Paxton Net2 DIY?

[speakercon]

Afternoon all.

 

I've been reading some older threads regarding the Paxton net2 Access systems but thought I'd start a new thread encase anyone has new information that could be of use!

 

We're looking at installing a centralized IP access system and after researching on here it looks like paxton is a popular choice. We've had a few quotes but I'm wandering whether it's viable to do it in house.

 

We already have doors on mag locks but each door is an isolated setup, so I'm looking at using the existing mag locks but changing the controllers/readers.

 

Found a website selling the hardware - Cts-direct.net

 

The wiring of the controllers looks reasonably straight forward - connecting the power & network, mag lock, x2 readers and emergency button. Would need the fire alarm company to connect up the alarm.

 

Does anyone have some experience of setting it all up themselves including adding controllers to the software and programming? Is it viable and worth DIY'ing? Anything to watch out for?

 

Any advice much appreciated! Cheers

[DGardiner]

Afternoon all.

 

I've been reading some older threads regarding the Paxton net2 Access systems but thought I'd start a new thread encase anyone has new information that could be of use!

 

We're looking at installing a centralized IP access system and after researching on here it looks like paxton is a popular choice. We've had a few quotes but I'm wandering whether it's viable to do it in house.

 

We already have doors on mag locks but each door is an isolated setup, so I'm looking at using the existing mag locks but changing the controllers/readers.

 

Found a website selling the hardware - Cts-direct.net

 

The wiring of the controllers looks reasonably straight forward - connecting the power & network, mag lock, x2 readers and emergency button. Would need the fire alarm company to connect up the alarm.

 

Does anyone have some experience of setting it all up themselves including adding controllers to the software and programming? Is it viable and worth DIY'ing? Anything to watch out for?

 

Any advice much appreciated! Cheers

not had any experience with it in the ip setup as ours are all directly wired - but the net2 works a treat! just be wary of the readers, if you already have mifare printer cards etc you can save yourself a bit of hastle by getting the paxton mifare readers!

[Katy]

We do a mixture of self install and getting our usual electricians to install (when we are too busy or it's a difficult door miles away from any power source). You can get both powered and PoE control units now although all of ours except 1 are mains fed.

Easy enough to set up, adding the door to the software is a case of putting it on the same VLAN and clicking "Detect" on the config tool, or if it's not playing you can add by MAC address and then from the config tool assign it an IP address. It's then a case of setting up the keypad type in the main Net2 software which is straight forward.

 

If you have a fire relay you can wire the power to the mag lock through it, so the doors release on fire, we use this in one building but in our older building the fire guys installed a relay from the fire panel to the "tamper" input on the nearest door unit, if you have the Pro version of the software you can then use this to release all/some (tick list) of doors when the relay is triggered, saving the need for a fire relay by every single door.

[caffrey]

Just get a fire relay installed, and use a NC pair from that to the paxton. I've fitted all our doors with Paxton net2s over the summer, not entirely sure if the wiring I did was the totally correct way to do it but it works and has been tested with a fire alarm test to put my mind at ease.

 

I used a company on Ebay called Loving Paxton for ours, worked out quite cheap compared to quotes we have received. If you are using mifare make sure you get the Mifare capable readers and keypads as there is quite a bit of choice

[Katy]

+1 for Loving Paxton on ebay for reasonably priced 2nd hand kit, you also occasionally find other sellers with brand new unopened readers at a fraction of the full price.

[crc-ict]

I might be wrong on this, but I think the Net2 Pro software can only be activated by approved installers?

[Katy]

I might be wrong on this, but I think the Net2 Pro software can only be activated by approved installers?

Ah yes forgot about that - our first few doors were done by approved installers to get the software (and so we could open up an "approved" installation and copy the wiring)

[caffrey]

No it doesn't, I got a genuine copy from Ebay (I think they made a mistake with the listing as it was a bargain) and I asked Paxton about this and they gave me a Generic installer key and the software installed and activated fine.

[speakercon]

Thanks guys, this is looking promising! I did see the ebay user Loving Paxton so its great to hear good things about them.

 

Does it make any difference which readers you buy as I've seen a few different models. We are wanting to use proximity cards (about 200).

 

For example would this reader be suitable Paxton Net2 plus proximity !!multi-format!!! MIFARE reader - P50 353-467 | eBay

with this controller PAXTON Net2 plus 12V 2A PSU, Plastic cabinet 682-531 40 available | eBay ?

 

Also, is anyone using the software as a clocking in/out system for staff as this is something we'd like to integrate so staff have 1 card for both jobs.

 

Cheers

[cooper]

I have staff fobbing in and out of the building using two separate readers.

 

Dont install then too close together if your using key fobs.

