Hello Lemmy!
I have moved to a walkable area and no longer need to have my car keys on me all the time. My landlord has put in a crappy 4 digit combination style door lock, but said I could change it.
What is the best kind of keyless door lock that I can use instead? Ideally one with decent enough security to be as good or better than a key?
Thanks for your input!
If you watch lock picking lawyer, you may as well just leave it open. Most smart locks seem to prioritise convenience over security. -possibly check that your insurance is happy with a smart lock.
As my father would say “locks keep honest people honest”
So what is the best way of securing a door without spending thousands?
I’d go with a good quality traditional key lock fitted properly in a good door and frame. Security isn’t a single point task, it depends on many things so think like a bad person and do what you can to make your property a harder target than your neighbours.
A good lock on a bad door doesn’t work, neither does a bad lock on a good door. Everything needs to work together. If you’re likely to lose your keys or many people need access a smart lock may be an idea, but good probably isn’t cheap. If it’s just you and you can keep your keys safe, then I think tried, tested and simple kit is good.
Ultimately though, as ever, it’s your risk assessment based on your needs.
A good lock on a bad door doesn’t work
Oh, it does work. It saves the lock from being picked if a sharp kick does the job ;-)
Good advice. Thanks. 🤝
This is a high quality lock that will not be picked, either by a thief or a locksmith. Don’t lose your keys!
It is expensive but far less than the thousands you mentioned. Of course without armor to prevent kicking down the door, the best lock in the world won’t help you, so installing some armor would be a good thing to do.
https://securitysnobs.com/Abloy-Protec2-Single-Cylinder-w-Lockable-Thumbturn-Deadbolt.html
I know most aren’t great—that’s why I’m asking for suggestions here.
Replace “most” with “all of them” and you’ll get somewhere… I have still to find one I’d be using, and so far I’ve only found crap and worse crap.
I know enough about smart technology to know the best lock is the old school analog ones. A hacker can break into many RF based locks with a toy turned garage door opener master key.
The cloud based always connected to the internet ones are even spookier and I dont trust my network security enough for that shit and honestly neither should you
Look I understand the temptation of smart technology connecting to your phone but were not talking about a fridge with a camera and mic that connects to the internet here. If there’s one thing I dont want hackers potentially getting into its the literal locks and bolts to my home and car. Get something analog.
Locksmith here. What specifically are you looking for? I can tell you now, avoid Level, they are incredibly vulnerable to brute force attacks. I would also steer clear of any “Amazon” type smart locks. If it’s not a major brand, it hasn’t been vetted and there’s little one can do as a consumer if it fails.
I’ll give more detailed recommendations depending on your needs, and pro/con of the options available that meet that need. Do you need:
- A key override if batteries die?
- (Or no key at all, ever?)
- Internet connectivity/app integration?
- Latch monitoring?
- Price range?
Thank you!
My main requirement was getting away from needing a key, and making sure the door locks behind me. I would like to avoid network capabilities unless they are local and very secure. Long battery life or no battery at all would be ideal.
I was thinking about a 6-8 digit combo lock made out of something that doesn’t wear easily so the buttons aren’t revealed overtime, that makes certain that the door locks behind you—an issue with the current lock that requires a button to be mashed for locking every single time.
Kwikset Obsidian
No key, use a 9V battery on the exterior terminals if you get locked out because of a dead battery
User codes 4-8 digits in length
Smudge resistant touchscreen, sometimes annoying to activate
Discontinued, but you can find them on Amazon
Compatible with standard US deadbolt prep, no additional drilling required
Has an automatic relock option, locks itself after 30 seconds. Just didn’t forget, if you propped the door open for a minute, the bolt is extended. Don’t mindlessly slam the door
Because this doesn’t have a keyway, I have no problem recommending this Kwikset. Kwikset Smartkey has gotten better, but still has vulnerabilities that I didn’t like.
I don’t do auto lock ever because I’m screwed if I walk outside (get mail for example) without my phone or keys.
Physical Abloy-style lock, not a “smart” lock.
