Door locks are your trusted friends who defend your homes and keep them safe in your absence. Although, the feelings of friendship are not mutual as many people literally fight their door locks to find a way inside their homes. If you are one of those people, then this guide to smart door locks is here to help you. No more searching for the keyhole in the dark or struggling with the keys. Just open your home with a simple tap on your smartphone. It is not a fantasy movie’s storyline but the reality of smart homes today. Keep reading to learn all there is to know about smart door locks.
What is a Smart Door Lock?
A smart door lock is an IoT-based door lock that is enabled with Wi-Fi connectivity. Once paired with your home Wi-Fi network, a smart door lock can be operated from remote locations via a specific application on your smartphone. It is the latest upgrade in the home security line and a reliable option compared to ordinary door locks that are commonly used. While the basic concept behind all smart door locks is the same, the mode of connectivity differentiates them into different types of smart locks. You can also read our blog to find out what is a smart door lock and how it works.
Different Types of Smart Door Locks
IoT-based smart door locks, as mentioned earlier, have various modes of connectivity out of which the following three are the most common Wi-Fi, Z-wave, and Bluetooth. Let us study each of these types of smart plugs briefly.
Wi-Fi Door Locks
Smart door locks with built-in Wi-Fi connectivity are the most common type of smart locks available in the market. These are the superstar door locks with all the smart features like remote access, push notifications, and password sharing. Unlike other smart door locks, they do not work in range and thus allow you to permit people in your home even when you are sitting miles away. Compared to the other available protocols, the Wi-Fi smart door locks are the most efficient and feasible option for a modern smart home.
Bluetooth Door Locks
Bluetooth door locks are the second most preferred choice for smart door locks protocol. While these are more energy-efficient, they have a limited range of connectivity and cannot be remotely controlled. The functional range for Bluetooth smart locks is 200 – 300 ft. which obviously limits their effectiveness as a “smart” door lock. Besides, Bluetooth-enabled locks cannot connect to a common hub instead, they only connect to your phone or tablet. For truly smart home, you would need a door lock that connects with other smart devices that are a part of your home.
Z-Wave Door Locks
Z-Wave-based door locks, unlike the Bluetooth door locks, cannot directly connect to your phone or tablet. They need a common hub through which they can access the Wi-Fi router of your home. Once paired with the Wi-Fi they can be remotely controlled from anywhere. There is still a limitation to the Z-wave protocol that again puts it at a slight disadvantage. Z-Wave connection range is a maximum of 120ft. And therefore the lock needs to be within this range of distance from the hub. Although other Z-Wave devices can bounce on the signal up to four times and that leads to a total extendable range of approx 500ft. The transmission of the wave across multiple devices results in weakening of the strength and therefore delayed action.
Further in this guide, you will find details and the advantages of smart Wi-Fi door locks.
Smart Features of Modern Door Locks
Smart door locks are emerging as one of the most sought-after smart devices and it is not for nothing. These smart gadgets are loaded with such amazing features that you would want to buy a smart door lock once you learn about all of them.
Wi-Fi Enabled: The most important feature that really makes a smart door lock “smart” is Wi-Fi connectivity. As the smart door lock connects with your home Wi-Fi network, it gets access to the internet. Through internet access, it receives the commands that you convey to it from the app on your smartphone. Wi-Fi locks work best with a 2.4GHz network with a decent internet speed. A weak internet connection will lead to delayed response so make sure that your Wi-Fi router is always on and the internet strength is good.
Global Remote Access: As explained above, smart door locks connect to the internet via your Wi-Fi network. Once they are connected to the internet and the strength is good, they can be controlled from anywhere. As long as you are within your cell’s network coverage area, you can convey the commands to your smart door lock.
App Control: Unlike ordinary locks that need keys to open or lock, smart door locks are controlled through an application on your smartphone. There are multiple universal applications with which you can pair your smart door lock as well as individual apps for a particular brand. The last moment key search is a thing of the past as you can easily lock or unlock your doors with an app on your phone.
Access Sharing: There are many different members in one family and all of them follow a very different daily routine. A small mistake of not carrying your key can lead to you stranded outside of your home for hours. WIth the access sharing feature in smart door locks, none of your family members have to worry about losing your keys anymore. All they need to do is install the application on their phone and all of them will be able to control the smart lock.
