In this blog entry, the Raleigh emergency locksmith service and lock repair experts here at Locksmith Knights will detail the most important things to know about keyless locks.
What are Keyless door locks?
Keyless door locks are either manually operated or work through smartphones with wireless connectivity. Keyless door locks use electricity, a motor, and digital circuitry to replace or enhance the mechanics of traditional pin tumbler locks.
How do keyless door locks work?
There’s many types of keyless door lock operating methods. Many keyless door locks have entry modes operated with touch screens or keypads. Some Wi-Fi smart locks can be unlocked from locations around the world through the use of a smartphone. Some Z-Wave enabled smart locks can be remotely unlocked as long as you have a Z-Wave enabled home automation system or alarm in place as well. Smart Lock auto lock features eliminates the fear of getting locked out due to forgotten keys. Wi-Fi smart locks reduce the worry of forgetting to lock your door, allowing you to remotely lock your door from any location using the tap of a button on your smartphone. Often, keyless door locks have special backup physical keys that you can use in the event of battery failure.
Can keyless door locks be hacked?
Technically, yes, but extremely rarely keyless door locks can be considered just as secure – if not more so – than mechanical locks. Follow the following tips to keep your keyless door lock as secure as possible:
- Keep keyless lock firmware up to date
- Keep your security phone application up to date
- Secure your home internet network
- Use two factor authentication for app and website access
- Use complex passwords for the website
- Use access codes with as many digits as possible – 6 digits is far superior than 4 digits
- Give everyone a different access code
- Disable smart assistant voice commands that can unlock the door
- Enable timed lockouts after repeated access code failure attempts
Are keyless locks worth the price?
Yes, depending on your unique needs and preferences. Keyless locks offer fantastic convenience and peace of mind, and eliminate the risk of getting locked outside of your home due to a lost key. This saves you money that you would spend on rekeying service or even key duplication.
What’s the difference between a smart lock and a keyless deadbolt lock?
Smart deadbolt locks connect wirelessly to your smartphone, home internet router, smart home automation system, or smart security system. They can be remotely operated and controlled. You create access codes simply through an application or website. Smart locks also provide access audit records. Non-smart keyless deadbolt locks are not connected to external devices or internet networks. All access code programming and setup will be completed through the keypad. Non-smart keyless locks can be 100% mechanical as well, although this is rare.
