Electronic door locks offer convenience and accessibility, eliminating the need for a physical key to unlock your door. Yale YRD256 Assure Lock SL is a popular choice for homeowners, offering a combination of security, features, and aesthetics. Installing an electronic lock can be a rewarding DIY project, with detailed instructions and tips to ensure a smooth installation process.
Smart locks provide safety and security while offering convenient features like locking and unlocking without keys or ensuring home security while away. The Kwikset Juno 991J15SMTCP is a versatile option for most doors with lever locks, making it suitable for various door types. The lock is weather-resistant, but the back module needs to be protected from the weather.
The Xiaomi MiJia Door Lock is a semi-automatic style digital lock with an average battery life of 4200 hours. It can be used indoors or outdoors with a secret code or digital key. The lock can withstand water, humidity, cold, and extreme heat, making it a great choice for residential property owners.
Indoor settings mode allows for easy access to the lock, while outdoor modes prevent it from being released with a secret code or digital key. The Xiaomi MiJia Door Lock is a semi-automatic style digital lock that does not have a self-latching function.
📹 Trouble shooting electronic locks
Are electronic locks better than key locks?
Electronic locks offer keyless convenience, eliminating the risk of losing or misplacing keys. They can also provide better control over access through multiple unique pin codes, allowing for customized access and detailed logs of entry and exit times. They are easy to install and use, even for non-tech-savvy individuals, and can be activated via a smartphone, making nighttime use more convenient. However, they are generally more expensive to purchase and replace than regular keyed locks.
Electronic systems may not function properly during power outages, but most have a battery backup system. Additionally, electronic locks are not foolproof, as forgetting passwords or pin codes is not eliminated. Cyber hackers can compromise electronic systems, but most reputable locks have sufficient security features to minimize this risk. Despite these drawbacks, electronic locks can make entering, exiting, and securing homes or businesses easier with their range of swipe, code, and biometric options.
How long do electronic locks last?
Most smart locks last 6 to 12 months on a single set of fresh batteries or charge. Network-connected and Wi-Fi locks may last a few months before requiring batteries. Lockly models last 6-9 months in optimal use-case scenarios, with some models with extended battery life or Lithium rechargeable batteries and solar-enhanced charging lasting even longer. Even when the battery runs low, there is typically enough time before it dies.
What is the weakness of a smart door lock?
Smart door locks offer enhanced security but are also susceptible to hacking. Criminals can exploit vulnerabilities in the lock’s software or hijack your network to gain unauthorized access. To mitigate this risk, choose a reputable brand like Tenon, which invests in regular software updates and provides robust encryption.
Smart door locks offer convenience and keyless entry, making them ideal for busy homeowners. They allow easy access using smartphones, PIN codes, or fingerprints, making it convenient during busy times or adverse weather conditions. Some smart locks also allow for temporary access codes for guests or service providers.
However, smart door locks also have a power outage dependency. They require a power source to function, and in case of a power outage or battery failure, you may find yourself locked out of your home. To avoid this, ensure your smart lock has a backup power option, such as a physical key override or a separate battery backup system. Regularly checking battery levels and keeping spare batteries on hand can help mitigate this disadvantage.
Is digital lock safe for main door?
Digital door locks are safe and efficient security systems that offer various functions such as fingerprint usage, PIN codes, RFID access, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi. They are equally safe compared to manual locks, but the quality of the materials used also plays a role in their effectiveness. Digital locks can be hacked if the software is not up to date or secure. Therefore, it is recommended to choose a system that is both current and trustworthy.
AN Digital Lock offers products from cutting-edge companies using the latest technologies and physical materials. The Top 5 Digital Door Locks in Singapore provides an idea of popular locks among Singaporean homeowners.
What are the disadvantages of electromagnetic locks?
Magnetic locks are a strong and secure option for businesses, but they may be more susceptible to tampering due to their power supply. To maintain security, backup power and surveillance should be installed. Magnetic locks are dependent on a constant power supply, which can compromise the system and affect the lifetime cost of the locking mechanism. Additionally, the hardware for magnetic locks for businesses tends to be more expensive than other options.
