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This FAQ describes, how you can configure 2N® VoiceBlue Next gateway (You can also use 2N® VoiceBlue Max, 2N® BRI Lite and Enterprise or 2N® StarGate and 2N® BlueTower as the configuration is basically the same) together with 2N Access Unit or 2N IP intercoms for school scenario. You can configure the intercom to send SMS message through the gateway as a confirmation that student arrived to school. Once a student swipes their card to open the door, an SMS to their parent's cell phone will be sent. Below you can find step by step configuration for both devices. FW version of the used 2N Access Unit has to be at least 2.16 and at least 1.26.3 for the 2N® VoiceBlue Next. Please keep in mind that even if you will have multiple entrances with the intercoms, you still need just one gateway!

How to configure 2N® VoiceBlue Next 

Note: As the very first step please make sure that the license for Email2SMS feature is uploaded into your 2N®VoiceBlueNext gateway. This license is sold as a package for 10 users (for this scenario, you need only 1 user) and you can have up to 200 licensed users in the gateway. If you want to verify whether you have the correct license uploaded in your gateway, go to section "Management -> License key". You should see the licenses called SMSE and SMSUx and in the "Active" row. SMSE indicates that Email2SMS function is enabled and SMSUx indicates number of licensed users where x stands for this number (see the picture below). If there is not a license for Email2SMS (SMSE) then you will not see tab "Messaging" on the top bar! For each intercom you need one Email2SMS license in the gateway!

Configuration steps

Modules grouping

In the first step, go to section "Messaging –> Modules grouping" and enable SMS server – tick the appropriate checkbox. Next add GSM modules to SMS groups in order to facilitate incoming/outgoing SMS routing. It can be done based on your requirements e.g. according to the GSM provider, etc. The last step in this section is to assign SMS groups created in the previous step to the User groups if you want to use messaging with different routing rules. The GSM gateway can contain up to 4 User groups and up to 4 SMS groups.

 

Add User

As a next step you need to skip to the section "Messaging –> Users", click on the "Add" button and create new SMS user(s) who will send and receive SMS messages. There are several parameters in this section which have to be set. You need to select the communication protocol for SMS processing (SMTP/POP3) and assign the user to User group. Also do not forget to define the Login name (without domain) and Password to log into the SMS server via your e–mail client. You can see all parameters from this section in the picture below where was created user "Helios IP" with the login "SMS" and password "Helios". Once you fill in all parameters, click on the "OK" button. The user will be added and after that you have to make one more click to the "Save settings" button in the bottom right corner of the page (blue circle label in the picture).

General settings

Set the parameters of domain in the "Messaging –> User Group –> General settings" sub-menu. The domain is automatically assigned to the user’s login in the selected User group and it represents the user’s e–mail address. In this section you can also define some parameters for POP3 and SMTP such as subject of email, maximum SMS per email, next you can add “From” field as well as “Subject” to SMS (see the picture below).

In our example (in the previous step) a new user was created with login name "SMS". In this section we will set domain as: gateway.com. Then the e-mail address of the user with rights to access the SMS server will be SMS@gateway.com. The “@” character is completed automatically and it is not included in the domain’s field.

Outgoing SMS routing

As a last step you need to specify routing rules for outgoing SMS – it is done in the "Messaging –> User Group –> Outgoing SMS routing" menu where you click on the "Add" button. In this section you will specify mainly these parameters:

  • Message to SMS group – the SMS group via which the outgoing SMS will be routed
  • Action type – define how to process outgoing SMS. You can choose from two options: Submit from user (SMS can be sent only from selected users) or Submit from all users (enable sending SMS from all the SMS group users).
  • Submit from user – choose a user who can send SMS (this is used only if "Submit from user" was selected)
  • Time limitation – here you can set time limitation for when is the routing active. So for instance you can set this only for morning, when students are arriving to school.
  • Days limitation – choose days when the routing will be active. For instance, only business days when the school is opened.

Note: Don’t forget to enable the SMS server as shown in the first step (there’s a checkbox)!