Go see some cybersecurity type people, & see that they put physical security in place where they value real security.
ITIS ( Information Technology Information Systems ) has many vulnerability & attack-surfaces that “dumb” metal doesn’t.
If you look, you will discover that there is a news-story about a company which did the hotel-locks for zillions of hotels in our world, that had a fundamental compromise in their design, & now everybody has to replace all those locks, but … that isn’t going to happen, is it?
IOW, criminality-industry was helped by all that “convenient” ITIS.
Please consider going with an Abloy Protec style physical-lock.
The Lockpicking Lawyer could get in, as could some of his equals, in mere minutes, but for the opportunistic-jackassery of normal robberies?
You can’t EMP a non-digital-lock to kill it, can you?
There isn’t a backdoor in the thing ( unless you multi-key it, but even then, with 21 iirc discs in the thing… it’s still locked )
etc.
Abloy mentioned, torille!
You are using a Master Lock 607. It can be opened using a Master Lock 607. (smacks locks together, causing them to open)
— Trevor McNally, 2023
If you’re gonna be putting a number lock or anything of the sort on anything, make it a lock box to keep the key for the door in.
Focus on a secure key lock instead of trying to find a better alternative, the best you can do is a harder to pick key lock.
Schlage makes a keyless entry lock that isn’t strictly “smart” (no wifi or Bluetooth) but is pretty well made and as secure as any common deadbolt lock. I have two and have been using them for several years with no problems. I can’t remember the model but they are in the $100 price class and most major hardware outlets have them.
As others have said, I’d stay away from any kind of fully remote lock.
Is a key that big a problem? Don’t you have to carry other keys anyway?
https://biggaybunny.tumblr.com/post/166787080920/tech-enthusiasts-everything-in-my-house-is-wired
Not anymore! I walk most places.
I have a couple of u-tec ones. They work on a fingerprint or code. You can set codes for other people either permanently or temporarily. If you have the Wi-Fi bridge you can lock it and unlock it from a distance. They’re not cheap.
Take an electrical lock with good mechanical quality. No smartness inside the lock itself, just a + and - wire.
Then put the “smartness” inside the house, where it cannot be attacked.
A cheap keypad on the outside, so you can replace it every year without shedding a tear.
Why would not needing a car key mean you can’t use other keys anymore? Just get a key and put it in your wallet.
It’s not that I can’t, it’s that I would prefer not to. Having nothing but an ID and credit card in skinny jeans is way better than the big bulge of keys.
A single key is as slim as any card…
A single key is also a loss risk if you take anything out of a pocket. I’m always nervous about a single key. And then there’s the ‘where did that go’ when you change without emptying the pockets because its so small you forget its there.
Yale z-wave work well and last a long time between needing to replace batteries, and can run off of rechargeables. Can add to home assistant and work with Siri and Alexa integrations on home assistant.
Had some Schlage locks that ran through batteries way too fast.
What’s wrong with a 4 digit combination?
It’s really easy to see over a shoulder, and if you are able to deduce the buttons that were pressed, then there are only 24 possible combinations. This lock has no timeout for failures, and there is another public door nearby which means that people will sometimes be near when I’m putting in the code.
How is it only 24? What am I missing? 0-0-0-0 to 9-9-9-9, no?
This is where I got that number from, and it assumes that there are no repeated buttons.
https://socratic.org/questions/how-do-you-figure-out-the-number-of-combinations-in-4-digit-numbers
Ah, ok, so there’s only 4 numbers to work with, and the code has to be a length of 4 as well? Can numbers not be repeated? It should be 4^4 I believe, because you can do 1-1-1-1, 1-1-1-2 etc.
Their assumption is that it is four digits long and the person knows which four digits but not the order.
Ah, ok. So it’s not just trying all combinations. The numbers could be worn out from pressing over and over, for example.
I like the August Smart Lock.
Related question: is there a product that can tell me if my door is locked or not? I’m not interested in a lock that is capable of unlocking itself, but I want to make HASS routines that remind me to lock the door.
August smart lock has a sensor to determine if the door is open/closed.
