What is Access Control ?

Simply, it's the management and control of people through secured areas, limiting access to only authorised personnel.

What are proximity readers ?

Proximity readers will detect a card data from a distance of 30cm - 100cm, and authenticate its content. If the authentication fails the holder will be denied access. Other proximity readers will detect at greater distance.

What are proximity cards ?

Proximity cards have no moving parts, slots or holes and therefore are very reliable and resistant to attack and vandalism.

Which are better, swipes or proximity cards ?

The main reasons for choosing proximity over swipe are:

• Proximity cards are impervious to minor damage such as magnetic fields.
• Proximity cards are virtually impossible to duplicate.
• There is no wear and tear on read heads by face-to-face touching.
• When using the cards for I.D. purposes proximity cards can be re-issued if a cardholder leaves.

Many forms of proximity cards have a lifetime warranty against failure to operate.

Would a PIN code be easier to distribute and administrate than cards or fobs ?

Yes, codes are easy to pass on but this obviously makes them the most insecure way of controlling access, codes for the systems can become corrupt very easily.

What are controllers ?

Controllers are an integral part of any access control; if the access control is linked to a computer system it makes the processing of the card data easier.

Will the local Fire Officer be ok about my plans to secure the door with people in the building ?

Safeguards are built in to override the electronic locking mechanisms manually at the door position or automatically under fire alarm activation, however consultation with your local Fire Officer is always recommended when installing any form of Access Control locking device.

Is there any way of finding out who is in the building from the access control system ?

On-line or PC based systems have the ability to log all events on the system enabling the trained operator to locate any cardholder on site. The systems can also run a roll call to pinpoint all cardholders, this can be printed manually or automatically under fire alarm activation.

How do I stop somebody simply passing his or her card out of the window to somebody else ?

The systems can be set up with "Anti-passback" this prevents a card being used twice in the same direction at any one door.

What happens if expansion is necessary in the future ?

The rule of thumb is to plan your system to fit current needs whilst determining the future requirements.