# An overview of devices in Salto Homelok
> Do you have questions about how to configure devices in Salto Homelok? Here you will find a user guide to help you answer them.


Devices are pieces of hardware such as {{< glossary_term "electronic_lock" >}}electronic locks{{< /glossary_term >}} or {{< glossary_term "gateway" >}}gateways{{< /glossary_term >}} and encoders.
They can be any item of hardware used in the Homelok system.

It's useful to consider that electronic locks are the "core" types of device in Homelok.
Other devices such as gateways or encoders could be considered more "peripheral" hardware items.

This overview section refers only to generic functionality that is applicable to all device types.
For a full description of how to manage devices, see the sections relating to each individual device type.

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Currently, although you can create devices in Homelok, you need to use the Salto Nebula Commissioning app to configure the physical items of hardware.
See the [user guide for installers](/nebula/user-guide/installer) for more details.
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![Main Devices screen](images/devices-main.png "Devices can be any item of hardware in the Homelok system")
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## Naming devices {#naming-devices}

As well as using a coherent naming pattern when naming devices in Homelok, make sure you also use a unique name for every device within each device type or category.
That's to say, if you create a door called "Main entrance", you cannot create another door in your installation called "Main entrance".
However, you could create a gateway or an encoder called "Main entrance", if required.

See the sections on each specific device type for more details on naming.

## Deleting devices {#deleting-devices}

You can delete devices in Homelok as long as they have not already been [configured with the Nebula Commissioning app](/nebula/user-guide/installer/configure-devices).

If a device has already been configured, it must first be reset using the app.

See [resetting devices](/nebula/user-guide/installer/maintain-devices/reset) for more information.

## Replacing devices {#replacing-devices}

You can replace broken devices with new ones without losing the information belonging to the device.
This might be useful if, for example, you need to replace an electronic lock but want to maintain the device's associated access information and activity.

To do so, once the device has been removed and when the new device is in place, an installer must use the Nebula Commissioning app to configure the new device.

They need to use the **Replace a device** option by selecting on the three dots menu located at the top right corner of the app **Configure** screen.
They also need to ensure that they select the name of the device they're replacing from the list of names of already configured devices.

See also [replacing devices in the installer section of the Nebula user guide](/nebula/user-guide/installer/maintain-devices/replace).

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Use the **Replace a device** option **only** to replace a damaged or irrecoverable device.
Once you replace a device, the process cannot be undone.
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