Home Assistant Compatible: With the help of smart home assistants like Google Home and Alexa, you can easily control your smart door lock with your voice. You can command Alexa or Google Home to open or close the smart door lock.
Find out more about smart door lock functions and features.
Advantages of Using IoT Based Locks
The list of advantages of smart door locks over ordinary locks is a small one but each and every point on that list is extremely valuable. Imagine being on a trip and in the middle of nowhere, you get this extreme pang of fear that you cannot recall whether you locked the door before setting out or not. Well, rest assured of never getting that feeling ever again with a smart door lock. Besides this scenario, there are a few other major advantages of using smart door locks that are mentioned below.
In-Home Delivery: Online shopping is a craze more than a need or just a trend and it is becoming a preferred choice for more and more individuals. It provides for such a convenient option of staying in while shopping across brands and multiple varieties. However, sometimes it becomes a choice between going to work or staying home for the order that is “out for delivery”. When waiting for something precious most people choose to stay home and accept the order in person instead of leaving it up to the neighbors or much worse letting the order wait outside your door.
With smart door locks and their remote access feature, in-home delivery is becoming popular day by day. Instead of taking a day off, you can easily permit the delivery man to put your order inside your home and then lock the door safely as he goes back.
Grant Access to Friends and Family: Sometimes in life, happiness comes unannounced in the form of surprise visits from friends and family. While most people are good at planning these surprises, sometimes there can be confusion and they might end up stuck outside your door when you are not even home. It literally pays to have a remote access feature in your smart door lock on such occasions.
Instead of panicking and thinking of solutions, you can simply open the door lock from your phone without even being present at your home. All thanks to the remote access due to inbuilt Wi-Fi connectivity in smart door locks.
100% Security: The world is full of terrible people and they would go to any limit to fulfill their own desires. Unfortunately, even today, theft and robbery are the most common crimes that happen across the globe. An ordinary lock is susceptible to breaking and entering. Besides, your key could be easily duplicated and lead burglars straight into your home. With a smart door lock, you are in full control of who enters your home and who does not. These locks are theft-proof and cannot be picked like an ordinary lock. Even if someone tries to forcefully enter your home, you will get notified on your smartphone instantly. Now that in itself is a big advantage of using smart door locks.
Forget the Keys: A mentioned multiple times in this guide itself, the smart Wi-Fi door locks are controlled by an application on your phone. Unlike losing the keys which can happen to anyone any day, losing your phone is much less likely. As long as you have your phone with you, you need not worry about your keys. As a backup you can also get your smart lock paired with a friend or family member’s phone so that in case your phone is lost, then you can still get inside your home. Also, many smart door locks also come with keys so that in no condition you are locked out of your own home.
All these amazing benefits make a smart door lock totally worth buying.
Looking to Buy a Smart Door Lock? Go Through This Buying Guide
Now that you have read about the smart features of the new age door locks, it is obvious to be tempted and smart door locks for your home. But wait, don’t rush into anything. Before buying a smart lock, you must have clarity on quite a few topics. Home security is a serious business and in a young market, there are many products that still need slight polishing and smoothening around the edges. Go through this quick buying guide to understand what options are out there and which ones are best for your need and your budget.
Type of Locks
Before buying the best smart door lock in the market, you must consider what type of door lock will fit best in your home. Smart locks come with three types of locking mechanisms:
1- Deadbolt: The most common type of lock mechanism used in smart locks is the deadbolt mechanism. The deadbolt in itself can be of three types that include deadbolt attachment, interior deadbolt replacement, and complete deadbolt locks.
Deadbolt attachment type locks attach to your existing deadbolt and therefore it is important to not throw away your old door lock without understanding how the new one works.
The interior deadbolt attachment uses the exterior hardware and replaces the interior part of your existing door lock.
If you are looking to completely replace your existing door locks then the complete deadbolt locks are the right choice for you as they completely replace both internal and external hardware of your existing locks and come with their own set of keys as well.
2- Lever: These types of locks are best suited for internal door locks with a single-hole model like doorknobs.
3- Mortise: Mortise locks are more complicated in that the lock mechanism is integrated with the door handle to form a single unit. It is therefore recommended to hire a locksmith instead of trying to install it yourself.
