Gateway Range and Bluetooth Distance for Smart Locks

Product Knowledge · Published 2026-10-14

Two different questions get confused here. How far does Bluetooth reach, and what does a gateway add? The first is about a person standing at the door. The second is about managing the lock from another city.

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How far Bluetooth actually reaches

Bluetooth on a smart lock is designed for the person standing in front of it. Practical range depends on the door, the wall and the phone, so we confirm the pairing method per model rather than quoting a distance in metres.

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Same room, open line	Works as expected
Through one internal wall	Usually works, sometimes with a delay
Through a metal door or a reinforced wall	Undependable; assume it will not
From another floor	Not a Bluetooth use case at all

What a gateway adds

A gateway puts the lock on the network. That is what enables remote unlock, timed e-keys that can be revoked without visiting the site, and an access record you can read afterwards.

Remote control when nobody is standing at the door
Timed access that expires on its own, so nothing has to be collected
An access history, which is often the real reason the gateway is bought
Managing several locks from one account rather than one at a time

Tuya Bluetooth and TTLock unlock actively from the phone without a gateway. The gateway is what extends that to somewhere else.

Where to place the gateway

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Between the lock and the router	The usual answer: close to the lock, still on WiFi
Metal cabinets and risers	Avoid; both weaken the signal
One gateway per floor	Common in hotels and multi-storey buildings
One gateway per cluster of locks	Common in lockers and storage sites

When you need a repeater or a second gateway

Locks spread across more than one floor
Locks in separate buildings on the same site
A concrete or metal structure between the lock and the gateway
More locks than one gateway manages comfortably

The number of gateways belongs in the quotation rather than being discovered during commissioning. Tell us the layout at quote stage.

What happens when the network drops

Local entry keeps working. Fingerprint, keypad, IC card and mechanical key are handled on the lock itself, so a network outage does not lock people out. What stops is remote control and the live access record.

How to test it before you commit

Order a sample with the gateway you intend to use
Test it in the actual building, not on a desk
Test at the furthest lock from the intended gateway position
Record the firmware and app versions you tested
Order the batch against the configuration you validated

A gateway is ecosystem specific. A Tuya gateway does not manage a TTLock lock, and the pairing method is confirmed per model rather than by distance alone.

Buyer Questions

Three questions this guide usually raises.

On this topic

Do we need a gateway for every lock?

No. One gateway normally manages several locks in range. The count depends on the layout, and it belongs in the quotation rather than in the commissioning phase.

Does the lock stop working if the internet goes down?

No. Fingerprint, keypad, card and mechanical key are handled on the lock. What stops is remote control and the live access record.

Can we mix Tuya locks and a TTLock gateway?

No. Gateways are ecosystem specific. Choose one ecosystem for the site, or run two separate accounts.