{"id":1599,"date":"2018-11-28T14:17:08","date_gmt":"2018-11-28T19:17:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trillium.group\/content\/?p=1599"},"modified":"2018-12-20T11:33:26","modified_gmt":"2018-12-20T16:33:26","slug":"integrated-locksets-hardwired-vs-wireless","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trillium.group\/content\/integrated-locksets-hardwired-vs-wireless\/","title":{"rendered":"Integrated Locksets – Hardwired vs Wireless"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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There are lots of things to consider when it comes to electronic access control<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>

When looking at integrated locksets<\/strong>, one of the first questions people tend to ask is:<\/span>
\u201cShould I go for wireless locks<\/strong> or hardwired locks<\/strong>?\u201d<\/span><\/p>

The answer, as usual, is:<\/span>
“It depends.”<\/span><\/p>

There are several factors that might influence what is best for your needs, facility and budget.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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First, let\u2019s define what we\u2019re discussing.<\/p>

Integrated locksets<\/strong> are locks with card readers built in.\u00a0 So, instead of having a lock on the door and a card reader on the wall, you have an all-in-one access control solution on your door.\u00a0 For examples of integrated locksets, check out our features on Salto locks,<\/strong><\/a><\/span> Aperio locks<\/span><\/strong><\/a>, <\/strong>and IN120 wi-fi locks<\/a><\/span><\/strong>.<\/p>

These locksets need power<\/strong> to operate, as well as a way to communicate with access control software <\/strong>to allow or deny access.\u00a0<\/p>

As the name suggests, hardwired locks<\/strong> achieve this by having wires run from the lockset, through the door and frame, back to an access control board and power supply.\u00a0 On the other hand, wireless locks<\/strong> are battery powered and communicate with a receiver using wi-fi, radio frequency or other methods.\u00a0 \u00a0The receiver, which is typically concealed within the ceiling, then communicates back with the access control system.<\/p>

Now, back to the question at hand \u2013 wires or no wires?<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Initial Costs<\/span>
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When it comes to the locks themselves, wireless locks tend to be more expensive than equivalent hardwired locks (roughly 10-20%).\u00a0 This is because of the extra components required for wireless communication.<\/p>

However, the overall installation costs<\/em> for hardwired systems quickly add up.\u00a0 The wiring, door and frame machining costs and power transfer hardware required for these systems add considerable material cost.\u00a0 They also required extra coordination between various trades \u2013 particularly electricians \u2013 which can add cost and complexity to the installation.\u00a0<\/p>

In retrofit situations, installing a hardwired system may not be a viable option because of the considerable rework required to run wiring and rework doors and frames.\u00a0 Wireless systems have a clear advantage in these situations.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Integrated Locksets have built-in cardreaders<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Mobile devices can be used as credentials with some systems<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Power System<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>

Hardwired locks are always connected to their power source. \u00a0In case of a power outage, they can be set up to run off a facility\u2019s emergency generator or battery backup.\u00a0 This connectivity also means the locks are constantly drawing power, which can impact the carbon footprint of the facility.<\/p>

On the other hand, wireless locks run off batteries \u2013 typically standard AA or AAA.\u00a0 This means they are not vulnerable to power outages.\u00a0 The locks are engineered to ensure battery life is sufficiently long (tens of thousands of cycles) and to send alerts when batteries are running low. \u00a0With a little oversight and maintenance, managing battery replacement is relatively foolproof.\u00a0 Costs for battery replacement should be considered as part of the long-term operating costs for wireless locks.\u00a0 Recycling used batteries can help offset their environmental impact.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Communications<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>

An extra consideration with wireless locks is signal strength and the potential for interference.\u00a0 Steel, concrete and other building materials can create barriers for communication between the locks and receivers.\u00a0 This means receiver locations need to be carefully planned and tested to ensure there is a strong, reliable communication signal.<\/p>

Aesthetics<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>

While both styles of locks come in a variety of finishes and design options, wireless locks have a bit of a disadvantage when it comes to aesthetics.\u00a0 There are two reasons:<\/p>

First, it takes a fair amount of space to house the batteries in a wireless lock.\u00a0 They typically require 3 to 6 AAA or AA cells, which can make them bulkier than hardwired locks.\u00a0<\/p>

The next point is related to communications.\u00a0 The metal components on a lock can create signal interference, so most wireless lock manufacturers surround their antennas with plastic to allow clear signal transmission.\u00a0 This can take something away from the aesthetics of wireless units when compared to hardwired units. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Closing thoughts<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>

The decision between hardwired locks and wireless locks depends on what you want to achieve, your building characteristics and your budget.\u00a0 There are lots of products and possibilities \u2013 including using a mix of both hardwired and wireless<\/strong> to ensure you have access control at each necessary location.<\/p>

Getting advice from an experienced professional can help you balance the options and find a solution that works for your facility.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There are lots of things to consider when it comes to electronic access control. When looking at integrated locksets, one of the first questions people tend to ask is: \u201cShould I go for wireless locks or hardwired locks?\u201d The answer, as usual, is: “It depends.” There are several factors that might influence what is best […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1065,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[36,80],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1599","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-access-control","category-articles"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/trillium.group\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1599","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/trillium.group\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/trillium.group\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trillium.group\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trillium.group\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1599"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/trillium.group\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1599\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1710,"href":"https:\/\/trillium.group\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1599\/revisions\/1710"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trillium.group\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1065"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/trillium.group\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1599"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trillium.group\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1599"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trillium.group\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1599"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}