Access Control
Paxton Net2 Plus
System
The purpose of the Access Control system was to learn some new skills and how to use newer forms of access control. I was also looking at integrating this with ANPR to learn how to use it.
Purpose of the installation
How I wired the door:
To wire the token reader I used a 50cm drill bit to drill fully through the wall so that it would blend in nicely without cables running around the side of the door. This would also reduce the chance of damage.
The electromagnet I used:
Originally, I used a cheaper electromagnet bought from Amazon which was rated to around 200kg. But when I applied a large amount of weight to the door it opened. So, to resolve this, I bought a professional use electromagnet which is rated upto 600kg. It is performing well. This electromagnet has a feature which detects if the door is open. So if the door is not open through the reader or the exit button it activates an alarm. The alarm can only be deactivated by certain users. In future, I would like to link this to our house alarm system. Below is a picture of the current electromagnet:
Tokens:
The Paxton Net2 system can be used with a wide variety of access control tokens. For security reasons I try and make sure that all of the tokens information is stored in 7 bytes of data. This reduces the chances of being able to be cloned. I rarely use the Mayfair Ultralight tokens due to the lack of security and the ease of clonability. Below is a picture of some of the tokens that can be used with my system:
Tokens:
I originally used a cheaper reader and controller set from Amazon which if you removed it could short the wires to release the electromagnet and trick the system to believe that the exit button had been pressed. But, with the Paxton Net2 Plus system it encrypts all of the data between the reader and the controller. This results in the system being much more secure than the previous system. Below is a picture of what the software looks like:
Another feature of the Paxton Net2 Plus system is that it has a desktop interface which allows me to control the users and access times much more and this allows a more secure system to be put in place. The software gives me an event log of users exiting and entering and any changes made through the main software or requests for the door to be opened. Below is an image of the Paxton Net2 Plus controller:
Wiring the Cables:
When installing the Paxton Net2 Plus controller properly I wanted to save my money as much as possible so I didn't splash out and buy a proper enclosure for the Paxton Net2 Plus controller. So I used a cheaper plastic box and mounted it to the wall. Then I drilled a hole in the bottom of the box for cables to enter/ exit and one in the back for the reader. Then I wired all these cables to the Paxton controller as carefully as possible as one cable can cause the entire system to fail. Below is an image of this installation (it isn't my neatest work but a proper enclosure would have helped make it tidier!!):
Outcomes
Overall I am extremely happy with the outcomes of the access control installation and I am more impressed with Paxton compared to the cheap system from Amazon. I am planning to book myself on a Paxton Training course. They don't mention an age limit and I think they might be suprised when they see me!! Because I haven't been to a Paxton Installer Training Course and there is very little information on YouTube and the internet it required alot of trial and error to figure out how to get the system working properly. I was quite worried after spending alot of money that I wouldn't be able to get it working but I managed to figure it out and it is working brilliantly!!
