Thank you Olle.
I have seen the Yale connect solution. It is an August partnership apparently. Looking at reviews of the Yale app in the play store is pretty concerning though. I was concerned about reliability of the auto unlock but like everything else in theory.
If I was to go the zwave/ZigBee route, my always on server is 3 rooms away from the front door so range could be a problem. With the connect bridge at least it can go in any old PowerPoint and connect to my wifi (I think).
Yes and with zigbee any old powerpoint can have a router plugged in.
I have a home mesh wifi everywhere already. I thought the ZigBee dongle needed to be on a computer though?
You are confusing the co-ordinator (which needs to be on a computer) and a router which is usually able to be fed with 5v and operates independently. Also most mains powered zigbee devices are routers.
Having good wifi will make a difference to any assessment though. So many people seem to think their ISP provided piece of crap AP is going to automate scores of devices in their home.
Right thankyou. So I would need a standalone ZigBee/zwave router (probably) in my setup to give me the range needed.
A standalone router or a mains powered zigbee device. Or it may work with a decent co-ordinator 3 rooms away. This guy makes good co-ordinators and routers Tube's ZB Coordinators and Routers (was Zigbee router on steroids?)
I’ve got a couple of the yale Zigbee locks, been rock solid with zero issues (so far). Would definitely recommend them.
Not sure what you mean by auto unlock? I do have multiple automations that lock/unlock them depending on specific events such as time, presence etc if that’s what you’re referring too?
Yes sorry, I specifically mean unlocking automatically when someone arrives home.
I mentioned it above but my wife is paranoid so auto locking all the time would be necessary too.
The Yale connect bridge thingo advertises these features so was just checking it could be achieved with zigbee too.
Unsure if there is a native autolock, I’ve not seen it documented anywhere. I do however have automation which locks when the door has been unlocked for x if no one is home and/or at night.
I can see where your wife is coming from and paranoia can be a good thing, particularly when discussing your home security. I can say my wife loves the fact she does not need to stand in the rain to find her keys when she gets home however 
The advertising for the Yale connect bridge module refers to auto locking after a set time period although thinking about it again, manual control of that would at least mean I don’t get locked out while doing something in the front garden or garage.
It also mentioned a door position sensor but the instructions for installing it come with the bridge kit itself so guessing it’s unique to that module also?
Is there some specific documentation you have for the ZigBee module? I’m new so thirsty for info.
Hmm, this is quite frustrating. Yale seems to have the best HA integration out of the popular lock types. I was all set to buy one but my wife hates the look of it which has now disrupted all my plans. Are there any other popular brands that have a similar level of HA integration?
The worst bit is it’s the black that she doesn’t like, and so many locks have a black screen/keypad. I’d really gotten to like the look of the yale assure SL so i’m bummed.
Hey all,
Been following this thread for a while now and thinking I finally want to get a smart lock for our internal garage door. We mostly access our home via the garage, and plus, our front door has a security screen door, so no option for a smart lock there.
Our garage internal door currently has a Knob handle with a keyed lock.
I’m looking at adding the Yale/Lockwood Zigbee lock - But am concerned that these don’t have a backup key.
For those who have the same/similiar locks without backup keys, how do you find it? Ever had any issues?
TIA.
This may not help you, but I had a strict requirement for backup keys and local non-cloud connectivity when I first started on this a year ago. Since then, I have not used my backup (physical) key even once.
I have two Nuki smart locks. One for our front door, and another for our garage - both connected to the same Nuki bridge.
Nuki supports double cylinders and hence a physical backup key. My front door had a Euro profile lock so it worked seamlessly. I bought another one off Ebay for the garage door.
Nuki is reasonably well integrated into Home Assistant, but we use their app on our smart phones for auto-unlock and also temporary keys. Since we have kids, we also installed the small bluetooth panel (sticky tape only!) in a hidden location close to the door to allow them to access on their way back from school.
Not sure if you’ve considered this (or if it meets your needs) but I added a simple electro-magnetic lock to the top of our garage door. You could hook it up to any sort of in-line plug which you can control through HA.
The only issue with something like this is it’s fail safe, so when it loses power (during a black out) it is in an unlocked state.
Agreed, however for an internal door it shouldn’t be much of an issue
Seems to be his main access point, I’d personally want something that doesn’t unlock when the power goes out.
I’ve recently purchased one of these (originally posted in the Aus Certified thread). It doesn’t have a key, but has the option for the lock to be externally powered via a 9v battery should the internal battery go flat. Unlock via PIN or with HA, works very well.
Tom has posted instructions on getting it working with Z2M and HA
On the other hand if there is a fire and the power is out, you don’t want it locking you in either.