Just occasionally you might need a little pointer. Our frequently asked questions might help. If you need more information, please check out our knowledge base – or get in touch. We have offices covering the UK, Europe and the US. 

 

What is a TCP/IP enabled door reader-controller?

ISONAS door reader-controllers connect directly to the company’s data network. The reader-controllers support using either Ethernet wiring onto the customer’s LAN or wireless connections onto the customer’s WLAN. The ISONAS solution is the original panel-free door access control system.

 

Do you need a unique IP address for each reader-controller?

Yes – a single IP address is required for each IP door-controller. If appropriate, port forwarding techniques can used to conserve your company’s network-wide IP addresses in some circumstances.

 

How many Door Controllers can be used and how many users can be on a system?

ISONAS solutions can support an unlimited number of door-controllers and users on a system, limited only by the host PC’s memory, CPU, and hard drive capabilities. A host that is properly sized for it’s operating system can support an installation with hundreds (if not thousands) of doors.

 

Can Door Controllers be used with other access control devices?

Yes. ISONAS has made it possible for many other devices to integrate with its readers with a number of enabling tools: a TCP/IP interface; the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) interface; and the ISONAS SDK are a few of the methods available.

 

Will the readers work with magstripe and HID Prox? How is configuration done?

Our door controllers can be programmed to read HID prox cards. If you use magstripe HID prox cards, the door-controllers will read the card ID as defined by the electronic prox card assignment. We do not read information from mag stripes.

Read more about compatible card types

 

How would overloaded network traffic affect the IP Access Control system

If something happens on the network that affects the entire system, then the readers could get dropped and they will fall into “Stand-alone” mode. However, the messages to and from the reader are very small (only 60-400 bytes long) which is a trivial length by today’s standards.
The reader does not need to be in constant contact with the host/server and is patient in waiting for responses, so even in a heavily used network, the readers will more than likely continue to function normally.

 

Will the Access Control System adversely affect our network loading

The volume of IP traffic generated by the ISONAS Access Control System is very small.
Typically, For a host supporting a 700 door system (on a 100Mbps link), the total IP traffic generated by the Access Control System would be about 1% or the host’s total network capacity.

 

What about cable runs that exceed the standard Cat 5 distances?

In this instance the network can be extended, by either adding a network switch or by spanning the distance with optic fibre. If an optic link is chosen then a local power source will be needed to power the reader and the lock.

 

Is the data between the host and the readers secure?

Yes. Communication between the reader and host can be encrypted using 256bit AES encryption.

 

Can magnetic locks and fail-safe electric strikes be powered via PoE from the Reader?

Yes. The PoE standard caters for 13 Watts. ISONAS reader-controllers supply an output current of 0.5 Amps at 12V.
If your installation requires more current than this, network equipment is available which can provide more power to the door location (typically from 1.8 Amps at 12V) – over the same Cat 5 cable.

Read more about compatible latches and locking hardware

 

When using the ISONAS Crystal Matrix software, does the host computer need to be dedicated to the application?

No. In most instances an existing server would be fine.

 

When using the ISONAS Crystal Matrix software, is there a limit for how many simultaneous logins or users are permitted?

No. The ISONAS Crystal Matrix Software™ does not have a limit on the number of simultaneous logins or users.

 

When using the ISONAS Crystal Matrix software, what is the application size and the hardware requirements?

The application footprint is very small. Any Windows based PC can be used to run even a large installation.

 

How does Stand-Alone mode work?

The readers are periodically synchronised with the server – with card and access time information. Should the reader switch to Stand-Alone mode then the local database is used to authorise access and to record events (which are re-synchronised when put back in network mode).

 

How does an ISONAS reader-controller control an electric locking device and monitor the REX and Door Position Switch?

The reader controller has a set of wires (called a pig-tail) that are connected directly to various switches and controls at the door. One of the wires is for a door sense switch. Another is for a REX signal coming from a switch, infrared sensor or other rex device. There is a third input signal which is called AUX (for auxiliary, that can be programmed to act in a variety of ways). The controllers also have an onboard relay, with a normally open, normally closed and common connection for the relay. This relay can be directly connected to an electronic or magnetic lock to unlock the door when a valid badge is presented. There are two additional output signals which we call TTL1 and TTL2 that can be programmed to behave in a variety of ways.

 

Can the system operate relays? (ie control elevators etc)

Yes. The Crystal Matrix Software™ can control any MODBUS compliant input/output device – including elevators.

 

If a Reader-Controller is disconnected, will it affect any of the other Reader-Controllers in the system?

No. Once the Reader stops responding, it is dropped from the system’s communication logic and falls into standalone mode.
There is special recovery logic that will continuously try to communicate with the reader – to bring it back online – but it is a separate process from the main application.

 

How does the Access Control System react if a reader controller is removed from it’s mounting?

1. The Reader-Controller’s tamper alarm will be activated when movement is detected.
2. The Reader-Controller’s Control-Failure alarm will be activated when the reader is powered-down or if the ethernet cable is disconnected.

 

What happens is the reader is removed from the wall exposing the ethernet network connection installed on the exterior of a building?

The security issue of having a network connection on the exterior of the building can be controller using standard IP network design techniques.
These could include;
• Isolate the reader-controllers to their own network subnet or VLAN.
• Install a network firewall to limit traffic on the Access Control subnet or VLAN.
• Restrict IP connections at the network switch (Managed switches can limit to a specific “learned” device).
• Enable AES encryption on all Readers.
• Further integrate the Access Control System’s notification methods to other security systems – such as alarm and CCTV systems.

 

If the host server is switched off, will the readers still work?

Yes. In this instance the readers will go into Stand-Alone mode and will function normally. in most cases the end-user will not notice that the reader is in Stand-Alone mode. When the server is back online, all of the stored events, that took place during the outage, are synchronised back to the server – so that no historical data is lost.

 

What is the future of panel-based Access Control Systems?

Panel based Access Control Systems use legacy technologies and are being rapidly replaced with more modern IP based alternatives.

Read more about the benefits of IP Access Control