Hi @hsingh,
Great question! Yes, there are a few ways you can do this:
- Use the photon on a wifi network, but without internet. You could use “MANUAL” mode. Manual will let you turn on the Wi-Fi (or not), and connect to the internet (or not). But it might require some small changes in your app.
https://docs.particle.io/support/troubleshooting/mode-switching/photon/#manual-mode
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Talk to your school’s IT department about whether they’d help by whitelisting your photons MAC address past the portal. School IT Departments are filled with awesome people who like gadgets just as much as you do. (You can find your MAC address here https://docs.particle.io/support/troubleshooting/troubleshooting-tools/photon/#display-mac-address )
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A portable hotspot is a good idea as well! (And probably the easiest if your school doesn’t want to help facilitate your project )
Thanks,
David