OT: electronic locks

Can anyone give me some pointers on replacing my external house doors Yale-type locks with an electronic equivalent? Needs to have mechanical over-ride, be insurance-friendly and bonus points for having proximity-based keys. I'd love to have a passive RF token in my wallet and just walk up to the door and have it be unlocked. Do these exist in a form that's economical for 2 external doors? I've seen some standalone combination/finger print locks for doors but they don't look like they'd stand up to physical abuse...

Reply to
Ric
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The same thought has gone through my mind. I rather expect you'll struggle with this. They are used at many places I've worked, but they're around £1000 per lock for internal doors just for the mechanical lock part, before you add the control system.

Reply to
Andrew Gabriel

I would avoid RF for this as it is fairly simple to hack even the passive RFID type locks. There were discussions of this here many months ago which included several links to articles documenting the security problems.

IR operated locks are another matter in that the bad guys would have to be in very close proximity (and in the line of sight between keyfob and lock) to intercept the IR signal. I used this affordable one for a couple of years. The lock hardware held up well.

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Reply to
dlh

You have to put this in perspective. What are the chances of someone actually doing this versus picking a mechanical lock? Or using a crow bar? Or going in through a window?

Doug

Reply to
Doug Meredith

None of which will give an insurance company an out like using an RF lock when there are known and published vulnerabilities.

The current Defcon hullabaloo over the Boston subway system is another case of passive RFID devices that are easy to hack. Perhaps the OP should just take a cue from the MBTA and get an injunction against burglars.

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Reply to
dlh

Agreed. Although it is possible to circumvent an RF controlled lock it's usually far easier to just smash a window or kick the door in.

That is a misconception about homeowner's insurance policies. No normal policies have clauses that allow the insurer to avoid paying because the lock was picked, with or without RF.

Reply to
Robert L Bass

And just like I tell a new customer when I feel the need arises.

"I have a key to your house right out there in my van which also works on every house in the neighborhood."

Have a good day.

Les

Reply to
ABLE_1

I'd really like to see anyone try to "circumvent an RF controlled lock" (of the type we service). Perhaps a "Government Agency" like the NSA would have the technology to do this... but the run-of-the-mill junkie looking for a fast buck doesn't have access to the kind of technology required.

That's actually a "gross misconception". There isn't a professional grade electronic lock out there that could be easily circumvented (to my knowledge). However... If someone *did* manage to find a way, most insurers are looking for "signs" of physical tampering (or an actual break-in) to prove that the insured actually locked the door. In a very recent case I'm personally aware of, ICBC (Insurance Corporation of BC) denied a claim to a lady living in a strata complex because she left her car doors "unlocked" because she was tired of having to pay for the deductible on all the broken windows.

Reply to
Frank Olson

No, they'll just kick in a door or window. Won't matter what sort of lock is on it.

Reply to
Bill Kearney

Exactly!!! Which is why the 18 Terawatt Laser pointed at the front door is your best defense (as well as a good alternative to that pesky siren). You'll come home to a small pile of "ash" on the front stoop, sweep it up and put it on the roses in the Spring... :-)

Reply to
Frank Olson

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