'Dumb' automation via clocks and timing? - FMHY

I like automation, but I prefer things to run independently if possible. One way to do this is via clocks and timers. 1) what is this type of automation called? What keywords can I combine to find these tools? 2) if I want power to be cut by time automatically, is there a gang extension cable I can get to do this? 3) I want to set my lights to a timer. I couldn’t find a manual timer, so I had to get an IoT timer instead. Since I cheaped out with some rubbish Chinese switch, it was a pain to setup. Anything easier to set a 24hr cycle for? Thanks!