Electric strike door locks and electromagnetic locks are versatile and can be used for various applications. Access control is a popular application for electric strike locks, as they can allow or restrict access based on specific identity requirements, credentials, or schedules. Security gates are also popular for businesses and organizations with security gates upon initial entry to the premises. Automatic doors are common applications for electric locks, as they control access and ensure doors remain locked when not in use.
Door strike electric locks are a viable option for less trafficked areas, as they work to keep doors locked from the outside, ensuring unauthorized access is not obtained without the right credentials.
In conclusion, choosing the right electromagnetic lock system depends on the specific needs of your business and the unique advantages and disadvantages of each type of mechanism.
Are electronic locks weatherproof?
The use of keyless locks is particularly advantageous in environments with extreme temperatures, as they possess a high degree of resilience to the effects of weather. The majority of brands are regarded as durable, thereby representing a reliable option for the majority of locksmiths.
Are electronic locks safer than key locks?
Keyless lock systems offer enhanced security, as traditional keys can be easily stolen or tampered with. They also provide controlled access, allowing you to control who enters your property and when. Some systems even log entry and exit times for added security. Additionally, smart locks can integrate with other smart home systems, allowing you to control lighting and create a welcoming environment when you unlock your door.
Where will you use electronic lock?
Digital locks are commonly used in public buildings like hospitals, offices, and schools, as well as domestic properties with multiple carers or nurses needing independent access. They offer numerous benefits compared to key and electronic locks, such as minimal potential issues and a straightforward operation compared to high-tech electronic access control options like biometric fingerprint readers.
Are electronic keys waterproof?
Car keys come in various forms, including traditional, remote, and keyless systems. Each has varying levels of water resistance, with traditional keys generally unaffected by water, while remote and keyless systems’ electronic components are more vulnerable. It’s important to understand that “water-resistant” does not necessarily mean “waterproof”. Misconceptions about car keys and water include that all keys are waterproof, which can lead to costly mistakes.
Most keys are not designed to be fully submerged, so it’s crucial to know the limits of your car key’s design to avoid accidental damage. Traditional keys are generally unaffected, but water can disrupt electronic signals in remote keys or keyless entry systems, causing them to become non-functional and requiring repair or replacement.
What is the difference between a smart lock and an electronic lock?
Electronic and smart locks are two types of locks that offer businesses new security features. Electronic locks, which use an electric current to lock and unlock, are typically controlled by a keypad or card reader and do not connect to the internet. Smart locks, on the other hand, are connected to the internet and allow remote control and monitoring via a mobile app or web interface. They usually use Bluetooth or Wi-Fi to connect to the internet and can be integrated with other smart home devices and systems. Smart locks often have additional features such as auto-locking and unlocking, remote access control, and the ability to grant temporary access to guests.
What are the disadvantages of using electronic locks?
Electronic door locks are advanced security systems that allow for remote locking and unlocking of doors, replacing traditional keys. However, they have several drawbacks, including high costs, high installation effort, potential for jamming and hacking, power failure, same access code, password forgetting, and non-recognition.
Technology has advanced significantly over the years, integrating it into various industries, including the locksmith industry. Electronic door locks are more secure than traditional locks, as they require skilled commercial locksmiths and can be jammed or hacked. They also have the potential for power failure, same access code, password forgetting, and non-recognition.
In conclusion, while electronic door locks offer numerous benefits, they come with their own set of drawbacks and challenges. It is essential to familiarize yourself with these options to ensure the security of your home and your belongings.
📹 Be Careful What You Wish For: Smonet Smart Lock
This video reviews a smart lock called the Smonet 150. The reviewer, who is known for their lock-picking expertise, highlights the lock’s vulnerability to a simple picking technique. They demonstrate how easily the lock can be opened using a turning tool and wave rake, raising concerns about its security.
After perusal hundreds of his articles, I feel like we’re part of a club – LPL targets us exactly, not even new viewers given the context of his words. No bull, no fluff, just “folks, you know what I do, check out the balls on this vendor daring to call this product a viable security solution”. LPL is a major influencer re: shopping (in a good way) that I scrutinize MOST things, not only locks, when making a purchase now. Less garbage purchases. Prioritize quality, always. Research, etc.
From their site …. just for a giggle!!! 💯 ‘What makes our products unique? SMONET has a R&D team composed of more than 60 senior engineers. The security products have a series of powerful and effective functions to detect and prevent any intruders, vandalism and intruders, and protect the safety of personnel and property.’
