Keyless Door Locks

RFID Door Lock Whether you need to secure an internal or external door, keyless door locks offer an ideal solution for anyone who never knows where they’ve put their keys, or will have a lot of different people using the door that needs locking. Keyless door locks can be operated by a variety of methods dependant on a combination of factors that you can determine.

Keypad Door Locks

For a door that you need to keep secure, but that is likely to have many different people using it; a keyless door lock with a keypad is an ideal solution. The keypad is typically a numerical one, into which you program at least a four digit code to release the lock. The biggest advantage of this type of keyless door lock is that absolutely no key of any type is required - but only people you give the code to can open the door. This means that you don’t have to have multiple copies of door keys cut, or have a spare supply of the door keys lying around.

You can also easily allow someone temporary access to the door, by changing the code when you no longer want that person to use the door. Potential disadvantages of this type of keyless door lock are: having to tell everyone when/if the code changes and a user inadvertently letting someone else, an unauthorized person, see the code that they type in to use the door.

Fingerprint Keyless Door Locks

Sometimes also known as biometric keyless door locks, these door locks open on recognizing the finger or thumb print of the person seeking access to the door. The more modern and sophisticated ones can recognize anything up to 1000 different users ‘prints, making them suitable for both domestic and commercial use.

These locks do require a small supply of electricity from a battery, as they require a scanner to read the prints. However, the memory in which the prints are stored is one that will not be erased if the battery fails, or when it is being replaced.

The finger or thumb prints to be recognized are initially scanned in via a separate scanning machine; that the main person responsible for accessing the door should store securely elsewhere. For added security, fingerprint door locks can also have a keypad requiring a numeric code to be entered, either with the fingerprint or as an alternative to it, in the event of the finger print reading scanner being damaged.

The only potential disadvantage for these would be if someone with dirty or greasy hands impaired the ability of the scanner to read the users fingerprints. It is, of course, possible to integrate fingerprint keyless door locks into a centrally controlled computerized door access system.

Swipe Cards or Remote Fob Locks

Already familiar to some people with some makes of alarm systems and even car entry and ignition; are wireless devices that you pass over a sensor to open the lock or magnetic cards that you swipe to open the lock. The card swipe system of keyless door locks has few advantages over an ordinary key. You could still lose it, and anyone finding your card could easily access the door.

The same could be said for the wireless devices that you merely ‘show’ to a sensor on the door lock to release it. However, again, the more modern and sophisticated of these devices can be combined with cell phone technology, allowing you to ‘call’ your wireless door lock to either lock or unlock it. This facility can be particularly useful if, having left a building; you want to check/confirm that a door is locked.