Security Level
A door lock is no toy, it is a device that secures your home from unwanted intruders. Therefore it is necessary to make sure that your smart door lock has the required layers of security that truly makes it unbreachable. There are five levels of security depending upon the technology and locking mechanism used in smart door locks in India. Before buying a smart door lock you must make sure that it is at least above the third level.
1- Basic Security: Locks with conventional mechanical locking systems like single row pin cylinder, lever, wafer, and tumblers fall under this category.
2- Ultra Safe Technology: This category comprises the computerized dimple key locks that can be opened only by their own keys. There are over 100 million key combinations that can be provided in this locking system in a multi-row-pin-cylinder door lock.
3- Extra Safe Technology: This system provides up to two billion key combinations for locks using angular multi-row pin-cylinder technology. A complex master key solution is possible in this system.
4- Highest Mechanical Safety: 30 trillion key combinations and a three curve system with a floating pin and sidebars and locking bars for the highest level of mechanical safety in door locks.
5- Digital Access Technology: This is the category that digital smart door locks belong to and it is way ahead of the security provided by a mechanical lock. These locking systems involve the use of virtual networks and function through access and control systems.
Needless to mention that almost all smart door locks fall under the fifth level of safety standards. You just need to consider smart locks with an integrated key unlock mechanism as a backup. Another thing to be aware of is the cybersecurity features in your smart lock. Make sure that it has an encrypted database that cannot be breached by a hacker.
Check out the detailed buying guide for smart door locks in India.
Unlock and Backup
Technological advances have made life much easier and more efficient but sometimes technology doesn’t come through. Trying to unlock your home after a long day at work is not the time that you want the technology to fail you. That said, you never know when it may happen and thus it is important to make sure that your smart dor locks have a proper unlocking system with a backup, just in case. Let’s discuss how smart door locks unlock.
Passcode: Most smart door locks available in India use password protection for locking and unlocking the door. While some of these come with an in-built keypad you will have to buy an add-on keypad for others. Make sure to choose a lock that comes with a keypad to avoid spending extra.
Remote: Most smart door locks with IoT technology are remotely accessible through an application on your smartphone. You can easily open or close your smart locks just by tapping the unlock/lock button on your smartphone.
Keyless/Geofencing: Another option of unlocking your home is by integrating your smart lock with a smart home system. Using your current location from your smartphone, such smart home systems initiate door locking and unlocking.
Key: While smart door locks are all about keyless entry into your home, some smart locks provide a physical key for backup.
Budget
The most important thing to decide before buying a smart door lock for your home is to understand how much you want to spend on your home security. It goes without saying that it is not wise to skimp on money when looking to secure your home and your loved ones. Smart door locks are one of the most expensive smart devices that you can buy. The price of smart door locks in India ranges from ₹3,100 to as high as ₹60,000. While some of the products in this range are single door locks to be used for one door only, others include a set of multiple door locks integrated with each other.
If you are looking to upgrade your home security with smart door locks, you can get highly reliable and trusted products at a minimum spend of ₹7,000 to ₹12000. The zunpulse smart door lock is one of the best smart door lock options available in the market and you can buy it online at the starting limit of the aforementioned range.
Smart Wi-Fi Door Lock by zunpulse: Best Smart Lock For Alexa & Google
zunpulse is a leading Indian brand in the field of IoT-based devices and home automation products. When it comes to smart control in Indian homes, the smart plugs by zunpulse are one of the most trusted and praised by the users. The key factor which makes zunpulse smart plugs a popular choice are:
- Engineered by IITians: zunpulse is a brand founded by engineers from IIT, one of the most prestigious institutes of engineering in India and the world. That in itself is a trusted stamp of quality.
- Affordable: If there had to be just one word to describe the smart devices by zunpulse then it has to be ‘affordable’. Tech has always been out of the common man’s pocket but everybody deserves a smart lifestyle. Thus zunpulse aims to make home automation affordable for everyone.
- Made in India: Ever since the pandemic hit the world and the country, “Made in India” products have become a preferred choice for most people in India. The zunpulse smart door lock is a completely locally manufactured product that puts it ahead of other foreign-made products in the market.
- Instant Chat Support: A common problem with most brands in the smart devices niche is the absence of support. Zunpulse understands your concern and you get instant chat support to help you with all your doubts.
