Hey folks - the time’s come for me to consider diving into smart locks.

I’ve been running HA for many years now, and have resisted the urge so far, but a few recent incidents have me thinking smart locks are the next upgrade I need to think of.

My requirements, equal in priority, are:

  • Must be usable via HA (automating my locks is the primary reason I’m considering this move)
  • Key lock backup (I’m petrified of flat batteries stopping me from entering)
  • Ability for HA to report on battery level (see above)
  • Local network only (prefer IP, but will consider Z-Wave - anything that calls home in the cloud is a hard no)
  • Code and/or fingerprint entry (unique code per person, at least 6 codes)

I say “consider Z-Wave” as I don’t currently utilise any Z-Wave devices. The main reason for this is that I run HA (Home Assistant) on a (heh!) HA (high availability) Proxmox setup, and I hadn’t sat down to think through how that would work with a Z-Wave USB hub across two nodes.

But, after some cursory research, it seems there’s enough options out there that will let me control Z-Wave remotely via MQTT, so I can use one of my RasPis to host a Z-Wave hub just fine.

There’s been plenty of positive comments on other posts regarding Schlage’s locks, so I’ll probably start my research there. But I’m very keen to hear of anyone’s experiences with any smart lock brands - good or bad - to help guide my research.

While I’m at it, I’m open to recommendations on a Z-Wave hub. I have zero Z-Wave experience, but I gather it’s reasonably straightforward to use. Simple enough requirements:

  • Usable on a RasPi running Rasbian
  • Decent enough range - has to reach the smart locks through a couple of internal walls, from the garage to the front door (about 6m/20ft)

Cheers in advance for any advice offered!

  • DeltaTangoLima@reddrefuge.comOPEnglish
    2·
    4 months ago

    Maybe, but I’ve read some posts that state some Schlage locks can be entirely controlled through Z-Wave without needing cloud access.

    But, that may mean I don’t get battery monitoring that way.

    • acceptable_pumpkin@lemmy.worldEnglish
      3·
      4 months ago

      I have Schlage locks integrated via Z-Wave. All local, can poll for battery levels, supports physical key unlocks ( and can differentiate logging events between key, code, and HA service unlocks)

      I’m happy with the capabilities.

    • SolidGrue@lemmy.worldEnglish
      3·
      4 months ago

      My battery operated Z-Wave sensors all report their battery life. You’d need to dig into the integration docs to know for sure but frankly I’d be surprised if they didn’t report it as an entity.