2N access control gate system needs network

Building an outdoor network for gate access control system

An existing client presented a new challenge with a requirement to put an access control system onto a network. Previously the system could be opened to enter by Fob or Code only. Exit was based on a sensor of vehicle approaching.

The additional requirement was to be able to open the gates through the phone system, from one of 3 buildings on the property.

So we had to get this remote gates onto the network.

Fibre, ethernet, network control all outdoors. If there is one bit of luck it is with all the wet weather of recent the ground trenching for the fibre ducting was very easy. The grounds team for the property did not mess around, getting the trench and ducting in place in 2 days.

Fibre was fed on day 3 and switch installed on the same day. Each part of the control system linked up and added to the network.

We went a step further separating the existing telephone network onto dedicated VLAN and the access control onto a dedicated VLAN. Given the outdoor enclosure is a potential physical vulnerability point, we only allowed the VLAN access to the phone PBX and nothing else.

MAC address filtering has been applied to add some additional obscurity but this is by no means security as MAC addresses can be spoofed very easily. The measure just slows down any physical attack vector.

The outstanding task is to tidy the fibre pigtail and clean the existing enclosure.