[howartp]

Ditto to all the above.

 

We don't DIY ours as I'm not allowed by premises team, but I do DIY fix/tweak and I did all the software side once installers had typed in their Pro key.

 

Can't fault support helpdesk either; they've been great.

 

Peter

[caffrey]

Those are the correct readers for mifare, the keypad if you want those is https://www.paxton.co.uk/products.asp?id=11&strStage=specification&strFamily=net2&strProduct=375-130&strGroup=group-05119 The seller on ebay can get these for you if needed

 

We don't use the clocking in, but the software has it built in but never used it

[speakercon]

It looks like we'd be best with the pro software, and it isn't that expensive at £250 from the ebay seller. Does anyone know where you can get the free version so I can have a play around with it to get a feel for it? On the paxton website it asks to register as an installed which as I wasn't sure whether I would be able to.

 

Are the mifare cards different from the paxton cards then?

[howartp]

It looks like we'd be best with the pro software, and it isn't that expensive at £250 from the ebay seller. Does anyone know where you can get the free version so I can have a play around with it to get a feel for it? On the paxton website it asks to register as an installed which as I wasn't sure whether I would be able to.

 

Are the mifare cards different from the paxton cards then?

 

I've got the public link to latest download, at work.

 

Paxton tokens are NOT mifare, but mifare can be used with Paxton as long as you get the mifare readers.

 

A mifare number of AABBCCDDEEFF will be truncated to AABBCCDD, turned into Decimal, then the rightmost 8 digits are the Paxton token number.

[speakercon]

Ahh I see, so if we went with this reader ( Paxton Net2 plus proximity !!multi-format!!! MIFARE reader - P50 353-467 | eBay ) then we could use either paxton cards or mifare? Are there any negative to not having the paxton readers?

[howartp]

All Paxton readers will read Paxton tokens.

 

That reader (part no 353-467) will also read Mifare.

 

So if you have, or are considering, Mifare cards for anything else (cashless, photocopying, library) then always go for the Mifare readers up front - they'll still read Paxton tokens either way.

 

Our engineers who installed all carried their own Paxton tokens on their fobs; I just added their token to my record in Net2 whilst they were here so they could test our doors.

 

http://www.paxton.info/1438 always has the latest public download on it. Paxton sent me that and told me that themselves when I asked if I could get the latest version.

[pete]

All Paxton readers will read Paxton tokens.

 

That reader (part no 353-467) will also read Mifare.

 

Be aware that you can't use the above linked reader if mounting to a metal post/structure. You'd need to use the KP75 linked earlier in the thread.

[howartp]

Be aware that you can't use the above linked reader if mounting to a metal post/structure. You'd need to use the KP75 linked earlier in the thread.

 

We've got several of the ones I linked on metal posts outside... (by Paxton gold installers)

[pete]

We've got several of the ones I linked on metal posts outside... (by Paxton gold installers)

 

Our installer balked at it, saying he'd had nothing but grief doing that. He may have just been over-cautious or because we had readers either side of the same gatepost with an offset of ~12 inches to prevent interference.

[caffrey]

We have those readers installed on metal (aluminium) framed internal sliding doors without issues

[speakercon]

Thanks everyone, I feel confident enough now to give this a try on one door, I contacted 'loving paxton' who was very helpful and got the first round of hardware ordered. Also having played around with the free version of Net2 it looks a great piece of software and very easy to use!

 

I'll update on progress.

[Edu-IT]

Be aware that you can't use the above linked reader if mounting to a metal post/structure. You'd need to use the KP75 linked earlier in the thread.

Had loads of these on posts without issue, too.

[caffrey]

Basic diagram, I'm no professional and I've not seen a professional install but this is how I did it and it works - information on wiring this up is pretty scant online and the Paxton instructions are vague.

 

I basically bring back a wire per device (one wire for maglock, one for fire relay etc.) and connect them up inside the net2 - keeps it tidy and leaves plenty of service pairs. Keypad is colour coded so you can't go wrong with that.

 

Hardest part really is routing the wiring

 

[speakercon]

That's a useful diagram, thanks!

 

I was reading you can also connect the fire relay to an input on the net2 and configure it in the software as a fire alarm trigger. Has anyone done it this way?

[howartp]

I was reading you can also connect the fire relay to an input on the net2 and configure it in the software as a fire alarm trigger. Has anyone done it this way?

To do this properly, you need Pro.

 

It adds an option on each door that says "when I go in to alarm, open all [these] doors". You only set it on whichever door(s) have the wire from the fire alarm.

 

Without Pro, I think it's doable with a trigger - when door 'x' goes into alarm, open [these] doors.

 

Not sure what the differences are though.

 

Peter