Don’t feel bad taking their locks and crapping all over them. If they don’t want the possible flaws pointed out they should at least know who the person is they asking to review something and what his general practice of such is. In your case it’s taking down the big companies who quit trying 50 plus years ago.
When my wife and I bought our condo a few years ago, it came with a Yale smart lock with a keypad and all that business. Naturally, to use the “smart” features, the app was required. I looked up the permissions the app “requires” to be installed on my Android phone. Sure enough, the permissions list is a mile long, just to unlock my front door with my phone. And, they share just about everything with third parties. So, I immediately removed the wi-fi module from the lock. Now it’s just a lock with a keypad.
I can see a company reaching out to you, asking if they can hire you as an independent consultant so they can find out how bad their locks are and what they can do to make them better. I can’t ever see any company reaching out to you asking to feature their locks, unless as you guessed they have never seen any of your articles.
As an 30+ swedish viewer of your work this made me think of a show we had here called “Plus”. It was a broad consumption journalism show that included reviews and stories form the real world of people being tricked by companies and in the end of most episode he trashed an item that was really bad. This lock would have gotten such a trashing and been thrown with force in that show.
I am not a fan of “smart locks” in general, but when that smart lock has three modes of entry on the door, and STILL requires a smartphone app to set things up, opening a fourth, and wandering access route, it makes me shiver. People put WAY too much faith in the security of their pocket computer. A computer that can be dropped, broken, lost, stolen, seized by police (with or without legal cause)… And they put access to their home, personal data and bank accounts all in that small slab.
The thing about the wave rake is, if you can use a wave rake on a lock you can use other things with similar shapes. I’ve wiggled open locks with letter openers that have a very similar shape, which means you can use other more everyday-type items to open locks without having an actual tool like a wave rake.
Not saying this is the case, but if I was shrewd, I would setup a situation where my product shows up in one of LPL’s articles to drum up outrage, then pull out a new product specifically at this timing to show “we’ve humbled by LPL’s article and have done corrections to make our lock way safer”. It’s unlikely LPL will review it again that soon (unless somehow this really gets on his nerves) so people might be inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt that they did this in goodwill. A short-sightned company would probably falter afterwards, sure, but otherwise this sounds like a pretty good way to rebound a company’s prospects and get free advertising provided they actually have some future product in mind, right? The latter might even benefit if LPL goes back to it again.
I don’t think they were expecting it to be unpickable and were probably hoping for insight about it. They literally got burned. There is a YouTuber I like to watch break games. He played the same game a few times and devs improved where he’d exploit. In this case, they should issue a recall on this product.
I’m curious about something. For the advanced pickers out there: what makes you choose top-of-the-keyway vs bottom-of-the-keyway for your tensioning? I’ve noticed that LPL seems to favour top-of-the-keyway, but has tensioned on the bottom in the last few articles. Does it make a discernible difference?
I love the idea that a bunch of stuffed suits would just go “this YouTube website has something to do with locks and has over 4 million subscribers! We should definitely ask if they will feature our product on their website. No, we don’t have time to watch even one single article from that website, just send them the lock, it’ll be great.”
It makes me sad that LPL assumes that no one in his audience is familiar with “The Monkey’s Paw.” It’s one of the best horror stories ever written. In addition to being adapted for stage and screen dozens of times, it has inspired an uncountable number of horror plots over the 120 years since it was published.
Could you actually do big comparisons of all the top smart locks? Show all the features not just the physical lock and maybe highlight the vulnerabilities of say wifi/Bluetooth, keypads, bad casing or install methods etc? That’d be really cool as these are becoming WAY more common – I need a good front, back, and completely outdoor gate one
This is something you see over and over again with these types of locks and that is that they concentrate on the flashing lights, beeps, keypads and electronics but, completely overlook the actual keyway. I’m sure it’s because they consider using the key as a last resort or only to be used in case the batteries or other sources of electricity fail. Their attitudes are so unbelievably basic and primal that they must think people will just take one look at this and think “oow shiny, Og like shiny, Og want shiny, Og buy shiny”.
