Automagically unlock my door when I get home

Other Devices & Integrations Door Locks & Sensors
1

Anyone have any suggestions on how to make it so that my Z-Wave enabled Deadbolt unlocks when I - and only I - pull into the driveway?

I have a Veralite, Firmware: 1.7.318, and Z-Wave deadbolt that is already paired an controllable. Trying to figure out a scene that will unlock the doors for me when I get home.

Thanks

2

I use Tasker to unlock the door when I connect to my wifi. As I come up my driveway the phone connects to my wifi and triggers the door to open.

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

3

Tasker with AutoVera would be simple. But are you sure you really want to do that??

4

Hmmm… Tasker… I’ve used that in the past and it seemed like it drained my battery.

Anyway… No. I’m not sure I want to do this. Just wondering if anyone else does. I’ve had this VeraLite for 3 days, and in some ways, it has seemed kind of flaky, but a lot of that was probably learning curve. The point is, I’m still trying to figure out how reliable it is, and how much I can trust it. Especially when it comes to unlocking my doors, or at least accurately telling me if my doors are unlocked. For that matter, I’m not even sure i trust my phone to accurately tell tasker where I am in order to lock/unlock my doors.

Thanks for the replies

5

If you don’t want a battery drain, look into a DD-WRT router. There’s a script around here that will switch a button on a virtual switch on Vera when the phone connects or disconnects to the router. You can use that switch to trigger actions. I’ve been using this for a number of months and it’s been working great. When I leave, sensors are armed and my home entertainment system is turned off if it is on and doors are locked. A delayed scene checks door status 30 minutes later (by that time I’ve arrived at work) and alerts me if a door is unlocked. When I get home, the door from the garage to the house is unlocked so I can open it easy if I have my hands full and sensors are disarmed

As far as unlocking an actual outside door. I won’t ever set that up. It’s to easy to spoof a MAC address and this cause your door to unlock for easy access to someone other than you… If my phone gets lost or stolen, it takes me less than a minute to block it from accessing anywhere I have internet access. Of course there’s the K9 security system as 2nd layer of protection in my case. :slight_smile:

Since I have a personal and a work cell, when I leave for work, Vera checks to see if both phones have disconnected from the router. If 1 hasn’t, she’ll send a ‘you forgot your other phone dummy’ alert to my other cell. ;D

6

iViri app works with Vera and uses a geofence to accomplish this. I think there are other apps that do it as well.

7

I do exactly this. I use Tasker. First, I tried using geofence. But the problem is that I found that sometimes my phone would reset and trigger the scene because the geofence would retriever. What I found works best is BLE beacons. And using the BeaconTasker plugin. This allows my phone to detect whether I’m closer to the front or back door and unlock the appropriate one.

8

Just another option…
I used the ping sensor app. Set my phone to a static ip on my home wireless, and the ping sensor would know when I connected to my home wireless.
I used that to trigger a few things, not unlock a door, but you could if you wanted to.
Chris B.

9

I thought about having my phone automatically unlock the door when I get in range, but decided not to. What if someone steals your phone, then gets to you home before you do. He would have full unfettered access to your stuff (and a large steak would take care of any K9 security system).

Before you say no way, my neighbor was recently robbed by someone doing something similiar. The robber stole her car, used the garage door opener to gain access to the inside of the garage, closed the garage door so no one would see, then broke through the inside garage door.

10

In my case that would be multiple large steaks. And they can wolf those down in seconds and go ‘thank you, may I have another? Or I bite your arse!’ ;D

On that note, if any door opens while I am away, Vera notifies me and I can check the camera’s. But yes, theft or loss of the phone or opener that is why I don’t unlock any doors via ‘presence’.

11

Your phone is similar to your wallet. As soon as it is missing or stolen, change your Vera password! That will prevent you’re phone from unlocking doors through Tasker. In this respect, it’s safer than losing your house keys or garage door opener because you can change your password faster than your can rekey your door locks.

12

My smartphone never asks me for my Vera password to begin with, so I guess I cannot see that changing the Vera password would help (and I do control Vera via my Android phone and Tasker).

13

Vera Proximity solves this by providing the user with the option to specify that the phone must be unlocked to send a command to Vera. This means they have to steal your phone and crack your security code to unlock your doors when you get home.

14

But if I have to unlock my phone when I get home, I might as well just unlock my door. LOL

15

I do this and it works sometimes. :cry:

I’ve tried these things…

Tasker w/ Network Location - works best, most consistent but still only like 75%

Tasker w/ AutoLocation - never, ever works properly and false triggers all the time. (just tried again for 2 days, and uninstalled again today.)

Vera Proximity - would be my favorite but still not consistent enough, only about 50%. Says there is no motion, when their is, often takes minutes to trigger when i’ve crossed a fence. I think Richard will be adding some features I suggested that might help troubleshoot.

I used the above in conjunction with Vera app Ping Sensor and PLEG to determine Home/Away status… this works best.

I just installed LiftMaster gateway and wall closers and installed the app for Vera… this will be integrated into the formula to detect home away.

And, I’m integrating NFC in my phone’s car hold and by doorways.

Look up my Occupancy thread for more info on these methods and how I do it.

16

Your phone stores your password for Vera and sends it when it needs to connect. If the password is incorrect, your phone will not be able to execute commands. So changing it on Vera without changing it in the phone will ensure that the phone won’t be able to unlock your doors.

Integlikewhoa, I agree that Autolocation is terrible.

17

If you are close enough to home … it can connect via WiFi and not need the password.

18

So if your on your local network no password is required?

19

All of the 3rd party APPs can (And most do for performance) access Vera on the LAN (WiFi) without a password.
It’s much faster access then going through the MCV servers.

I can’t say conclusively what MCV plans are for UI7 … But I currently access my UI7 test system without the password.
They may provide an option to require an authentication token for the API.

20

[quote=“TunedIn, post:8, topic:182830”]Just another option…
I used the ping sensor app. Set my phone to a static ip on my home wireless, and the ping sensor would know when I connected to my home wireless.
I used that to trigger a few things, not unlock a door, but you could if you wanted to.
Chris B.[/quote]
This sounds awesome. Anyway you could send me a pm explaining how to set it up?