Having a reliable intercom / access control system on your apartment / unit complex is important in safeguarding property and controlling who is actually on the premises.  With work from home, home care visits, and online shopping deliveries it is important to know who is visiting and provide access with instructions when needed.

Many older buildings have failing wired intercom systems that are difficult to repair or source parts to allow repair.  These systems typically don’t have a mobile phone option and are expensive to replace mainly due to re-cabling.

Active Online Wireless Systems

At Active Online we have been working with intercom systems for many years and have recently taken the bold step to design and test an intercom system for apartment / unit complexes / residential using off the shelf parts to create a wireless intercom system bypassing cabling.  The system uses the 4G mobile networks for connection to the internet (no voice or SMS) and connection to the NBN in the apartments / units / via Wi-Fi. 

Please note that our systems use broadband only, no voice or SMS. Your system won’t be blocked for “robo calling” or be locked out during the 3G Network shutdown.  ACMA has directed that any phone (or device) that is found to not be full 4G / 5G should be locked out from networks to ensure there are no issues with devices that make calls but can’t access the 000 network.  This has the unfortunate possibility of locking out many voice intercoms, lift / elevator call systems, and alarm / alert-based systems.  These systems primarily call programmed numbers and have no facility to call 000, or even have a dial facility, yet could be blocked by networks anyway. Please contact us you have issues with one of these systems and are looking for a suitable replacement.

The door station can be any current digital/ IP system from a range of intercoms tested by us.  This allows for systems ranging from simple and functional to advanced premium with everything in between.  The door station connects to an industrial 4G router that then allows connection to a dedicated server for intercom.

The monitors and smart phone App connect to the dedicated server for intercom via NBN or mobile broadband.  We supply a range of monitors for within the apartment / unit that can be connected via Wi-Fi or cable to the apartment / unit / home NBN modem.  These can be supplied with a desktop stand for easy installation.  Plug in the power and setup Wi-Fi and you are connected.  If you prefer not to have a monitor you can elect to use the Smart Phone App.  Most installations use both monitor and Smart Phone App for convenience.  There is also an option to receive phone calls only and this is provided as a monthly license to cover phone calls from the server.

The 4G router has the option to failover to a second SIM if there are network issues for the primary network provider.  We monitor the performance of the 4G router and configure the router to restore function if connection is lost. The first 12 months of monitoring is included in the cost of supplying the system and is optional moving forward.

The door systems and monitors are remotely accessible via the dedicated internet server allowing us to access these systems remotely if required.  Remote access requires connecting to the network either through the 4G router or apartment / unit internet.    

Access Control

Access is controlled through the door station, either through a call where the tenant or home owner remotely unlocks the gate / door or through multiple other methods: Smart Phone App, PIN code, RFID card / fob, face recognition, QR Code, Bluetooth through the Smart Phone App, NFC (Android phones at this time).  Not all features are available on all door stations so it is important to choose based on your local door / gate requirements.

Contractors / Staff

Access can be scheduled, and time limited on a per person basis. A regular contractor (cleaner, gardener etc.) may be limited on a daily or even hourly basis.  Where there are multiple door stations or access control devices users can be given access per device.  All access is logged in the online Property Manager portal.

Strata Manager / Body Corporate

Active Online wireless access control systems provide remote management for building managers and flexibility in deployment.  For example, choosing a new intercom / access control solution is usually costly and these costs are shared among the property owners who may not live at the property.  Our systems allow each owner to choose the equipment that will be installed on their property including the features, style, and number of monitors.  In this way the only shared cost is the door station and 4G router and installation the door system.  There are operating costs for the door system due to the mobile broadband connection and these costs are minimal when compared to re-cabling the facility.

Performance

With good internet connection the calls are almost instant.  The server response time is very fast and video quality excellent.  Where internet quality is reduced (mobile App in a tunnel for example) there may be a failure to connect or video and audio quality may be sub par.

The services on the local mobile tower can also affect performance.  Urban installations usually have better facilities – backup power including batteries, multiple links from the tower to the internet, redundant radio systems etc.  Rural installations may not have the redundancy or connections resulting in reduced performance in heavy weather (rain fading of connection microwave links) or loss of power in storms.  Our monitoring systems will show when systems are connected, and subsequent failures and potential reasons, and we can then devise the best action to mitigate any performance issues. 

Internet in apartments / units will usually be fine for intercom as most internet providers are streaming television and movies across their networks with no issue.  If your internet can’t stream video you have the option to use the mobile App or direct telephone call method. If you don’t have internet in your apartment and don’t have access to Wi-Fi in the building you can use the Smart Phone App with mobile broadband.

There is also an option to setup Mesh Wi-Fi for the facility that will allow apartments to access a distributed Wi-Fi system managed by the building manager.  This type of system is most likely found in hotels or short stay accommodation.

Notes

At this time, it is not possible to control elevator / lift systems without cabling. Wireless intercom systems are best used for entry gates and doors only.  As the elevator controller module (add on for intercoms, access control, and elevators) needs to be installed where it can control the elevator panel there will be some cabling required between the door station and the elevator controller.  

Other access control devices (door stations, access control readers) can be added as long as there is an internet connection.  This could be another 4G router, via an internal router or modem with internet connection, or networked back to the supplied 4G router.  Networking may be cabled or wireless i.e. wireless bridges or part of a Wi-Fi mesh system.

If the internet is not available, the door station can still unlock the door / gate with access control methods not requiring the internet i.e. PIN code, RFID card / fob, Bluetooth etc.

If you would like to enquire about how we can assist you with your situation, please fill out the form below: