Currently, the Nuki Smart Lock does not support a connection with KNX by default. However, there are still a number of indirect ways in which you can connect the smart door lock with the networked Smart Home standard.
We will introduce you to a few of them. Only if as many devices and components as possible are networked in a smart way, you will truly understand the benefits of a Smart Home. Instead of stand-alone solutions with a variety of individual apps and assistants, your home starts to become a “big picture” – a unified whole.
Before we get into how you can connect your Nuki Smart Lock with KNX, let us first provide you with a brief introduction to this Smart Home standard.
With the cable-based building automation system having been around for many years, you can think of KNX as being the predecessor to today’s wireless Smart Home and “Internet of Things” (IoT) devices. In the 1990s, it was essentially the standard for a Smart Home, but at that time it was not yet connected to the Internet. Instead, a central KNX bus was used, which connected all networked components of a house.
Even back then, KNX offered many possibilities – and it still does so today, allowing all kinds of things, such as lights, roller shutters, cameras, alarm systems, and much more to be networked and controlled. All of your networked components can be controlled by means of classic switches, but also through your tablet and smartphone, and of course also via an automated process.
However, installing the system is very time-consuming, as every single component has to be wired up as well. As a result, you are more likely to see this system implemented in a new building or a comprehensive renovation, while wireless systems such as the Nuki Smart Lock, Philips Hue, and other similar systems can be easily retrofitted at any time.
It is currently not possible to connect the Nuki Smart Lock or Nuki Bridge with KNX directly. But this doesn’t mean that you can’t fit your KNX Smart Home with Nuki’s electronic door lock.
There are a number of ways in which you can link the Nuki Smart Lock with KNX. To do so, you only need to take a small « detour » via third-party providers such as 1Home, iHaus, or knXpresso. These apps establish an interface between Nuki, KNX, and many other Smart Home standards and devices.
While the method differs depending on which « go-between » you choose, it is usually very simple. If you opt for 1Home, for example, you will also have to use a smart voice assistant (Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant); the connection is established through this assistant. This is because Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant are known to be supported by Nuki and other systems by default.
Once the connection has been established, you can then integrate your Nuki door lock into your Smart Home through KNX. In addition, it is usually also possible for you to connect many other standards and devices with one another. This opens up a wide range of possibilities, such as having all lights and devices in your home switched off when you leave the house and the Nuki Smart Lock locks your door. Conversely, you could have lights, your favourite music, and much more set to turn on when you come home and your intelligent door lock conveniently unlocks the front door.
And by the way: you can achieve similar things with alternative standards such as Loxone and Gira, as they also network your home and provide you with further opportunities to make your life in a Smart Home more comfortable and convenient.