- Home
- Security cameras
- Reolink
Does the Reolink RLC-811A work without internet?
Yes. The Reolink RLC-811A never phones home: no account, no Reolink servers, and it keeps going with the internet cut.
Verdict · as sold
Fully localNothing phones home. No account, no server, nobody who can switch it off.
- Checked
- 7/7 checked
- Brand
- Reolink · CN
- Model
- RLC-811A
- Home Assistant
reolink· vendor cloud: never- Track record
- Not reviewed yet
Seven questions, as sold.
7 of 7 checked. Every yes or no links to its source and the date it was checked. Nothing here assumes a flash: that’s the next section.
- Works with the internet cut 01 · Yes
Does the main function survive with the WAN cable pulled?
Reolink states PoE cameras keep live view on the LAN, recording to the SD card and local playback without internet; only push, email and remote access stop.
- No vendor account needed 02 · Yes
Can it be set up without creating an account with the manufacturer?
Reolink's account FAQ says you can configure and use the camera without registering a Reolink account; the account is only for cloud storage and smart-home features.
- Documented local API 03 · Yes
Is there a publicly documented local protocol: HTTP, MQTT, ONVIF, RTSP, Zigbee, Z-Wave, Matter, Modbus?
Reolink's protocol table lists the RLC-811A with CGI, RTSP and ONVIF supported standalone.
- Can be firewalled off for good 04 · Yes
Can it be cut off from the internet permanently without anything breaking?
The Home Assistant docs state that when internet access is blocked for Reolink devices, the integration and the Reolink app/client continue to work as usual.
- Firmware updates without the cloud 05 · Yes
Can it be updated by hand, with no forced auto-update?
A downloaded .pak file is uploaded through the web UI or desktop client under System > Maintenance > Firmware Update; auto-update is a separate setting you enable.
- Runs alternative firmware 06 · No
Can it run ESPHome, Tasmota, OpenBeken, Valetudo or OpenIPC?
Not on OpenIPC's supported-devices list (nor on Thingino's camera list); OpenIPC lists no Reolink hardware at all.
- Home Assistant talks to it locally 07 · Yes
Is the Home Assistant integration local_push or local_polling?
iot_class: local_push
Already own one? Into Home Assistant, then.
A different question from the verdict. Home Assistant can talk to a device locally and still need Reolink’s servers to get started, or for good. This is what the integration itself needs.
Yes, and Reolink is not involved: Home Assistant talks to the Reolink RLC-811A directly. Nothing in the integration needs the vendor's servers.
- Route
- Built-in integration
- Integration
reolink- Vendor cloud
- Never
- Verified
- 2026-09-22
The integration logs in to the camera itself with its local admin credentials, not a Reolink cloud account, and the docs say it keeps working with the camera's internet access blocked. The RLC-811A is on the tested-models list but is not one of the models certified under Works with Home Assistant.
Question 08 · the company
Reolink’s track record.
Nothing on record. That isn’t a clean bill yet: it takes a proper look through the vendor’s changelog, and that hasn’t been done for Reolink. No documented removal found. Firmware v3.1.0764/v3.1.0804 on AI cameras disabled the RTSP, RTMP, ONVIF, HTTP and HTTPS ports by default; Reolink documents how to re-enable them under Network > Advanced > Port Settings (community.reolink.com). A default change the owner can undo is not a revocation. To assert false we would need a firmware changelog or HA integration history showing local access continuously available; absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.
Editor’s note
In plain words.
Cut the internet and this camera carries on: live view over the LAN, recording to its microSD card or a Reolink NVR, ONVIF and RTSP for whatever NVR software you run. You lose push notifications and viewing from outside the house. No Reolink account is needed at any point; firmware comes as a .pak file you upload yourself.
Wrong? Probably somewhere.
Say where. A link and a sentence is enough. Every claim above carries its source so it can be checked.