Schlage Connect Deadbolt setup: OK to add to SmartThings, then install in door?

I’m installing a Schlage Connect deadbolt tomorrow - the install location is a couple of walls and around 25-30 feet away.

I was thinking the process to add the lock to my network would go smoother if I put in the batteries, connected the key pad and lock unit together, and added to my network and completed basic setup in the family room in front of the hub, and then did the physical install.

Will that work out OK, or is that asking for more trouble?

Thanks!

That works for some brands, but it does not work for schlage as they do a Bolt calibration as part of the process.

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Thanks, JD, appreciate the head’s up. Worst case, I’ll relocate the hub next to the front door temporarily if the hub isn’t seeing the lock.

I’ve never actually turned the hub off/on since I’ve gotten it. Hopefully that part will go smoothly as well. :slight_smile:

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@JDRoberts:

As I read more I’m realizing that I’m going to need a beaming device near the lock. I have light switches in the entry way so replacing one of those (which I’ve wanted to anyway) will be included in this job.

Looks like the GE 12722 supports beaming, but wanted to confirm that it’s level of support for beaming is sufficient.

Info:

Z-Wave Product Information
Supports Z-Wave Beaming Technology? Yes
Supports Z-Wave Network Security? Yes
Supports Z-Wave AES-128 Security? No

Is the lack of AES-128 security an issue?

Thanks!

No, the security doesn’t matter as the switch doesn’t need to decode the message, it would just need to pass it along.

Locks are sleepy devices, in order to conserve battery life. They sleep most the time and wake up just to check if they have any messages.

A device which supports “beaming” Will hold the message for a lock so that as soon as the lock wakes up it can get the message.

So you just need the repeater that is closest to the lock to support beaming to make sure that the lock gets its messages. But they won’t get decoded until they actually get to the hub or the lock.

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Cool…switch arrives tomorrow afternoon, gives me time to get lock rekeyed and physically installed and ready to add to my network.

Thanks again, your experience and advice is very appreciated.

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You can “fake” the bolt check by assembling the Lock near your Hub and hold all the parts together in the correct orientation for your door (ie, either right side bolt or left side), then run the lock reset procedure, followed by the join to SmartThings.

It’s a little tricky, but solves the pairing problem.

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I just used a long spare cat5 cable and positioned my hub closer to the lock during initial setup. Then just put hub back.

That way I could make sure the lock cycled very easily in manual before even setting it up in smartthings. If the bolt doesn’t slide easily the lock will not be happy.

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A Dremel is your friend

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Switches (GE standard switch and GE dimmer switch) installed in entry - bam! :slight_smile:

Went to Lowes at 9:00 AM to get my lock re-keyed…they only rekey locks you purchase from them. Even though they carry the Schlage lock I bought, they won’t re-key it. I had just bought $100 in switches and other stuff from them just on this one visit, not to mention other previous purchases. Lowes just lost me as a customer.

Went to Home Depot to re-key - no one scheduled to work who can re-key locks until 1 PM! Myself and two other people there w/locks to re-key sigh and trudge out to return later. [First world problem]

EDIT: I stand corrected, Home Depot has the same policy, only re-key if bought there. Bizarrely, I have never been asked for a receipt in years for a re-key at Home Depot, and I have done many, many locks there over the years. Guess I just got lucky until today.

I’m hoping that having two GE switches right next to door (about 8’ away) will be sufficient to allow the lock to pair w/my hub successfully. If not I have some long ethernet cables that I can use to put the hub right next to the door…more fun later!

Sounds good. I also have 2 smart switches next to the the door with the lock. I have not had any issues with communication, (yet)

I just know that locks need to be close to hub on “initial” setup. Something about encrypted, or special codes have to be exchanged directly with the hub.

I don’t remember exactly, but something like that.

Right. They have to exchange an encrypted key. It’s usually called “whisper distance.”

Having the switches nearby will help after the lock has been added to the network, because they’ll be able to pass along messages for it, but the switches don’t have the key themselves, they don’t decrypt the messages. Just relay them.

The lock and the hub have to be close together to exchange the key on initial pairing.

The lock is installed, and works perfectly. I can lock and unlock from the touchscreen on front and lock from the back, everything is beautiful.,

The only issue of course is that it won’t connect to my Smartthings network. I’ve tried starting connect then entering the programming code and then hitting zero, or just entering programming code by itself, and I’ve tried just hitting zero, nothing seems to work

I tried to exclude following instructions here that said to start the general exclude in the Smartthings app and then enter your code and hit zero and it would exclude, but nothing is excluded.

From the looks of it, I don’t think it was ever included on another network, it looked fresh and didn’t have that look things could have when they’ve been installed once. You can never be sure but it looks fresh. In any case since it failed excluding, unless I did that wrong, that may not be the issue.

So I’m sort of stuck at the moment.

On the positive side the wife thinks I’m at least at vsemi-hero status for getting thing installed and running. :slight_smile:

Sorry to hear it won’t connect. Guess I was lucky when mine just worked.

I was reading another thread earlier where people were having problems and posted several options.
Maybe something in here will work?

I know there is several threads on this lock.

Schlage locks are really fiddly to pair. Follow the instructions in the next post exactly, and it should work. Don’t skip any steps even if you think you did them before. Just start at the beginning and do each one of these steps. This seems to be the most successful for people. :sunglasses:

@JDRoberts and @TN_Oldman:

It was pure operator error…I was entering one of the stock 4-digit user codes, not the 6-digit programming code. DOH! :slight_smile:

As soon as entered the 6-digit code and then 0 it connected immediately.

Just goes to prove that people are the most unreliable part of any system. :smiley:

I’m up and running thanks to all the help! Thank you!

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Yeah my Lowes says the same, I ended up following this YouTube video and rekeyed the lock myself with the deadbolt I was replacing:

i didn’t have all the tools, nor kit mentioned in the video but I used a large round drill bit to hold the pin springs in place. You will understand what I mean after watching the video.

Super easy to rekey a lock.

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