If it requires an app, I won’t ever buy it. Besides the privacy issues that these things tend to have with possibly even worse programming and digital security measures on the server side of things. It makes you permanently dependent on the manufacturers continued support of the product. Try installing an app from 5 years ago. Likely, if the manufacturer didn’t update it, or worse, took it down, you’re unlikely to get it to work. The manufacturer can effectively lock you out of your product at any time they want.
I mean marketing is based on what people will buy, not necessarily what they ‘should’ buy. With how successful Masterlock is, and has been for decades, is kind of proof of that. Anyone with even a sliver of awareness to how locks are built, or just perusal a few LPL articles, knows they are garbage. However, why are people still buying them? The overwhelming majority of people out there still think they are good products. I would wager a solid 75% of people when buying a lock are looking at its physical appearance. Does it look strong. Doesn’t matter what its actually made of, just what it looks like. The next 10-15% or so are actually considering material strength and application of the lock. Next 5% are looking at how easily can it be bypassed or hit with an angle grinder. That very last 5% of people actually care what the core is.
Smonet must truly believe in “No such thing as bad press” Which tbh, might actually have a case. If it’s featured here and as a result a bunch of people write reviews about how bad it is, that all just drives up clicks and interaction on their website/amazon listing, which probably helps the algorithm push it to the top, generating more sales despite the poor rating. Most people don’t pay too much attention to the number of stars if the number of reviews is extremely high.
I wonder if LockPickingLawyer has a toddler. If yes, give that lil kiddo a waverake and teach it how to waverake the locks. Because I want to know if an actual toddler can defeat a smart lock. Because lets face it, smart locks pride themselves on good electic components, but they also use the crappest backup locks.
Caveat – this is NOT a criticism of LPL. Your articles are incredibly interesting, entertaining and educational and I watch every one. We see locks picked that are not mounted on doors on this website (with a few exceptions – most notably articles on April 1). This seems (from someone who doesn’t pick locks) like an easier way to pick than one that it mounted on a door, if for no other reason than it’s a “best case scenario” for picking the lock (you can dictate the angle of attack, how you hold it, where you place your tools, etc). It clearly still takes a lot of skill to open the locks. My question is this – How different is it to pick a mounted lock, in a situation where you just come upon a lock that you need to pick (or, if, say, you lock yourself out of your house, need to help a neighbor, etc)? Not for nefarious purposes, but just doing it “in the wild?”
Hi LockPickingLawyer ! I love your website and have been perusal for a long time now. I noticed that a lot of your articles are under 5 min long. In this article, you said “this lock is unacceptable at any price point”. Knowing that those articles represent locks that you opened with your skills, I was wondering if there is at least one lock that is acceptable for a given price point ?
Two thoughts: first, who wants to have to put the key in the lock upside down? What kind of design choice is that? And second, if you have to register for the smart phone app, I really hope there’s not a database somewhere that is inevitably going to be exploited, perhaps even with codes that will unlock people’s locks. I am plenty happy with the blocks from LSDA that my landlord put it in all of the unit doors and exterior doors in our building. I can handle a key. And if I really want some sort of notification that my door is locked or not, that sounds like putting a small magnet on the thumb turn, and a little maker project involving a Hall-effect sensor and an Arduino.
Question LPL, what is your opinion on replacing lock parts on things like this. Like the semi-fancy locks that you wave rake, things like that. What if one were to take the locks, pull the cores, and put new pins in, or similar changes. There are a few locks I’ve seen you destroy where my first thought is “you know, if they put in security pins, it would have lasted longer.” or a similar thought. Any opinions on that, or even tips/tricks for taking normal locks and beefing up security by swapping out a few components?
LPL- making utube shorts before they were popular… but seriously??? a 2.30 second article- he didn’t even start ‘picking it’ (with a wave rake no less) until 1.30, and had picked it four times before it hit 2 minutes… A sign hanging off the doorknob saying ‘please don’t open’ is probably higher security LOL
Nice, 4 picks in 27 seconds using a low-cost and zero-skill attack. Do they still do seppuku? This calls for seppuku. Although SMONET sounds like one of those cheap knockoff brands you see flooding Amazon all made in China, but I’m sure they could figure out the concept. Maybe email back some diagrams.
