Installation Tips:
During the installation of your new Wi-Fi locks, you may have some questions or concerns. Please feel free to call or email our support team if questions arise and let them know if you see any discrepancies with the installation manual or materials. Our support team should be able to help resolve any issues or walk you through the process over the phone or in an email.
Important steps to note during the installation:
Drilling the door: Please ensure you follow the directions and the template perfectly for this step. Double-check your measurements and the templates. The holes will need to be drilled straight in order for the lock to align and work properly.
Spindle hub receiver alignment and orientation: If you install the lock with the spindle in the wrong position it can cause the lock to remain open or permanently locked. Depending on which way you rotate the handle, it causes the lock to either remain open or locked after valid pin code. Please watch the following video and see the screenshots below to observe the correct hub positioning. The hub needs to be in the middle before installation on the door.
Cutting the mounting screws: Depending on your door thickness, you may need to cut the mounting screws. Please be sure to cut the mounting screws to the correct length and ensure the screws do not go too far into the keypad side of the lock. If the bolts are too long it could cause internal damage to the lock. If the bolts are too short it could fail to secure the lock to the door.
Fitting the battery housing: After inserting four AA batteries into the battery box, connect the power cords, and place the power cords and connectors into the bottom of the lock housing. You should then be able to place the battery compartment (wires on top and facing out) on the power cords in the lock body and connectors. Ensure none of the wires or connection pieces are obstructing the battery cover from sliding in place and being fastened down.
Inserting the key cylinder: If you're unable to pull the physical key out of the cylinder during installation please watch this video to ensure the orientation is accurate. The lock's tailpiece receiver needs to be horizontal as well as the cylinder's tailpiece.
Locking the lock: After the lock has been installed and connected to Wi-Fi the code ** (star, star) should lock the lock from the keypad. If this is not the case, please let me reach out to support.
Hardware FAQs:
Q: How can I lock the door from the keypad?
A: To lock the door, press the "*" key twice from the keypad.
Q: Can I Install this lock on my own? Is this DIY?
A: Yes, absolutely! We do suggest more than one person perform the installation as it helps with certain steps, but one individual can install it on their own.
Q: How long will the installation take?
A: Typical installation takes between 30 minutes to an hour. Each installation is going to be a bit unique in its own right, so your experience may differ.
Q: How do I know this lock will be compatible with my door?
A: This lock will work on any US standard residential doors (interior or exterior), as well as interior doors in a light commercial setting, whether metal or wood.
This lock requires a 2 and ⅛ inch boring hole and either a 60mm (2 3/8") or 70mm (2 3/4") backset for the latch. If your door is already prepped for this you will be able to utilize the existing boring and latch holes.
Q: What tools will I need to install this lock?
A: Required: Power Drill and drill bits ((10mm (⅜”) & 25mm (1”)), Phillips screwdriver and bolt cutters. Recommended: hammer, chisel (1”), adhesive tape, pencil, tape measure, and a thumbtack.
Connecting to Wi-Fi FAQs:
Q: Can I control this lock remotely?
A: Yes you can! This lock connects to your Wifi, much like your computer or smartphone which enables you to control it wherever you are.
Q: How easy is it to connect the lock?
A: Connecting the lock to wifi should take no more than a few minutes. If you have ever connected any other Wifi connected devices (Nest thermostat, Ring doorbell, Sonos speakers, etc...) the connection process is very similar.
Note: This lock will only connect to a 2.4 GHz network.
Q: What if I have problems connecting the lock?
A: You shouldn’t experience any issues connecting to Wi-Fi, but if you do, please check out our Connecting your Lock to Wi-Fi troubleshooting document. If you continue to experience issues connecting, feel free to call or email our support team and we will be happy to help.
Q: Will my lock continue to work if my internet goes down, aka, my lock is not connected to Wifi?
A: Yes it will! All user codes and schedules are stored locally on the lock, so it will continue to function properly until the lock reconnects. Further, it will store up to 1,500 access events while offline and report them once connectivity is restored.
Battery Life FAQs:
Q: How is the lock powered?
A: The lock is powered by four AA batteries. We suggest using brand-name alkaline or lithium batteries.
Q: What kind of batteries are needed?
A: Four AA batteries. We suggest brand-name alkaline or lithium batteries such as Duracell or Energizer. Also, rechargeable batteries are not recommended.
Q: How long will the batteries last?
A: In our testing with high volume usage - emulating 48 unlock/lock cycles and 10 heartbeats per day - the batteries lasted approximately 12 months. Conversely, with lower volume usage - emulating 10 unlock/lock cycles and 10 heartbeats per day - batteries should last approximately 20 months.
Depending on how many cycles and heartbeats your lock will have on a daily basis, the battery life will range accordingly.
NOTE: We do suggest replacing batteries once a year for best use.
Q: What affects battery life?
A: This is a great question. There are three main variables that come into play with regard to battery life.
