Increasingly, users are migrating to IP-based access control systems, which carry many benefits, among them the ease and simplicity with which they can be set up and managed.
Increasingly, users are migrating to IP-based access control systems, which carry many benefits, among them the ease and simplicity with which they can be set up and managed.
That’s according to a recent
technology note by
Kintronics.
IP reader
Key to an IP-based access control system is the IP access control reader, which can be card-based or biometrics-based, that attaches to the network rather than to the control panel in the conventional setup. “The new IP reader uses network wire and connects to a network switch. In many cases there is network infrastructure in place, so all we need to do is run a network Cat5 to the nearest switch. We don’t have to run wires all the way back to the home base,” the note said.
According to the note, IP readers are small computers and contain the same, if not more, intelligence than the central control box. “The door reader/controller stores all the information about the people using the system. The reader makes decisions about status of the door, decides when to unlock the door, and what time of the day a credential can be used,” it said. “Since all the information is in the reader, it will operate even if the network is down.”
The IP reader has a set of wires that include all the signals needed to control access to the door, as well as 12 VDC output power that can control most electric locks, the note said. “It has a built-in relay to control the door. As long as the electric lock doesn’t exceed 600ma of current at 12 VDC, you just run the network wire to the reader and you’re done. Nothing else is required,” it said.
According to the note, modern IP readers are secure and protected against people trying to short the wires to get in. “There is a special security box that is placed on the secure side of the door. The door reader then communicates with the internal box, using an encrypted signal, to remotely control the door relay. There is no way for anyone to break in using the wires at the reader,” it said.
Management software
Once the reader is connected to the network, it can be given an IP address and managed from the access control management software run on a Windows-based computer. “The software allows you to define who can access and control the system, define each door, define and set up groups and define a shift,” the note said. “This is very flexible yet powerful software that allows you to easily set up the system and enter the people assigned to each card (or credential).”
According to the note, the operator can do the following when setting up the system through the management software:
Setting up each door
Each reader can be given a name, so it is easy to find in the software. The IP address can be added so that the software knows where all the readers are located.
Defining groups of users
Users (the people who use the system) can be assigned to groups, and then that group of people can have the same permissions for entry. “Now you can tell the system that the group has access to a specific door and control when they can enter the building. There is an easy calendar that can help you define the ‘shifts’ for your organization. You can name shifts so that you can easily identify them,” the note said.
Credential registration
Each person can be entered and assigned to a group. The administrator can enter the badge number for the person, or simply swipe the badge using a reader, the note said.