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Internet Protocol (IP) access control, just like IP video, has become a frequently used (and abused) term in security. Along with the lexicon, a new group of technologists have entered the security marketplace promising to bring the rank and file security dealer out of the darkness and into the light by means of IP. Although, as is the case with video, it is important to be specific about what you mean when you say your access control system is IP.
A quick survey of IP access control on Google reveals that vendors are attempting to attract buyers by applying the term IP to their products, even when there is little or no IP technology involved.
It is apparently easy enough to confuse a buyer who is not experienced with access control products, even if they have a familiarity with networks. A fast-talking salesman can turn a product presentation into a room of drooling bobble-heads in less than an hour.
One European company I Googled offered several tiers of access control products, beginning with a single-door standalone "IP solution."
Whoops! What IP? This unit tied into an electric lock, a keypad card reader and a power supply, but nothing else. Programming was via cards for batch loading of credentials, or via the keypad for other tasks. No activity log, no software, no connectivity. Granted, this unit might work like a charm, but it definitely does not deserve to be called IP access control.
System topology
IP is used in different places in the access control system topology. It can be used to connect door controllers or groups of door controllers to the network, sites to the server and the server to the workstations used to monitor the system activity and perform the system management. The network can be hardwired or wireless. Once the communications are IP, there are few limitations to where it can go and what it can do.
Scalable devices and platforms better convey the benefits of technology that permits a system to grow to whatever size the client might ultimately require, and the type of topology used has much to do with the security management requirements of the premises and issues associated with deployment.
I'm thinking at the moment of one group of access control products that offers a solution for every type of door, containing standalone units with self-contained power and locking devices, as well as wall-mounted units able to control other things. Real-time propped door messages, as well as remote unlocking of the openings is a standard feature. Uploading activity logs and enrolling and removing credentials can be accomplished via an infrared (IR) printer or with a wire connection to a laptop or with a data transfer unit you take to each unit and to the host PC. Once in the PC, the data can then be conveyed or viewed using IP. This manufacturer does not use the term IP in their marketing, yet their product offers one of the most comprehensive and cost-effective solutions in the industry.
Another "new" access control product takes IP technology and uses it in a flexible way. Some people like to use the term "edge of the network" to describe appliances that reside on the network and perform the processing required right there, rather than require communications with a host.
An analogy would be one of the new breed of IP cameras which have the ability to record video and stream it based on analytic rules. For instance, perhaps it is programmed to not send video over the network (and thus use valuable bandwidth) unless there is an emergency. So, in essence, this technology offers the ability to operate in the absence of a network connection and whether or not the application is running on the host.
While many of us still like RS 485, or setting up a separate network for our hardware, to some this is definitely 'Old School.' IP is the future.
Tim O'Leary is a 35-year veteran of the security industry. He has been a security consultant since 1986 and an independent security company owner/operator and product researcher.
author: By Tim O'Leary