Access Control
643 products
Gate and door access control parts for every entry point: keypads, telephone entry systems, remotes and receivers, prox readers, RFID vehicle tags, keyswitches, push button stations and pedestals. Protec Controls carries Linear, LiftMaster, Security Brands, Carefree, DoorKing, EMX, Seco-Larm and TransCore. Installers, property managers and homeowners can find the device that tells a gate or door who gets in.
How to Choose Access Control for a Gate or Door
Start With Who Needs In
Count the users and how they arrive. A family driveway may only need a few remotes and a keypad. An HOA or apartment gate needs a telephone entry system for visitors plus cards, fobs or RFID tags for residents. A commercial dock door often just needs a keyswitch or a three button open/close/stop station.
Pick the Credential
- Remotes: quickest for vehicles. Browse gate transmitters and receivers and match the receiver's radio code.
- Codes: a gate keypad is cheap to add and codes are easy to change.
- Cards and fobs: each user gets a credential you can delete when they move out.
- Long range RFID: UHF windshield or headlight tags open the gate without the driver reaching out.
Standalone or Controller Based
A standalone keypad or reader stores its own codes and fires a relay. A controller based system takes a Wiegand signal from the reader and keeps users, schedules and logs in one place. Most sites with more than one entry, or more than a few dozen users, move to a controller.
Wiring, Power and Mounting
Check the supply voltage (most gate devices run on 12 or 24 volts), and the wire run back to the operator. Decide if the device needs a gooseneck pedestal at car height. Cold sites may need a keypad heater. Exterior stations should carry a NEMA 4 or 4X rating if they face rain or washdown.
Common Questions
What is the difference between access control and a gate operator?
The operator moves the gate. Access control decides when to send the open command, through a keypad, reader, remote or intercom wired to the operator's input terminals.
Can I add a card reader to an existing gate?
Usually yes. Most operators accept a dry contact open input, so a standalone reader or keypad can be added without replacing the operator. See our proximity cards and readers.
Do I need an intercom for visitors?
If guests or deliveries arrive without codes, yes. A telephone entry system lets them call a resident, who opens the gate from their phone.
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