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Selecting smart locks for your property is a big step towards efficiency and security. But behind every reliable smart lock system lies a critical, often overlooked decision: the communication protocol. Should you choose Bluetooth, 4G, or a Gateway system? This choice directly impacts your network stability, management capabilities, long-term costs, and tenant experience.
This guide cuts through the technical jargon to help property managers, developers, and system integrators make an informed decision that aligns with their building’s needs and budget.
The Three Pillars of Smart Lock Connectivity
At its core, a smart lock needs to do two things: 1) let an authorized user in at the door, and 2) communicate events and status back to a management platform. How it handles the second task defines the three main approaches.
1. Standalone Bluetooth: The Basic Entry Point
How it Works: The lock pairs directly with a user’s smartphone via Bluetooth when they are within close range (typically 5-10 meters). All access permissions are stored on the user’s phone.
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The Reality Check:
✅ Pros: Lowest hardware cost. Simple installation. Excellent battery life.
❌ The Critical Limitation: It operates in a management vacuum. Property managers cannot remotely issue keys, view access logs, receive low-battery alerts, or lock/unlock a door in an emergency. Control is entirely decentralized.
Best For: Extremely budget-conscious, small-scale projects (like a single vacation home) where remote oversight and centralized management are not required.
2. 4G Cellular (Cat.1/NB-IoT): The Truly Wireless Workhorse
How it Works: Each lock (or a central hub serving multiple locks) contains a SIM card, connecting directly to the cellular network to transmit data to the cloud, independent of local Wi-Fi.
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The Reality Check:
✅ Pros: Ultimate flexibility and independence. Perfect for buildings with poor or no Wi-Fi coverage, remote locations, or temporary sites. Enables full remote management.
❌ Cons: Involves ongoing subscription costs for data plans per device/hub. In areas with weak cellular signal, reliability may suffer. Module cost is higher.
Best For: Buildings without reliable internet infrastructure, dispersed property portfolios, construction sites, or as a reliable backup communication channel.
3. Bluetooth + Gateway: The Professional’s Choice for Scalability
How it Works: This is a hybrid, two-layer system. Locks use low-energy Bluetooth to communicate with a central Gateway installed on the property (e.g., in a utility closet). The Gateway then aggregates all data and connects to the cloud via the building’s stable Wi-Fi or Ethernet.
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The Reality Check:
✅ Pros: Offers the ideal balance: locks enjoy long battery life, while the system enables full, real-time remote management. Creates a dedicated, secure local network for your IoT devices, unaffected by tenant Wi-Fi issues. Highly scalable.
❌ Cons: Requires upfront planning for gateway placement and power. Slightly higher initial hardware cost than standalone Bluetooth.
Best For: Most multi-unit residential and commercial projects (apartments, hotels, offices). This is the recommended architecture for new constructions and major renovations where reliability, control, and scale are priorities.
Decision Matrix: Which Protocol Fits Your Property?
| Your Property Profile & Priorities | Recommended Protocol | Key Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| New Apartment/ Hotel Development | Bluetooth + Gateway | Planning during construction allows for easy gateway placement. Provides the stable, scalable backbone needed for professional management. |
| Existing Building with Robust Wi-Fi | Bluetooth + Gateway | Leverages existing internet. Avoids 4G subscription fees while delivering full management features. |
| Remote Building or No Reliable Wi-Fi | 4G Cellular | The only practical solution for full remote management without relying on local internet infrastructure. |
| Small-scale, Low-Budget Project | Standalone Bluetooth | If the absolute lowest upfront cost is the primary driver and remote management is willingly sacrificed. |
| Mission-Critical Reliability Needed | Bluetooth + Gateway (Primary) + 4G (Backup) | A premium setup where the gateway uses a 4G dongle as failover internet, ensuring system uptime even if primary internet fails. |
Key Questions to Ask Your Supplier
When evaluating solutions, don’t just ask about the lock. Dig into the communication architecture:
“Is this a standalone Bluetooth lock, or does it support a gateway for remote management?”
“What is the coverage range and recommended number of locks per gateway?”
“If using 4G, what are the typical data usage and ongoing subscription costs?”
“Does your platform provide real-time status updates and alerts for all locks, regardless of the protocol?”
Conclusion: Building on a Stable Foundation
Investing in the right architecture from the start prevents costly retrofits and ensures your smart lock system is a robust asset, not a management headache.
Navigating the best connectivity solution for your specific project?
LaDing Technology provides expert guidance and OEM solutions across all protocols, with our WisApartment platform expertly managing gateway-based systems for optimal performance.
Contact our technical team for a customized proposal.
WhatsApp: +86 15800194932
