Wi-Fi Network Minimum Requirements for EVO Locks
The minimum requirements below must be in place before connecting EVO locks to prevent excessive battery consumption and communication issues.
- The network being used needs to have port 443 (HTTPS) open for secure communication.
- Must be 2.4 GHz band. Saffire locks will not communicate on 5GHz.
- 802.11 b/n/g standard or prior. Saffire EVO locks cannot communicate on 802.11 as (Wi-Fi 5) or 802.11 ax (Wi-Fi 6)
- The Wi-Fi network must not be hidden and should be broadcasting. The Saffire EVO locks are not supported on hidden networks.
- A separate and dedicated VLAN must be set up for the Saffire EVO locks. No other devices should be connected to this VLAN
- The Wi-Fi access points must have multicast traffic filters in place to significantly reduce or eliminate network traffic from other devices connected to any other networks capable of communicating back to the dedicated VLAN.
- The DTIM beacon time of the Wi-Fi network access point must not exceed 8 seconds.
- The Wi-Fi signal strength preset at the Saffire EVO locks must be greater than -70 dB.
- Disable background scanning feature on the Wi-Fi access point.
Wi-Fi Network Set Up Best Practices
Here are some best practices to consider when setting up the local Wi-Fi network for use with the EVO family of locks:
- The Wi-Fi network used should be a managed Wi-Fi network rather than a bulk Wi-Fi network to provide the best coverage.
- A Wi-Fi site survey survey should be completed and a heat map of the Wi-Fi coverage should always be produced.
- The signal broadcasting strength for the Wi-Fi access points should be tuned to the appropriate level that balances sufficient coverage at each door while minimizing signal overlap/interference based on the size of the area that needs to be covered. For example, many access points and routers will sufficiently cover an 800-1400 sq ft apartment on its lowest signal strength setting.
- Wi-Fi access points should use static and staggered channel assignments. Automated RF adjustments will result in fluctuating channels and power changes that are disruptive to performance.
- Establish a strategy to minimize channel overlap and reuse across multiple Wi-Fi access points.
- Materials used in the construction of the building should be taken into consideration when determining Wi-Fi access point placement, such as: metal or steel doors, thickness and materials used in walls, line of sight, etc.