Back in 2018, I was working in a big hotel downtown Montreal. The company I was working for was the security system provider for the hotel which consists in the video surveillance system and access control. While installing the control panels, I often happened to be in the same room with other installers like network installers and all kind of construction guys. But back then, I met other access control installers. In fact, they were installing wireless access control system. For the hotel was installing a traditional system in corridors and perimetric doors which I was in charge of. And a wireless system on the guest rooms doors.
In this article I will explain the wireless access control. How it works and the differences between the two systems : wired and unwired
before approaching the unwired access control system. Let me give you a brief overview of a wired system
Wired access control
A wired access control. I am calling traditional in this article, works by running a wire from the panel to every equipment installed on the door. Those hardware are the door contact. The request to exit. The lock and the card reader.
The diagram below shows you the access control hardware on a door
Wireless access control
It has the same architecture except that there is no wire to the equipment.
The diagram below shows a wireless access control architecture. As you can see, there is no wire to the door equipment and there is also no request to exit and no door contact as well.
In the hotel where I have been working. There is a wired hub on the ceiling on top of every guest room doors. The hub receives the guest cards credentials for authentication when it is swiped.
The reader transmits the swiped card credentials to the controller through the hub. Then the latter sends back the granting or the refusal access after comparing credentials in the data base.
The unwired access control locks the doors with electrified handles not with strikes. The electrified handles are energized with batteries which poses the problem of changing the batteries periodically.
Advantages of wireless access control
- Saving wiring and installation time
- Flexibility
- Support standalone and offline and online mode
Inconvenient of unwired access control
- Walls and equipment can further reduce the range of Wireless systems.
- The locks work with batteries, so, dying batteries can be an issue and servicing them can take a lot of time when it comes to big premises with several doors
What if you have already a wired system ?
The unwired system is perfectly integrable with the wired system. As a result, you can install both systems for example the wireless can be installed in a non accessible places where it is difficult to run a wire.
The article posted was very informative and useful. You people are doing a great job. Keep going.
thank you for your kind comment Celebrities