OT: Entry door locks with keypad

[HiNi]

I am researching entry door locks with keyed, keypad and or card entry.
Currently a networked Trilogy lock looks like it would fit our needs.
Does any one have any input on what door locks have worked for you?
At home I have Schlage wifi locks at home and they are great.

 

[4GSR]

Schlage WiFy locks are on my house, too.
Waiting for someone to post the ease of bypassing them.... without picking the five pin lock that come with them. I've modified mine to six pin added additional security pins to the cylinder to make it challenging than nrom.

 

[GregSY]

I can't imagine why anyone would want 'wi-fi' door locks. I do have keypad locks, which are great, but wi-fi? No. The world needs fewer gadgets with 'connectivity', not more.

 

[kb0thn]

I just put Trilogy networked locks on my new shop. Front door is commercial glass and uses the thin narrow keypad. Remaining three doors are just normal steel doors and use a more standard looking (but surprisingly more expensive) keypad. I have a POE powered Trilogy radio gateway in the middle of the building and then there is windows software that allows programming and administering the locks.

They work well. I normally have the building locked so it requires PIN number for entry. Shop is big and there are never very many people here, so I hate having a random person be able to come into the building and wander around. And then, even when they have good intentions, they scare the shit out of you when you have your head inside the machine doing a setup and they tap you on the shoulder.

I have programmed the locks so admin some users can put in a three digit code after their PIN and change the mode of the locks. There is a lockdown code that locks out all of the doors so only the admin users can unlock the door. I haven't had to use that. But there is also a facility wide unlock mode that we use when we have visitors. It just unlocks all of the doors so they work like normal doors.

I haven't figured out how to get it, but supposedly the locks save timestamp logs of who opened them and when. I like that concept because it would provide some documentation if there is a time dispute with an employee or contractor. We used to have a night time cleaning service that was supposed to come for 2 hours per week. They would come for 10 minutes and charge us for 2 hours.

It was an expensive system, but I am pleased with it.

-Jim

 

[kb0thn]

I just put Trilogy networked locks on my new shop.=

To clarify, "just" is a bit relative. First one went on the front door in April and remaining three doors were done in May or June. So my observations are based on 6 months of usage.

 

[Scottl]

I don't recommend using card readers. Most commercial security entry doors around here use a separate key fob reader connected to a PC that controls door jamb mounted solenoids for ordinary access with high security keyed locksets (Medeco etc.) for emergency access by approved key personnel. The PC also monitors the video cameras as well as sensors on unlocked internal doors so all access is logged. Makes a very rugged weatherproof system that is easily serviced.

If you do use wallet sized access cards get the transponder type, which are about as thick as 2-3 ordinary cards.

 

[kb0thn]

I don't recommend using card readers. Most commercial security entry doors around here use a separate key fob reader connected to a PC that controls door jamb mounted solenoids for ordinary access with high security keyed locksets (Medeco etc.) for emergency access by approved key personnel.

I looked into the solenoid key strike systems and decided against them for my application. The drawbacks that I can remember were:
1) a lot more installation. Wire to each door. The Trilogy stuff is battery operated and no wires.
2) door operation is different. With the trilogy locksets, you get a normal handle. With the solenoids, you have to have a push to exit button.
3) probably no more secure than anything else until you get into high end stuff. You can still brute force them. And you an electrical device with electrical vulnerabilities. The Lockpicking Lawyer has videos on youtube where he bypasses those in just a few seconds.

FWIW

 

[hvnlymachining]

Yep, any solenoid or electronic lock is pretty easy to defeat, just require a good magnet, or for others RF generator

 

[Scottl]

Yep, any solenoid or electronic lock is pretty easy to defeat, just require a good magnet, or for others RF generator

Properly installed ones have shields to defeat those methods.

 

[plastikdreams]

We use facial recognition at work...can be made to recognize masks and temperature...among other things. An electromagnet holds the door closed.

 

[HiNi]

They work well. I normally have the building locked so it requires PIN number for entry. Shop is big and there are never very many people here, so I hate having a random person be able to come into the building and wander around.

I haven't figured out how to get it, but supposedly the locks save timestamp logs of who opened them and when. I like that concept because it would provide some documentation if there is a time dispute with an employee or contractor. We used to have a night time cleaning service that was supposed to come for 2 hours per week. They would come for 10 minutes and charge us for 2 hours.

It was an expensive system, but I am pleased with it.

-Jim

Thank you for the info, those are our the two main reasons also, people entering with out prior permission and the time stamp for audit trail.

 

[atomarc]

We use facial recognition too. I knock on the door, the wife comes to the window, see's that it's me and lets me in. Easy as that!

 

[dkmc]

Thought about this in the past. How do you unlock the door in a power outage situation?

 

[doug925]

I am researching entry door locks with keyed, keypad and or card entry.
Currently a networked Trilogy lock looks like it would fit our needs.
Does any one have any input on what door locks have worked for you?
At home I have Schlage wifi locks at home and they are great.

I have a Schlage Encode '6 digit' pin on my shop front door. I had the 4 digit pin on my front at home (same lock, different firmware) but it wouldn't work with my new front door.
My new one has been back ordered from build.com until the 26th (uh-huh) from 9/15...

The one on my shop front door died, and would not reconnect to WIFI.
I called Schlage and they sent a new one out that day. Told me to trash the non-working unit.
Decent product, but even better customer service!

 

[kb0thn]

Thought about this in the past. How do you unlock the door in a power outage situation?

The Trilogy locks are battery powered and the access control is local to the lock. They don't care if there is power or not. Batteries last a long time and they give you lots and lots of warning when they are getting low.

With electronic strike system, it would have to be on a UPS or have a mechanical key backup.

 

[Scottl]

Thought about this in the past. How do you unlock the door in a power outage situation?

Most of the better electronic entry locksets also have key entry, sometimes not visible without opening a cover. Even most of the automotive keyless entry systems have a keyhole hidden behind trim on the driver side door handle.

Only management and key personnel have mechanical keys.

 

[EPAIII]

The last place where I worked had a card operated magnetic lock on the employee door. Features like it remembered if you were inside or outside and refused to allow you to enter if it thought you were already in.

We did have a power outage and the magnetic lock went on battery operation which was good for several hours. But it did not allow anybody to enter or leave. We had to open the overhead, vehicle door to get out. Then we all had to come back in that way for the system to know where we were.

I tried to just pull the door open but that magnet was stronger than I was or even two of us together were.

It is unfortunate when companies need to go to such measures, but people do steal things and otherwise take advantage.

Thought about this in the past. How do you unlock the door in a power outage situation?

 

[Joe Gwinn]

Thought about this in the past. How do you unlock the door in a power outage situation?

By the fire safety codes, this cannot require a key or even a code - just push it open and run for it.

 

[specfab]

Joe Gwinn mentioned something important, at least from the standpoint of typical state or municipal fire codes. Exiting in case of emergency is an action that should not be prevented by door locks. Power outages and electronically-controlled mag lock systems need attention to that situation so that the lock system behavior is acceptable for fire code compliance. This is why building access systems are generally designed , where access cards and card readers are employed to operate mag locks, to use mechanical door latches in the absence of mag lock function. In that case, the crash bars on the insides of the doors allow people on the inside to get out without issue.

 

[Joe Gwinn]

And let me add that emergency exit with power turned off should be tested directly, not waiting for the fire department inspection.