New onboarding process requires internet for camera account?

[PetePeter]

I've had this C200 for 5 years now. it's been working mostly okay, but ofc it had the crippled fw so it cant use the integration, that was ok as I could still use rtsp.

Yesterday I decided I wanted to attach it to HA.
I blocked its internet, i reset it, i removed from app, i re-added. I set up camera account. I could view locally only via the Tapo app - but - the camera account would not work.

I could not connect from HA
I could not connect from go2rtc/frigate
I could not connect from onvif android app (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.biyee.onvifer&hl=en-US) (which i had used it for 5 years)

however, the onvif app log looked like the camera was responding to some things appropriately but not others.
I decided to unblock internet and reset-and-re-add
It didnt work either.

I updated Tapo android app and reset-and-re-add with internet unblocked, then the camera account worked fine with rtsp.
I re-did it again without internet, and it didnt work again.

This is hw.v.1 c200 on 1.3.9
Blocking done via my routers 'parental control' where i can block WAN access to a mac address

Has anyone else experienced this?
If not, then i'm going to try to hw downgrade next.