Does Lutron require wifi?

Lutron does not require WiFi for basic operation of its switches and dimmers, which is a major advantage over many other smart switch brands, although WiFi or internet is needed for app and voice control. Lutron Caseta, RadioRA, and HomeWorks systems use Lutron's proprietary Clear Connect RF wireless protocol, which operates on a quiet frequency band separate from WiFi, to communicate between dimmers, switches, Pico remotes, and sensors. This means that even if your WiFi router is down or internet is out, you can still turn lights on and off manually at the wall switch and via Pico remotes, and programmed scenes stored in the Smart Bridge or main processor still work locally. For smart features like controlling lights from the Lutron app on your phone when away from home, scheduling based on sunrise sunset, integrating with Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit, Sonos, or Ring, you do need the Lutron Smart Bridge or main processor connected to your home network via Ethernet and your home needs WiFi for your phone to talk to the bridge locally. However, the core lighting control does not depend on WiFi signal strength or congestion, so it is much more reliable than WiFi-only switches from TP-Link, Leviton, or others that become unresponsive when WiFi is weak.