away

Cloud services can end. When Google ended support for Nest Secure, the system stopped connecting to Google’s cloud and working in the app. Devices that use an open standard (Matter, Zigbee, Z-Wave) and a hub you control are easier to move to another hub if one brand drops out.

A local-first checklist

Hiring help

Find companies that install Matter and Thread, Home Assistant and Z-Wave systems in our smart home automation directory. Listings show what each company says about local control, with a link to its own page.

Common questions

Does Matter work without the internet?

Matter is designed for local connections between devices and controllers on your home network. Whether a particular automation keeps running offline depends on your controller (a hub, smart speaker or Home Assistant) and where it runs automations. Ask, or test by unplugging the internet.

What is a Thread border router?

It connects a Thread network to your Wi-Fi or Ethernet network. A Thread network needs one to talk to other networks, such as to your phone. The role is built into some smart home hubs and speakers; check whether something you already own provides it.

Should I choose Zigbee or Z-Wave?

Both are proven low-power mesh standards that need a hub. In the U.S., Z-Wave uses frequencies around 908 to 916 MHz, away from Wi-Fi. Zigbee supports 2.4 GHz, the band much Wi-Fi also uses, and sub-GHz bands. Choose what your hub supports and what the devices you want use.

Do I need a license to set up smart home devices?

Not to pair plug-in or battery devices, or to set up a hub and apps. Replacing switches and dimmers is 120-volt work for an electrician with a general (01) or residential (02) license, and running low-voltage cable for pay needs an L&I electrical contractor license.