I’d like to gather the collective knowledge/experience out here for when it comes to smart locks.
What locks are used out there working with OH2 and what are your experiences with these locks?
There’s sometime regions (Country, Continent) mentioned together with locks, why?
Matching a lock to OpenHAB2 requires the lock to be VERY close to the controller, does anyone have a trick for that?
Any other reflections for smart locks?
I use Danalock V2 and IDLock 101.
Danalock V2 is quite stable. Battery reporting seems to be digital to 100% or 0% but the batteries last almost a year.
Danalock V2 features are: key, z-wave, bluetooth (no keypad or NFC)
IDLock 101 was quite a disappointment.
When using the z-wave module I have to change batteries approximately every month.
I tried to use rechargeable batteries but they appear to be just a tiny bit thicker and don’t fit.
Every second month I have to tighten the screw that holds the handle so It doesn’t come off
I had to shutdown the server and move it temporarily close to the door. Not a good solution.
Searching for a secure z-wave lock with keypad, always power connected or at least a year battery lifetime.
I use a Yale Keyfree Connected (YKFCON) in the UK - it works very well.
ZWave uses different frequencies in different regions - it needs to match with the controller and other devices old in your region. Using devices from different regions is, in theory, illegal as it violates radio regulations.
No - this is incorrect. The range of ZWave is 10 to 15 meters and most devices should work fine over this range. There have been reports that some devices need to be very close, and for very old locks, this might be the case, but anything new should work over the full range.
I have the August Smartlock Pro with separate keypad. Both lock and keypad are battery-powered. I had to replace the batteries in the keypad after about 6+ months. The lock is still on the original batteries after about 10 months. The lock included on the first try (about 6 meters from the controller) and has been very reliable. This is one of the ugliest locks out there. Fortunately, I have mine installed on a basement door…
I have a Schlage BE468CAM605. I tried to include this without success on an older version of the binding. I haven’t had time to try it with the current version of the binding (it’s in another location). I expect to have much better luck as I know other people are using these locks successfully.
I had an older Kwikset lock that I tried countless times to include. Once I got it included (with the Zensys tool), the batteries would last only a week. This was quite a while ago on a relatively early version of the binding. At some point I might try it again.
This was not my experience with the August lock. I included it from about 6 meters away.
If you really do need the lock and controller to be in close proximity, you could try using the Zensys tool on a windows laptop to do the inclusion. You just need to make sure you enter the network key from HABmin into the Zensys tool. I think there’s a procedure for this buried somewhere deep in the massive Z-Wave thread.
Based on my experience, and what I’ve read on this forum, there seems to be a lot of variability with locks. So, YMMV. Best to study the forum posts here and elsewhere before you buy.
I have a two Kwickset SmartCode 910 Deadbolts. My experience has been mostly positive. The best part about them is they can be configured to lock automatically after being open for 30 seconds. The code entry is pretty weak though. They doubled up the numbers on the buttons so there is practically only 3125 possible combinations compared to the 10,000 possible combinations on a keypad with a separate button for each number. But coupled with other mitigation like a camera and motion sensor 3125 is plenty. I also have a keyed not automated deadbolt we can use if the house will be empty for awhile. I’ve only recently added them to my zwave network and they seem to work great.
The manual for these locks do say to bring the lock very close to the controller. However, I was able to include one of the locks on the first try in place. The other one though I couldn’t get it to include so I took it off the door and brought it to within a few inches of the controller but it still wouldn’t include until after about the 10th or so try. I don’t know if the distance had anything to do with it but suspect the answer is no since it had problems even when it was within inches of the controller.
I’m ambivalent about them. I LOVE the fact that these will lock automatically after 30 seconds. I know that if my door is closed, the lock is locked. No integration or any Rules are necessary. However, I also love that I can now track the battery and get an alert instead of relying on the flashing light on the lock. Being able to unlock the doors with the pin is really convenient, way more so then getting out my phone or shouting at Google or digging in my keys for my keys. But even this is a rare event as we mainly exit and enter through the garage which doesn’t have an automated deadbolt.
But in terms of home automation they have not been much of a game changer. The only reason I included them was to get the battery level. I’ve no plans to do any more. Lots of people have concerns about how secure the locks are and honestly, given some of what I’ve seen and read I’d stay far away from BT or WiFi locks.
Just to clarify, would including a lock with security also work without direct contact with the controller, through a non-battery repeater?
You have often said that the time is crucial when including with security, would you say more important is that OH2 is stable (e.g not directly after a restart)?
Hmmm - I’m less sure about this. NWI (Network Wide Inclusion) should work with secure devices, but NWI is only available in newer devices (let’s say ZWave Plus devices) so for sure it will narrow down the number of devices that might support this. My Yale lock, which is only a couple of years old has a module inside that is a lot older and for sure doesn’t support this.
More important than what? I’d say it is definitely important that the network has settled after a restart though. While secure traffic is prioritised in general over other traffic, the binding doesn’t (currently) do anything to stop other traffic during secure inclusion, so it’s possible that other traffic can get in the way here and cause problems. This is something I’ve been thinking about, but it’s not really simple to solve as it involves passing information between the protocol layers which is messy at best…
For the security handshake to happen, the device must be close to the controller. This is because the secure connection is established with a reduced radio signal output.
No - that’s not correct - as I said above. Some old devices may do this, but this is not the recommendation from ZWA these days and most devices I’ve personally tested with do not require to be close to the controller.
For Schlage, for inclusion w/trx sec, I am required to unplug and move the RPI and Stick next to the lock. This is a pain unfortunatly.
I can’t say for sure but the Schlage 469 seems to have a week signal. I have devices much further away and I never loose signal. It’s 8 metters away and around a corner with a repeater in between and still has issues.