3 Ways to Mix and Match Electronic Access Control

Layering access control is a smart move that protects your budget and your facility. You can customize which openings are best suited for PoE, wired, and wireless electronic locks. This flexibility gives organizations the freedom to choose how to authorize access based on security needs and installation considerations.

What is a layered access control system?

Layered access control is an approach that overlaps security measures. Rather than using the same electronic lock on every door, separate technologies are matched to the specific requirements of each opening. This customization allows an organization to stay within budget limitations without sacrificing security standards.

Considerations for Layered Electronic Access Control

Layered access control is a way to support every door’s unique security parameters. For example, the door to a ticket office that stores cash at a sports venue has different access control requirements than an adjacent private office. The same is true of a research laboratory that has restricted access at the entrance but only needs general security for amenity spaces like conference rooms.

Layered access control is especially helpful for any building with a high volume of doors to upgrade. These facilities may need to minimize or altogether avoid the cost of wiring or door replacements. They might also have to adhere to constraints from historic preservation standards.

The best way to balance access control is to finetune which electronic lock is an appropriate match at every entrance.

1) Wired for Exterior Doors

High-visibility entrances are well suited for wired locks. They are the first line of defense against unauthorized access, so they need the ability to withstand physical tampering as well as cyberattacks. Additionally, robust access control can support rooms that safeguard controlled substances and chemicals, cash and financial records, or sensitive information like personnel files, patient records, and proprietary research.

A solution like the SN210 allows organizations to choose PIN-only, dual authentication, or mobile access. This flexibility is a great option if there’s a variety of legacy credentials that need to be consolidated and supports any future changes to higher-security credentials.

2) Wireless for Interior Rooms

Wireless locks are a great choice for protecting interior rooms. By leveraging your existing IT infrastructure, you can expand access control to spaces like private offices, staff-only areas, classrooms, and supply closets.

This added layer of protection also provides lockdown capabilities, which is a high priority for schools and healthcare. Our IN100 Series can remotely lock or unlock in under 10 seconds or both the IN100 and IN120 can enable a local lockdown by activating a privacy button.

3) PoE for High-Security Openings

Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) access control is an ideal choice where this infrastructure already exists. Since it uses standard network cabling for both power and data, installation is more straightforward and lower in cost than starting from scratch. Compared to traditional wired locks, PoE also consumes less power during standby mode.

Our IN220 Series accepts multiple credentials for up to 10,000 users. Administrators also have real-time monitoring with remote lock/unlock capability, so they don’t need to be on site to modify access. An audit trail can be generated, which allows for essential recordkeeping in case of a security event.

The biggest advantage to these technologies? They can accept the same credential, which simplifies the user experience and supports oversight from staff. With the right planning, they can even run on the same electronic access control system.

Interested in learning about how different access control technologies can work together to secure your facility? Download our eBook to get recommendations for specific facility types or fill out the form below to talk to one of our experts.