12.01.2023 Solutions

How the latest function of 2N indoor panels increases building security

The 2N® Indoor View and 2N® Indoor Compact indoor panels have a new feature: they can show the status of door contacts installed on doors: informing users if the doors are open, closed, have been open for an extended period of time, etc. But how does this seemingly minor feature affect the project, and in which other ways can indoor stations increase the security of the building? Read on for more.

Indoor stations with 2N OS version 2.37 can now display the contact status of the door connected to the intercom in real-time. How? Install a magnetic door contact on the door (and the frame) and then connect it to a 2N IP intercom. The indoor panel can then communicate with the intercom and display the data from the door contact directly onto the display of the indoor station.indoor station

So which types of statuses do units display, and why are they important?

  • Open/closed door – the user of the indoor station can see if the visitor has opened the door to come in and, more importantly, if they closed the door properly behind them. This is the most common way a resident will use the new feature.
  • Door left open for too long – a situation where someone has forgotten to close the door properly, or even left it open on purpose, represents a significant hazard to the entire building. An uninvited guest can then easily enter a secure area.
  • Door opened by force – unauthorised door opening, e.g., by kicking it open, poses an immediate threat to the building residents' property and safety.

The indoor station alerts the resident to an open door with a graphic (red icon, text alert). If the resident notices the alert, they can simply close the door or notify the security guard/manager/receptionist. In an installation that has been set up properly, the responsible person will already be aware of the fact that the door has been left open for too long or was opened by force (more on that below), however, the resident can still make a significant contribution to the elimination of the security threat.

Informing the security personnel

Firstly, the responsible person (security officer, receptionist, manager) should be made aware of the fact that the door is open as soon as possible. Although this might be nothing new, we’ll list how to do that here for a full description of the solution. In the Automation section, you can set, for example, an option to send an email to the responsible person when the door is open for a long time or is opened by force.

In addition, you can set the intercom to play a pre-recorded message. In the case of a door that has been open for too long, it can play, for example, "The door has been open for too long. Please close it." And in the case of a door that has been opened by force, the intercom can play a message saying, "We have detected an unauthorised door opening and have contacted security."

Setting up the solution

For proper functionality, be sure to add a door contact to the intercom and indoor stations. It is also a prerequisite that the intercom and the indoor station have 2N OS version 2.37 or higher and that the intercom and the indoor station are connected to the same LAN network.

  • Connect the door contact to the intercom input (Input1, Input2, Ext.In1, ...)
  • Go to Hardware/Doors/Door/Open Door Sensor
  • In the Assigned input section, select the input to which you have connected the door contact
  • Check the Unauthorized Door Opening Detection box and/or Detection of Door Opened for too Long box.
  • The indoor panel will automatically display the door status and you do not need to enable this function anywhere in its settings.

For more information, including screenshots and solution settings in Automation, see our FAQs in the article How to wire and configure a door contact on an IP intercom.

In which other ways do indoor stations increase the security of an installation?

External Cameras

During a call, the resident can switch between the intercom camera and an external camera linked to the intercom on the 2N indoor panel. The resident can also see the caller from a different angle during the call and see if there is anyone else standing outside the intercom camera's view.

Video surveillance

At any time, the resident can watch live feeds from up to 16 IP cameras on the 2N® Indoor View indoor panel. And they don't even need to be attached to the video intercom. The resident can watch what's happening in the hallway outside the apartment, in the back of the building, or in the garage.

Capturing images during the call

During every call (even missed ones), the 2N® Indoor View automatically takes 1, 3, or 5 pictures (depending on the settings) and adds them to the call recording. If they want to, the resident can even add additional images by simply tapping the camera button in the bottom left corner whilst on the call. This means the user will not only have a great overview of past calls, but also a photo of a suspicious person.

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