| Monday, 30 November 2020 09:59, Written by Mateusz Ponikowski |
Another element of the smart home. I must admit that, as a real gadget fighter, I have been interested in the subject of smart door locks for a long time. My attention was focused on devices from Chinese manufacturers, but the assembly and tinkering with the front door did not fill me with optimism. Meanwhile, we received a proposal from Gerda to test the tedee lock. How does the solution of the Polish manufacturer work in everyday applications? Is it really a convenience and security that remotely opened a door lock? You will find out from our review.
Open and close the door with your smartphone
Sounds great, doesn't it? It depends. I noticed that consumers can be divided into two groups. Some say - it's fun, I would like to try, others - I will never entrust access to my home to an application. Of course, skeptics are concerned about security, entrusting access to an apartment or house to an external company. It is worth remembering, however, that the Polish tedee lock developed by Gerd is not an equipment of an anonymous company. On the contrary, it is a recognized brand that put great emphasis on safety while working on the project. Concerns should also be allayed by the recently awarded "Approved Smart Home Product" certificate by AV-TEST. This organization and laboratory deals with testing software and IoT devices on a daily basis. The tedee lock has been appreciated for many functions, and above all for its high level of security. AV-TEST paid special attention to the fact that the tedee is the smallest and quietest of the smart locks tested by this laboratory so far.
Kit and assembly
Let's start with the kit. When deciding to install a smart lock, it is worth investing in a complete set including a tedee lock (mounted on the door) and a bridge tedee (a gate enabling the lock to connect to the Internet). The set also includes a GERDA insert and a set of accessories with a magnetic charging cable. The manufacturer places great emphasis on easy installation, which can be done by yourself. Instructional videos and really easy step-by-step instructions help with this. Details can be found on the tedee website. Of course, self-assembly will not always be possible due to the variety of doors. In my case, I used the assembly service and I know it was a good decision. It turned out that the length of the insert in my door is not standard, so it had to be adjusted. As? In the set with the cylinder, we receive special keys to adjust it, but an experienced locksmith coped with it much better, so we start the assembly by removing the cylinder in the door and replacing it with the Gerda cylinder. This one ends up to the inside with a special tip, on which we put an electronic lock. Importantly, we can still open the door with a key from the outside, so in the event of a power failure or internet problems, we will not lose access to the premises. After installing the cylinder, you can proceed to the lock calibration. A dedicated mobile application will be helpful here, which will lead the user through the configuration process literally "by the hand".
Application and use
As I mentioned, the tedee mobile app is the primary tool for operating the lock, available for Android and iOS. It is from its level that we can manage all important settings and, of course, open the door. On the main screen, we see the lock status and two buttons responsible for closing and opening the door. Connectivity can be via Bluetooth or definitely more conveniently via Wi-Fi. For the latter method, a gateway is required, which must be connected to the home Wi-Fi network. I must admit that the connectivity works very well and even with a poor quality internet connection (I use LTE on the outskirts of the city where the coverage is poor) I had no problems with passing commands. After pressing the selected function in the application, the lock reacts almost immediately. We are glad that the manufacturer took care of a number of useful functions. The tedee lock detects open bolts and will close them when necessary. By accessing the "Event log" you can see at any time who and when opened or closed the door, and view all events related to the lock. One of my favorite and most practical functions is auto-opening. After turning it on, the lock will be automatically opened when I come home and enter the Bluetooth range of the lock. The lock also takes care of security by offering automatic locking of the door from the open or fully closed position, and the smart functions also allow you to share the digital door key with guests or family members. Giving access to the child, he or she can easily open the door with a smartphone after returning to school. At the same time, the lock administrator knows when it was opened.
Security
The intelligent devices that surround us raise many legitimate questions related to privacy and security. When deciding to use the tedee lock, you need to be aware that if someone acquires your smartphone that is not secured (PIN, password, fingerprint, etc.), there is a risk of launching the application and opening the door. On the other hand, a similar scenario can happen if the physical keys are stolen, but what about potential hackers who would like to hijack access to the lock? The manufacturer explains that in order to get to the "real" keys, the hacker would have to get to the API containing user tokens. This is accomplished with Microsoft's Azure Active Directory B2C. If the password was not leaked by the user, it would require a direct breach of the security of this service on Microsoft's servers.
A smartphone instead of a key?
I think you agree with me that modern smartphones are often the digital management center of the world. The tedee lock fits perfectly into this scenario - how else can you call it a situation where we can open the door to the house from anywhere in the world by remotely connecting to the lock via the application. I am impressed with the high-quality product that the Polish company managed to create. The whole thing is closed in a really nice and small structure. Tedee looks like a modern door knob, yet inside there is a lot of electronics and a capacious battery that needs to be charged on average once every 6 months. Speaking of charging - the manufacturer used a very clever solution. The lock has a discreet microUSB connector (I wish it was USB-C), and the set includes a cable with a magnetic detachable tip, which will painlessly detach in the event of a jerk or opening the door. Charging itself is not a problem, just connect a powerbank or adapter to the attached cable once every few months and it's ready. Tedee / photo set. tedee During the tests of tedee, I also appreciated the convenient functions and intuitive operation. The application is very readable, and its operation should not cause any problems. It is a pity that the manufacturer did not take care of additional protection of access to the app, e.g. with a PIN or a fingerprint. So you have to rely on general smartphone security or other software functions (some smartphone manufacturers allow you to secure access to certain applications). I also lack support from the level of voice assistants. To sum up, tedee is a very successful product that I can confidently recommend. It is a convenient and efficient solution for smart home lovers. Unfortunately, the gadget is not cheap. The set with a gate and insert costs over PLN 1,600. The intelligent lock received the "Good Product" award. Do not miss similar news → Follow us on Google News. Share: SIMILAR THEMES Secretlab TITAN Evo 2022 review. Comfort for demanding players Test ILIFE A11 - cleaning robot with laser navigation
