Author: Bob Mesnik

Comparison of Security Provided by Door Access Systems

What Is the Most Secure Door Access Control System?

cartoon with many locks on door

How secure are door access control systems?  Pricing can range from less than $100 for a single door to over $1100 per door. What do you get for the money? In some cases, the security level provided can be crucial to your safety.

How can we stay ahead of miscreants that are dedicated to breaking through our security systems?  This article summarizes the various levels of electronic security provided by different door control systems. Level 1 provides the least overall security while level 4 provides the highest level of protection. We compared the cost against the effectiveness of each type of system.

How secure are door access control systems?  Pricing can range from less than $100 for a single door to over $1100 per door. What do you get for the money? In some cases, the security level provided can be crucial to your safety.

How can we stay ahead of miscreants that are dedicated to breaking through our security systems?  This article summarizes the various levels of electronic security provided by different door control systems. Level 1 provides the least overall security while level 4 provides the highest level of protection. We compared the cost against the effectiveness of each type of system.

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Technical Jokes and Cartoons-32

Let’s start with some more Steve Wright – I do like his humor.

I was walking down the street wearing glasses when the prescription ran out.

I was trying to daydream, but my mind kept wandering.

Someone asked me, if I were stranded on a desert island what book would I bring… ‘How to Build a Boat.’

What’s another word for Thesaurus?

I remember when the candle shop burned down. Everyone stood around singing ‘Happy Birthday.’

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Comparison of Panoramic IP Cameras

How far can you see with an IP panoramic camera?

Panorama Trafalgar Square London
Panoramic Camera View

A panoramic camera provides a very wide unbroken view in all directions. The panoramic view can be achieved using a single sensor or an array of sensors (or cameras). Single-sensor 360-degree or fisheye cameras have been around for many years. The problem with panoramic cameras has always been the lack of detail available at a distance. The latest high-resolution cameras and multi-sensor cameras provide much better resolution. They can be used in standard surveillance applications, as well as situational awareness. I define standard surveillance applications as situations where you want enough resolution to identify people in the view.

This article describes how to determine the viewing distance of different panoramic IP cameras. It compares single-sensor, multi-sensor, and multi-directional IP cameras. Multi-directional cameras are not considered to be true panoramic, but in many cases, can be used in the same applications.

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Access Control and Fire Alarm System Integration

How to Integrate Access Control with Fire Alarm Systems

person running exit door illustration
Integration of Access Control and Fire Alarm

Door access control systems control the electric locks. They allow authorized people to enter through the controlled doors. However, what happens in the event of a fire? The access control system could prevent people from escaping or prevent the fire department from entering the building. Many municipalities provide rules for how the fire alarm integrates with the door access system. This article describes how to integrate access control and fire alarm systems.

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How Long Range Access Control Systems Work

Long-Range Access Control Readers

Long-range access control systems are similar to the standard IP door access control systems. They read a credential and determine if the door or gate should be opened. While the standard systems have a very short range, measured in inches, the long range readers can operate at a range of over 25 ft.  When you want to open a gate to a parking garage from your vehicle, you really can’t use a standard reader. You need a system that provides a much longer range.

Long Range Access Control System
Long Range Access Control System
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Elevator Control Using Door Access Readers

Elevator access control determines what floors the elevator can go to

Elevators In multi-floor buildings can be made more secure by adding elevator access controls.  These controllers determine who can reach certain floors. For example, we can assure that only the approved people can get to the 3rd floor where the IT department is located.

elevator access control concept

With this type of system installed, the people who work in accounting only have access to the third floor, while people in advertising can only go to the 5th floor.

Floors that contain general areas such as cafeteria or fitness center, would typically be available to everyone. We can also program the system to allow certain people, such as the executives to go to any floor.

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History of Kintronics

Kintronics is Forty!

Kintronics was founded May, 1977.  The Kintronics history is one of change.  Over the years, we constantly reinvented ourselves to assure that we were providing the right technology products to the market.

About Kintronics concept
Kintronics Security Technology

In the beginning, we were a small regional distributor providing electronic components such as relays, power supplies, and monitors. In 1989 we hired a more technical staff, and our business model changed.  We started selling complete systems such as CD-ROM drives and CD-recorders to schools and libraries. We provided a high level of technical support, and service. As technology changed, so did the products we offered. The CD-ROM drives became network attached CD-ROM servers, and in 1990 we added optical disc libraries from Panasonic that automated archiving of computer data.

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Jokes and Cartoons – 30

cartoon-far-side-4-wrongs

Bill walks into his boss’s office one day and says, “Sir, I’ll be straight with you, I know the economy isn’t great, but I’ve got three companies after me, and I’d like to  respectfully ask for a raise.”

After a few minutes of haggling. the boss finally agrees to give him a 5% raise, and Bill happily gets up to leave.

“By the way”, asks the boss as Bill is leaving his office, “which three companies are after you?”

Bill replies, “The electric company, water company, and phone company.”


Two factory workers are talking.

The woman says, “I can make the boss give me the day off.” The man replies, “And how would you do that?”

The woman says, “Just wait and see.”

She then hangs upside down from the ceiling.

The boss comes in and says, “What are you doing?”

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How to Design Your IP Paging System

The secret to designing your sound system is to start at the ears.

The design of an IP paging system starts with the sound level required for people to hear an announcement. Once we know the right sound level, we can define everything else.

Speaker illustration on drawing board

The sound level we hear is affected by the background noise, the distance from the IP speaker, and if we are indoors or outdoors.

We require different paging equipment if the system is used in an office building, or a noisy manufacturing plant. We select different IP speakers and amplifiers when we are inside a classroom, or when we are in the hallways of the school. This article describes how to calculate the speaker, the power required at each speaker, and the best place to mount the speakers.

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