LPL: “I’m going to take a turning tool…” Me: “…and a WAVE RAKE? Savage!” Totally understandable not installing the apps, too…Unless you get a phone dedicated to just that purpose and even then the data they gather is unnecessary for function. I think it’s funny that programmers at my work only have phones and computers connected to the internet, where people in sales, marketing, support and other departments have web-enabled refrigerators, thermostats, toasters, washer/dryers and vacuums…
The lock pins are facing downward, practically BEGGING to unlock. The wave rake needs to barely make contact for the pins to slide into place, allowing for a quick pick. & I’m an amateur who knows next to nothing about locks, but I know how gravity works. Lol I think a person could pick with lock with a blast of air. – Am I wrong? Lol
ffs… I wouldn’t send you a damn thing unless I was A) 100% certain I had made best-in-class product with all of the features that matter in the places that matter with excellent materials, B) I was totally looking for someone to expose flaws so I can continue development cycle and fix them before shaming myself with a released product that was crap, or C) all of the above. Anyone doing anything other than that is asking to be shamed and rightfully so. This website is not one you bring the B team to.
They want it featured because it will increase activity on their product and boost the name in search algorithms. It doesn’t matter if a product, article, or social media post gets purely negative activity… a million downvotes has the same effect as a million upvotes. Activity = algorithm boost = money.
My takeaway from perusal this website is: If the Lockpicking Lawyer had to use The Pick That He And Bosnian Bill Made, or any other kind of ‘weird’ pick from the Genesis Set, it’s far more than good enough for me, because any attacker is definitely going to obtain destructive rather than covert entry. If the LPL single-pin picked it, or used a Lishi Tool, then it’s still good enough for me, because any casual opportunism will still be destructive rather than overt anyway. If the LPL comb-picked or wave-raked it, shimmed it, or did it in any other manner the LPL describes as ‘a low-skill attack,’ it’s absolute freaking garbage that any moron, including myself, can do, and only the fact that there is a lock at all deters only the most tenth-hearted casual opportunism.
By now it should be obvious that those featuring requests are just false flag attempts by a masterful lock competitor, who is buying up the market of bad locks, forging its manufacturers letter head and sending it to LPL in the hopes of getting those locks tested instead of their own… Since LPL is only doing a new article every few days that’s probably a viable tactic. Dear LPL, please either consider “Falling Star”s comment of 10sec clips for those locks (better even a special with 6 locks in a minute) or at least fairly compare it to an equal lock of a well known competitor! Thanks! 😉
Sorry I’ve been absent so long. I’ve been dealing with homelessness, a venous ulcer with which I graduated to Hugh Glass levels of stoicism (with the help of the local house flies), and a total hip replacement (I have 2) that decided to become completely disassociated from my pelvic bone. Now I am in the Hell Hole called “Skilled Nursing Facility” as I attempt to keep concentration focused on getting my wound healed (they seem to be only occasionally aware that I have this 80 cm^2 gash in my leg) so that my orthopedic surgeon can perform a revision surgery on that same leg’s hip. Perhaps four months away, God willing and the creeks don’t rise.
How typical low budget marketing works: (using search engines and all that) just type in key phrases, look for high traffic content, and then make an offer. (NO research involved, because you’re low budget, you can’t afford to digest 20+ content sources a day for any kind of legit content) so you just get contact info, send and forget.
The point is Smart Locks aren’t that smart. I wouldn’t trust a Smart Lock on an empty garden shed. And all this “You MUST have an app installed” is an absolute No-Go anyway and so are any connections over the internet to some dodgy server in a dodgy data center. This would also function with local servers that don’t require permanent Internet connections. Otherwise we soon have a “Your Subscription to Open-The-Lock has expired. Until you renew it for a ridiculous amount of money, we can’t allow you to access your home”.
Well. They wanted it featured; they got it featured. God rest their souls and I hope nobody outside of upper management loses their job over this. Good grief, destroyed by tension and a waverake. It’s very hard to do worse than that – you’d basically have to have a lock so bad he could comb-pick or bump-key it, and with how bad this one is, I can’t be certain bumping wouldn’t work.
Dear SmartLock manufacturers. If you cannot get your customers to pay for a decent mechanical lock inside your supposedly “smart” lock, at least build it so the mechanical lock is disconnected as long as the electronic lock has power. Or leave out the mechanical lock and put a warning on it to not mount it in a door to a room that has no second entrance. I installed an electronic lock at my front door years before those SmartLocks started to appear everywhere. I’m quite confident not even LPL could bypass that—the only thing outside the door is an RFID antenna loop inside the doorbell box. (Maybe sending 10,000 Volts down those 2 wires could fry the controller so it opens the door, or maybe doing that to the doorbell/intercom wires would do?)