- 1 Lakh+ Homes Impacted: In the past 5 years, zunpulse has transformed over 1 lakh homes from regular homes to smart homes and this is just the beginning.
- 10000+ Dealers and Distributors: You can easily buy zunpulse smart products offline at your nearest electronics store. With a 10000+ dealer and distributor network pan India, zunpulse is one of the fastest-growing brands in tech and science as established by the Startup India award for the best brand in tech and science 2021.
zunpulse Smart Door Lock Specifications
Connectivity- Wi-Fi enabled
Power Source- Wired
Voltage- 12V-18V DC
Max Current- 1A
Key- Standard Key
Input Voltage- 12V
Compatible OS- Android/iOS
Suitable for- Inside Opening Doors
Dimensions- 12.5cm x 9.90cm x 4.40cm
Step-By-Step Guide for Wi-Fi Door Lock Installation Guide
Smart locks are fairly new in the Indian market and with a growing user base, the doubts about the installation of a smart door lock are also increasing. If you too are wondering about how to install a smart door lock, then stop. Here is a step-by-step guide that will help you to install a smart door lock by yourself.
A| Mount Your Door Lock
Step 1
Using the three screw holes, fix the forend on the door frame or the wall beside the door where the lock needs to be installed.
Step 2
Open the lock body, place it beside the forend and mark a point on the wall for making a keyhole.
Step 3
Make a keyring-sized hole in the door.
Step 4
Insert the key cylinder in the keyhole from outside. Make sure the circular hole at the key cylinder is at 90o
Step 5
Using two long bolts, fix the lock plate on the inside of the door.
Step 6
Cut the extra length from the cylinder tab and the bolts.
Step 7
Insert the cylinder tab in the lock body and fix the lock body on the door using metallic screws.
Step 8
Once mounted, connect the lock to a power supply using the adaptor provided.
B| App Registration and Login
Step 1 – Download the zunpulse App
To download the zunpulse App, scan the provided QR code given on the box with your mobile or find the zunpulse App on Play Store/App Store.
Step 2 – Logging In
In the zunpulse app, log in using your mobile number. If you already have an account, you may log in to your account by following the instructions on the app.
Step 3 – Registration
Follow the instructions on the app to complete the registration
C| Setting up Your Door Lock
Step 1: Resetting Device
Manually lock and unlock the device three times. The door lock will automatically open and come in reset mode ready for configuration within 90 seconds.
Step 2: Adding Device
Open the zunpulse App and go to the ‘Add Devices’ option and select ‘smart door lock’. Click ‘Next’.
Step 3: Connecting Wi-Fi
Enter your 2.4 GHz WiFi details. Make sure that your phone is connected to the same 2.4 GHz WiFi to which you are connecting the device. The connection may take some time depending upon the strength of your Wi-Fi network.
Note: A secure 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network is required for your smart plug to work.
Step 4: Naming the Device
Once the device is connected click on ‘Done’ and save the name of the device.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Smart Door Locks Integrate With Smart Homes?
Yes, there are smart door locks available in the market which readily integrate with smart homes. Zunpulse smart door lock is one of those and it can be integrated with Alexa and Google Assistant as well.
Do Smart Locks Need Power?
Some smart locks run on batteries while most of the smart locks available in the market need a power supply. The zunpulse smart door lock comes with a cord and an adaptor as it needs a power supply to function.
How Do Wi-Fi Smart Locks Work?
Wi-Fi smart locks connect to your home Wi-Fi router and gain access to the internet. Through the internet, they receive the commands that you give on your app, and thereby you are able to lock or unlock your home from anywhere. For proper working of wi-Fi smart locks, 2.4Ghz wi-Fi network along with a decent internet connection is mandatory.
Do Smart Door Locks Require a Key?
The best feature of smart Wi-Fi door locks is a keyless entry in your home. They have been built for the people who cannot ever lose their keys enough times. Thus almost all smart locks allow keyless entry and do not need a key. Although there are a few smart locks that give a key as a backup option for entry in case of a technical glitch.
Can Smart Locks Be Hacked?
Yes, with wireless technology there is always a chance of a cyber breach. However, it is not easy as most smart door locks keep your passwords protected with encryption. Besides, you can reduce the risk of hacking by constantly changing the passwords of your door locks. Then again, even mechanical locks can be hacked open but in comparison, it is much harder to hack a smart lock.