- The most prominent factor is the frequency to which your lock heartbeat interval is set. Setting the heartbeat interval to “always on” or every 15 minutes will drain the batteries much faster than if the heartbeat interval is set to every 4, 8 or 12 hours. We suggest a heartbeat interval between 4 to 12 hours.
- Frequency of usage is another important factor. How often the lock is being used on a day-to-day basis will factor into battery life. The more times a lock is unlocked using codes or an access card, the shorter the battery life.
- Wake to Wi-Fi setting. This setting can either be set to “on any user action”, or “only heartbeats.”
Q: What are the best battery life-related settings for my usage?
A: Depending on whether the lock is going to be high usage or low usage there are different settings we suggest.
- High Usage: With a high usage lock, we suggest a heartbeat interval of 8 hours, and a wake Wifi setting on “only heartbeats.” If you were to set the wake Wifi to any user action, the lock would wake up each time a button is pressed on the lock and the battery will be shorter.
- Low Usage: With a low usage lock, we suggest a heartbeat interval of 8 hours again but a wake Wifi setting “on any user action.” This will give you the ability to receive real-time alerts with each action if desired.
SimpleAccess Software (Web Portal)
Q: Where do I control my lock?
A: You will be controlling your lock from either our web portal or the mobile app, which is supported by both iOS and Android.
Q: How do I download the app?
A: Download the SimpleAccess Admin app from the iTunes app store, or Google play store.
Q: How do I add my lock to my account?
A: Adding your lock (or registering your lock) is simple and SHOULD be done after connecting your lock to Wi-Fi. You can either add your lock to your account via the web portal or the mobile app.
- Log in to your SimpleAccess software account via web portal.
- Click on Register Device from the main Dashboard. This will immediately prompt you to add a location if you have not already done so. Add the location where this lock will be installed, and click Create.
- You will be brought back to registering your device automatically. Choose the model number, add the serial number, which can be found on the physical box the lock came in, name the lock and choose the location that you just added.
- Click register and you’re all set!
Mobile App:
- Log in to your account from the RemoteLock app .
- You will automatically be directed to the Locks page, click on the green (+) icon. This will immediately prompt you to add a location if you have not already done so. Add the location where this lock will be installed, and Add Location.
- You will be brought back to adding your device automatically. Choose the model number, add the serial number, which can be found on the physical box the lock came in, name the lock and choose the location that you just added.
- Click Add Device and you’re all set!
Connecting your lock to WiFi using the mobile app
Q: What will I be able to do within the software web portal?
A: The software web portal is your management center for your lock(s) and access users. You will be able to add new access users and access guests to individual locks, create schedules to locks, view event logs of each lock and users, set up notifications and much more.
Q: What are access users and access guests ?
A: An access user is someone that is given a pin code or access card so that they can unlock one or multiple doors. Access users will have ongoing access unless removed by an administrator. Access users access can be controlled by specific door access and access schedules in order to limit their access to certain days and times.
An access guest is more temporary in nature and is primarily given to individuals who only need to access a lock for a limited period of time. Examples include a office visitor, weekend guest, maintenance worker, or temporary employee. These codes are given start and end dates and expire.
Q: What are Access Schedules?
A: You can assign an access schedule to an access user or guest to limit the times of day in which they have access. For example, you can create a schedule to grant access on Monday - Friday from 9am-5pm.
Q: What are Device Schedules ?
A: Lock schedules affect the locking and unlocking behavior during certain times of the day/week. There are two kinds of lock schedules; Auto-lock and Lock Action. These two types of schedules can either work individually or in conjunction, depending on the scenario.
- Auto-lock Schedule: Your lock can either automatically lock shortly after a valid code has been entered (auto-lock mode ON), or remain unlocked after a valid code has been entered (auto-lock mode OFF). A schedule can be set to switch between Auto-Lock Mode On and OFF at specific times during the day.
- Lock Action Schedule: If you want to automatically lock or unlock on specific days and times. For example, you might want to create a lock action for your business to lock at 6 PM each day to ensure security.
Q: Are there limits to the number of access users I can add?
A: Each lock can store up to 3500 access users and/or access guest users. So hypothetically you could have 2000 access users and 1500 guest users, or 1000 access users and 2500 guest users.
Q: What are (access) events?
A: When a lock is unlocked or locked by a user code or an access card an "event" is logged. The event is going to denote the code that was used and the date and time that it was entered. Event logs are helpful in understanding who has been using locks and to what capacity.
Additionally, from the software web portal Events can be exported in the Reports section. So if an audit is desired, the report may be run to see who and when doors/devices have been used.
Q: What is the heartbeat interval?
A: Your lock uses a WiFi radio to connect and communicate over the internet. In order to conserve battery power, the lock’s WiFi radio “sleeps” for periods of time. This sleep time is called the heartbeat interval. For example, if you set your heartbeat interval to 1 hour, the lock will sleep for 60 minutes, then wake up and connect to the internet to see if any new commands have been sent.
The lock keeps the connection open for about 10 to 15 seconds. After 5 seconds of inactivity, the lock will disconnect from the internet and go back to sleep.