# Controlling Photon with a WiFi connection but no internet **URL:** \ **Category:** Cloud\ **Created:** [November 17, 2015, 12:47am UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/controlling-photon-with-a-wifi-connection-but-no-internet/17523 "2015-11-17T00:47:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![invaderzim15](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/db5fbb/32.png) [@invaderzim15](https://community.particle.io/u/invaderzim15)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2015, 12:47am UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/controlling-photon-with-a-wifi-connection-but-no-internet/17523/1 "2015-11-17T00:47:23Z")
Hi, I just got a photon and have been playing around with it. I am a little unclear of how it’s actualyl working. Is it ONLY using my local wifi to be controlled over my computer or phone, or is it using a cloud. Secondly, how do I make it so that, if it is using a cloud to run code, not to. I want it to work there is no internet connection but still a Wi-Fi network. ---
**Author:** ![duffo64](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/community.particle.io/duffo64/32/7642_2.png) [@duffo64](https://community.particle.io/u/duffo64)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2015, 4:51am UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/controlling-photon-with-a-wifi-connection-but-no-internet/17523/2 "2015-11-17T04:51:12Z")
Reading [the docs](https://docs.particle.io/support/troubleshooting/mode-switching/photon/#automatic-mode) never hurts. ---
**Author:** ![MORA](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/community.particle.io/mora/32/8575_2.png) [@MORA](https://community.particle.io/u/MORA)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2015, 9:54am UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/controlling-photon-with-a-wifi-connection-but-no-internet/17523/3 "2015-11-17T09:54:13Z")
The tinker app uses the cloud, which is somewhat visible in the short lag from you touch the phone till the LED changes color. That said the photon are able to work without internet access, by selecting the correct system mode as @duffo64 linked, but the standard tinker app wont work then, you need to make some custom network communication system to interact with it. ---
**Author:** ![invaderzim15](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/db5fbb/32.png) [@invaderzim15](https://community.particle.io/u/invaderzim15)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2015, 8:48pm UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/controlling-photon-with-a-wifi-connection-but-no-internet/17523/4 "2015-11-17T20:48:06Z")
I still want it be be communicating with WiFi, just not the cloud. If I use the computer IDE, is there a way to tell it what to do using its IP address? ---
**Author:** ![duffo64](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/community.particle.io/duffo64/32/7642_2.png) [@duffo64](https://community.particle.io/u/duffo64)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2015, 9:09pm UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/controlling-photon-with-a-wifi-connection-but-no-internet/17523/5 "2015-11-17T21:09:23Z")
@invaderzim15 Could you elaborate a little ? What are you trying to accomplish ? ---
**Author:** ![invaderzim15](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/db5fbb/32.png) [@invaderzim15](https://community.particle.io/u/invaderzim15)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2015, 9:15pm UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/controlling-photon-with-a-wifi-connection-but-no-internet/17523/6 "2015-11-17T21:15:08Z")
I want to use the the photon as a soft access point, is there a way to do this? ---
**Author:** ![duffo64](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/community.particle.io/duffo64/32/7642_2.png) [@duffo64](https://community.particle.io/u/duffo64)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2015, 9:20pm UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/controlling-photon-with-a-wifi-connection-but-no-internet/17523/7 "2015-11-17T21:20:55Z")
Sure. See [here](https://community.particle.io/t/photon-softap-usage/11035).