Access Codes & Cards

Access Codes and Access Cards (or fobs) are another way in which users can interact with the locks to unlock them. With Access Codes or Cards, users do not need to have their mobile phone with them to unlock their door.

● Site-wide Access Codes (SACs) are automatically generated and emailed to all new users of the system. By default, they are 5 digits long. Those codes will work on all common area locks with keypads as well as on residential unit AIQ locks.

● Residents can choose to create their own Personal Access Code (PAC) which needs to be an even number of digits so as to avoid any potential collision with someone else's SAC. PACs only work on the resident's AIQ lock, and they must be unique with respect to that lock.

● A Head of Household (HoH) can choose to disable the use of SACs on their AIQ lock, thereby requiring all users of that lock to use their own PAC to unlock the door.

Technical characteristics of Access Codes/Cards:

● Access Codes and Cards are saved in the cloud and then synchronized with the associated locks in a site.
● Access Codes and/or Cards can be assigned to any user with an account in a site.
● Site-wide Access Codes (SAC) are 5 or 7 digits long and they are automatically generated by the system when a new user is created. They are guaranteed to be unique across the site, i.e. no two users will ever have the same SAC.
● SACs can be used on all common area locks with keypads as well as with the user’s lock on their unit. In this manner, each user only needs one code for use with all locks.
● Personal Access Codes (PAC) are 4, 6 or 8 digits long. They are optional for users’ residential locks. Users who set up a PAC for their residential lock will likely do so because they would prefer to use a code that is well-known to them instead of memorizing the system assigned SAC. PACs are maintained by each individual HoH or Home eKey user. Users can also view or delete their own PAC.
● Guest eKey users can have a PAC, but the HoH must assign one to them.
● All PACs for a lock must be unique for that lock, but the same PAC can be used by different users for different locks.
● Access Cards use unique fourteen hexadecimal digits (e.g. 0420AF78D18A10) and they are assigned to individual users. They can be used on any lock for which the user has been provided access.
● Access Cards that are assigned to PMs can be used on any common area locks and residential units for which they have Direct Access. Access Cards will not work for PMs on all residential units of the property due to the potential security risk if a PM were to lose their card.
● PACs and Access Cards support optional Start and/or End date.
● Site-wide Access Codes are supported for Common Area locks that have a keypad. This is true for PDK readers that have a keypad as well as AIQ locks used for common areas. 

Who creates and manages Access Codes/Cards:

● The system automatically generates a Site-wide Access Code for all new users.
● PMs using the web admin portal or mobile app can assign Personal Access Codes and/or Cards to users of locks for residential units.
● HoHs using the mobile app can now assign Personal Access Codes to non-resident users of their residential unit lock (e.g. the dog walker, housekeeper, repair person, etc.).
● Users cannot assign Access Cards to themselves or other users. That can only be done by PMs.

AIQ Sync requirement:

● AIQ Sync is required for all associated locks whenever access changes from codes and/or cards are made.
● With gateways present in the property, AIQ Sync will be performed from the gateway with no user intervention being required unless a lock is out of range of all gateways. In this instance, the web portal and mobile apps will show an indicator that Bluetooth-based AIQ Sync is required for that lock.
● For example, if a new HoH is added to the property and they have access to their unit as well as four common area locks, five locks on the property will require AIQ Sync be performed with them before the resident’s SAC will work with those locks.
● Another example: if a Home eKey user creates a PAC for themselves, AIQ Sync will be required for the residential lock for which they have access. A PAC only works on their residential lock, so no common area locks will need AIQ Sync.
● When using the mobile app, the user will be prompted to perform AIQ Sync if a change they made needs to be synchronized with the associated lock. If done via the mobile app, the sync will be performed over Bluetooth so the user’s phone needs to be in range of the lock.

FAQs:

● Q: If a user forgot their access code, can they see it anywhere?
   A: In the mobile app, each user has visibility into their own SAC and PAC from the users screen.
● Q: What is the maximum number of codes or cards for a site?
   A: There is no site specific limit enforced.
● Q: What is the maximum number of codes or cards for a lock?
   A: Great question! A lock can support a mixture of hundreds of codes and cards.
● Q: If a user forgot their access code, can Tech Support look it up?
   A: No. Once an access code has been saved in the system, only the user of that code can see it.
● Q: A beta customer: “I have PIN codes in my lock but they are gone now. What happened?”
   A: Beta customers had earlier versions of lock firmware and mobile apps which included a temporary lock-centric implementation for Access Codes and Cards. The General Available (GA) product release, latest firmware version, has changed to the server-centric implementation and the older lock-centric codes are “invisible” to the GA mobile apps. Those older codes are still in the lock’s memory until a move-out process is done at which time those old codes will be deleted from the lock’s memory.