The picture below shows settings for User Group 1. Messages (emails) from all users in this User group are routed via SMS group 1. It means that these emails will be transferred to SMS and sent only via GSM modules assigned to SMS group 1. It is GSM module 2 in our example (as you can see in the picture from step 1).

How to configure a 2N Access Unit

Note: Please keep in mind that Enhanced Integration license is needed in order to use Email feature!

Configuration steps

Add user – firmware 2.23.1 and older

Go to section "Directory->Users" and select the user number at the top of the screen (1, 2, 3 and so on). Check "Position Enabled" and enter the name of the student into "Name" (it will be used in the SMS), "E-mail" (email has to be in format phone_number@domain, so in our case 721642053@gateway.com for instance, number is phone number of the parent’s cell phone), "Card ID" (fill in the ID of the student's card or fob).

Add user – firmware 2.24.0 and later

Go to section "Directory->Users" and create a user or open their page. Enter the name of the student into "Name" (it will be used in the SMS), "E-mail" (email has to be in format phone_number@domain, so in our case 721642053@gateway.com for instance, number is a phone number of the parent’s cell phone), "Card ID" (fill in the ID of the student’s card or fob).

SMTP configuration

Go to section "Services->E-mail->SMTP" and check "SMTP E-Mail Service Enabled". Then enter the IP address of the gateway into "Server Address", if you did not change port in the gateway, then leave it as it is – port 25. Then enter "Username" and "Password", use the credentials you used for the user you created in the gateway, in case of Username you have to use domain as well. So credentials for this example are SMS@gateway.com. In the last step enter some email to the "From Address" field. As you are sending SMS messages in this scenario, it does not matter what you will fill there, you can even fill in an address you made up, however this field is mandatory and has to be filled.

SMS configuration

Go to section "Services->E-Mail->E-Mail on Card". In this section set "All Events" for "Send E-Mail at". Enter the message you want to send when a student arrives to school to the field called "Body". You can see an example in picture below, we used variables $User$ (this variable will be substituted by the name of the student who used the card) and $DateTime$ (this variable will add current date and time to the message). Please find list of available variables below:

  1. $User$ - Called username
  2. $DateTime$ - Current date and time
  3. $AuthId$ - User authentication ID
  4. $HeliosId$ - device identification

 

If you will swipe valid card now, the 2N IP intercom or Access Unit will send and an email to the gateway which will then translate it to an SMS message and send it to the predefined cell phone.

Set time on 2N Access Unit

Go to section "System->Date & Time", pick the right "Time Zone" and if possible, you can synchronize the intercom with NTP server. If an NTP server is not available, then you can synchronize the intercom with your browser by clicking on "Synchronize with browser".

Switch configuration

You also need to configure the intercom to open the door once the student swipes a card or fob. In case you have a 2N® IP Vario/Force/Safety or 2N Access Unit, then please go to the section "Hadrware->Card reader" and for "Associated Switch" choose one of the available switches.

In case that you have a Verso card reader module connected to a 2N Access Unit, then please go to the section "Hardware->Extenders", find your card reader and again select one of the available switches for "Associated Switch"

Once you will set appropriate switch to be controlled by the card reader, then you can configure the switch itself. Go to section "Hardware->Switches" and pick the Switch you chose before. If the switch is not enabled, then do so by checking "Switch Enabled". There are three the most important settings for the switch. "Switch-On Duration" defines for how long the switch will be activated. "Controlled output" defines which physical output will be controlled by the switch, you can choose from available relays or an active 12V output. By "Output Type" you can define whether you are using normal locks (Normal) or inverted locks (Inverted).

Make sure that the electric opener/lock is always connected to the intercom's 12V output using a security relay to make the installation safe. The motherboard relay is used for switching lights or other peripherals that do not have to be secured. 

It is always recommended that the 2N® Security Relay (Part No. 9159010) is used for increased security.

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This procedure can be applied to:

  • 2N Access Unit
  • 2N Access Unit 2.0
  • 2N Access Unit M

 

More product information:

  • Access Control (Official Website 2N)