Building access control: which system to choose

Every access control system, whatever the brand, is the same chain: a credential the person carries, a reader at the door or lane, a controller that decides, and a lock, strike or barrier that acts. Above the chain sits the software where rights are defined and events are recorded. The decision at each access point is always the same three steps: identify the credential, check the zone, schedule and status attached to it, then command the door and log the result.

The part that matters for a building manager is where that decision lives. Lexoh controllers keep the credentials and rules locally, so a resident still gets in during an internet outage; the cloud platform is where the manager changes rights, watches events and connects video. That split, local decision and central management, is what lets a system be both dependable and easy to administer.

An on-site server lives in the building’s technical room. Someone has to update it, back it up, and be in the building to change a right. A cloud platform is reached from a browser or a phone, updates itself, and manages several buildings from one login, which is why boards and property managers with more than one building end up there. On-site still makes sense in one case: a single building with a strict network policy and an IT team on the premises.

The concern people raise about cloud is the internet connection. It is a fair question with a clear answer: the decision to open a door is taken by the controller at the door, from the credentials it holds locally, so an outage stops remote administration and alerts, not access. The cloud vs on-premise guide goes through the full comparison.

The immediate change is the end of the key cabinet. A lost mechanical key that opens several common doors can force a cylinder change; a lost fob is deactivated in seconds from the console and the event log shows whether it was used since. The second change is visitors: a resident or the manager creates a pass limited to a period and to the zones it needs, and it expires on its own. The third is evidence: every passage is an event, and where cameras are connected, the manager sees the door event and the video together instead of reconstructing an incident from memory.

On Lexoh projects the same platform also runs the garage lane and, where the building has one, the visitor parking, so the resident’s plate, the contractor’s code and the pedestrian doors are administered in one place rather than three.

The most useful thing a board can do before calling suppliers is to list every access point, who uses it, how often, and what happens today when someone is locked out. That list usually shows that only a few doors need the full treatment and that some existing readers or the intercom can be kept. It also turns supplier proposals into comparable documents.

A system reachable from the internet must be protected like any other business system. The practical checklist is short: administrator accounts with strong authentication and individual logins, a building network that keeps access equipment separate from the residents’ Wi-Fi, encrypted communication between devices and the platform, and firmware and software kept up to date. Ask the supplier how long events are retained and in what format they can be exported; a log that disappears after a few weeks is useless for an insurance claim months later.