All About Smart Door Locks

The demand for electromechanical products continues to rise as businesses and homeowners realize that combining innovative electronics with traditional mechanical locks can offer much better flexibility and security.

Significant variations of these locks exist. Each type of lock is better suited to particular kinds of applications. A quick look at the options out there and their suggested uses will direct you to the best electronic keyless deadbolt lock for your needs.

Why is a Keyless Deadbolt Lock a Must-Have Item?

When it comes to everyday annoyances, a mechanical keyless deadbolt lock can be among the best problem solvers. Here are some examples how electromechanics makes better security and better flexibility coexist:

 You can unlock the door and get in, even if you’ve forgotten your keys.

• You can remotely unlock the door for a friend to come into your home to take care of your pets or plants or for whatever reason while you are away.
• You can remotely let the internet service provider or utility service man into your house when he arrives. There’s no need to take off work and wait around for someone to show up when you have an electronic keyless deadbolt.
• You can lock the doors while in bed if you’re not sure whether or not they’re locked.
• If you own a business, you can let the cleaning service person in and out, being assured that nobody leaves your business doors unlocked.

How Smart Locks Work

Smart locks work by electromechanics. Electromechanics use some processes and procedures from both electrical engineering and mechanical engineering. The result is that an electrical signal creates mechanical movement. A mechanical movement can also send an electrical signal.

Like a traditional lock, you need a lock and a key. When operating a keyless deadbolt lock, you send instructions on an authorized electronic device, such as a special key fob or smartphone. A cryptographic key, which is a piece of information, executes the process.

To grant one-time access to a third party, you send that person a virtual key to their smart phone or in email or by SMS. The key only works for the time period that you specify.

Besides locking and unlocking a door, a smart lock that is connected to wi-fi allows you to receive notifications of access and/or video of the person wanting access. Some smart locks are connected to a smart doorbell which lets you see who and when somebody rings the doorbell at the monitored door.

How to Choose the Best Smart Lock for Your Home

You’ll need to consider the following things when you choose an electromechanical lock for your home:

• A need for a lock to retrofit instead of replace the current deadbolt
• Scheduling and user code limits

What’s Available for Particular Needs

Need a Retrofit Smart Door Lock – If you live in an apartment and you are not allowed to mess with a door’s current deadbolt, you can get a smart lock that has a retrofit feature. An August Smart Lock Pro and Connect or the third generation of the August Smart Lock and Connect would have the retrofit feature you need. Both of these bundles have the Connect Wi-Fi module plus a DoorSense open/close door sensor.

Want a Simple Setup for a Home – A Schlage Encode Smart Wi-Fi Deadbolt does not offer Home-Kit compatibility, Z-wave devices, a Zigbee hub or a Wi-Fi module. You won’t get more than 100 user codes either. What you will get is built-in Wi-Fi that you link through an app to Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa. You can also connect it to Amazon Key if you expect a package.

Have a Large Business - If you are a large business that expects you’ll have to install request-to-exit devices, door contacts, electrified strikes and/or reader devices, you might want to consider getting an IDH MAX. Instead of dealing with separate installations, wiring and controlling of all of these various things, you would only have the IDH MAX to deal with. It comes in mortise or cylindrical lock applications.

Tips

• Remember that a smart lock’s primary purpose is security.
• Use a PIN code if you use a voice command unlock feature.
• Give access only to people whom you trust.
• Enable the auto relock feature so the door will always lock behind you.
• Realize that if smart home devices such as smart locks are connected to the internet, they become part of “the internet of things.” Some people like this notion. Others don’t, partly because that entire system can be compromised.
• You might want to use a lock that works with your Wi-Fi network or adapter if you don’t use hubs and your smart home uses voice assistants.

Conclusion

Business owners, home owners, apartment dwellers and others can find a smart lock that will suit their security wants and needs.

Today, businesses don’t have to put up with various types of door security devices because they can get one lock system that does it all. And homeowners don’t have to bother with complex smart lock systems – they can get a simple lock that gives them just what they need and no more.

Apartments are known to have multiple people, whether past tenants, maintenance workers, office employees or tradesmen in possession of a key to them. Any time several people have a key to one’s habitation, there is a high probability that place will be robbed more than once. In rental situations where a rental agreement forbids the changing out of locks, the ability to retrofit the existing lock brings peace of mind.

Always be smart when it comes to security. Know whom you can trust. Don’t give out more security passwords or any other security-related information than is needed.

You can read more about smart locks and keyless entry systems here:
https://propertyguardmaster.com/best-electronic-keyless-deadbolt-reviewed/