So a while ago there was some research done into industries where reviews by experts are a big thing. The research (done by the New York Review of Books) found something interesting: if you’re famous, then a bad review is bad for sales. But if you’re not famous, getting a review AT ALL raises your profile. So even bad reviews were beneficial to the company.
Seems like the PR person believed their marketing material and didn’t bother to do any research into how secure the lock actually was. If the lock was actually good, a tentative thumbs up from LPL would be a good marketing boost. One of these days, someone with a good product will give you their lock.
So your saying for security reasons you wont use the “smart phone app” – I can understand that as a IT guy – but I was wondering if you had tried using say the proverbial “burner” phone – which is cheap phone using pre-paid cards to add mins /etc of talk time? then make a “fake” google account or whatever account to gain access to apps.. I have done something similar with an old phone – set it up to just be using 1 ID that is not tied to me directly. for testing things and checking stuff. I am also been known to have multiple Email accounts as well.. for various reasons..
The only reason you’d use an app for what is clearly an RFID tag.. is for data collection. The fingerprint pad can be decoded by torchlight, or even by your own house’s security light shining on it, the fingerprint reader by a piece of adhesive tape and your finger… and the lock by a wave rake and some enthusiastic jiggling.
I’m sure I’m not the only person who does this… I take a look at the length of the article, and know that it’s going to take only some portion of the whole length to get into the lock. Then note how long LPL is speaking, mentally subtract that from the length. Today he upped the game and picked it 4 times in immediate succession in a article only 2 mins 27 seconds long 🤣🤣. Maybe Smonet means s****y Monet, the opposite of a piece of art?
I agree with you… I very much dislike everything wanting to have an app on my phone! Also, usually the device wants to be connected to my wifi as well… and IoT are notorious for having weak security, and if it’s not on an isolated wifi network (which I have yet to see anything which allows you to do that), that IoT device can be a hopping off point to your computer’s trusted “Home/Work” network. Devices with Apps or needing an internet connection without a real need just get a “Nope” from me too! What happens when the internet is out? Will the lock even be able to open without the key at that point? Not even going into the details of the mechanical lock which has been done by others.
I think the key (no pun intended) to lockpicking is being able to access the keyhole… take away the keyhole and now it becomes quite a bit harder unless you’re a black hat computer system whiz. I would think your most secure lock will be one without anyplace to “pick”. A hassle for you if the lock fails, but a real hassle for a lockpicker when it doesn’t.
to the owners of Smonet, i’ll offer you $1 for your whole company now or you can wait till its valued at a few cents…. what did you think it would be some free publicity and LPL would recommend it??? i also have the feeling that maybe one of the competitors or disgruntle employee sent this to LPL.. either way $1 is my final offer…
You are actually among my closest friends as ridiculous as that sounds so I don’t really have anyone visiting me that could be described as friends or family. Maybe it’s sad but mostly I just think it’s weird because I grew up around lots of support and now none of them even know that I’m in a Rest Home.
If you ever end up needing a phone to test one of them ‘smart’ locks, but you still want to keep your privacy, I wholeheartedly recommend getting a Google Pixel and installing GrapheneOS on it—it will give you the ability to fully control every single permission so that the apps cannot leak anything you don’t want them to.
hey man you should just buy a second phone at this point if you’re that worried. Sometimes the apps need critiquing as well and you could easily do that with a virtual machine running android on a computer. If that’s to complicated just buy a cheap burner Samsung A series, you’ll catch most of the bugs on the app that way since devs never prioritize android.
The company is changing their presser to say, “highly effective against violent sneezing attacks and strong gusts of wind” – in all seriousness, I sincerely hope, for their sake, the company takes this review to heart and retools the mechanical lock with some better security features…. Or some security features in the first place…
They’re just using one of those awful (and sometimes dodgy) influencer list auto email senders to send to any influence that has “lock” in the name or whatever. So, it’s more of an unfortunate mistake rather than something they were arrogant about. But, it doesn’t excuse the horrible lock they included in their smart lock device.