Re: DIYer Seeks Free Professional Advice With X255 Access Control Networking

[Jim Davis <alarminex@xxxxxxx>]

HI Bob,

I'm coming in a little late on this one but although I've been a Napco advo=
cate for 40 years I never got involved with access control. Since I've most=
ly been a one man company, I never took on Telephone systems or access cont=
rol because if those systems go down, help is needed instantly and one guy =
can't be in two locations at the same time.=20

However, if I would have read your post earlier I would have said that ....=
... in my other endeavors I've discovered that there is likely a converter =
from anything to anything now days. I'm sure there must be a USB to serial =
port or vice versa converter for about $10 to $20.00 that's available.=20





On Tuesday, August 8, 2017 at 3:00:21 PM UTC-4, Bob La Londe wrote:
> So, after getting out of the industry I find myself setting up and improv=
ing=20
> the control system on my shop.  I am still a fan of Napco and I am=20
> implementing some access control solutions to an x255 in my shop.  Setup,=
=20
> cards, readers, keypads, etc.  I have all that covered.
>=20
> My issues is that every single NL-MOD I ever installed when I was in the=
=20
> business eventually started acting flakey and had to be replaced.  It wou=
ld=20
> take a few years, but a customer would complain that they couldn't update=
=20
> cards or schedules or some other thing over the network.  I'd go power cy=
cle=20
> the NL-MOD and order a new one.  The NL-MOD would work for a while after=
=20
> being power cycled, but each time it would work for a shorter time before=
=20
> needing to be power cycled again.  A new unit would cure the problem for=
=20
> atleast a couple years.  Even at dealer price they are kind of pricey.
>=20
> Now my thought is simply to eliminate that network connection and impleme=
nt=20
> a direct serial connection.  I've got a couple different working computer=
s=20
> within a reasonably short distance of the X255.  The problem is none of t=
hem=20
> have serial ports.  I do still have a couple old slowly deteriorating=20
> laptops that have serial ports and even have Napco software installed, bu=
t=20
> they really don't have much life left in them.  I'd actually like to shre=
d=20
> them and dispose of the carcasses, but for now they are locked in the saf=
e.
>=20
> So what's the answer?  Anybody know if Napco has improved the NL-MOD desi=
gn=20
> or if its still got a short life span?  Is there a solution to legacy ser=
ial=20
> communications on newer 64bit systems?  I've got a couple USB to RS232=20
> adapters, but even on 32bit systems they were not 100%.  They took a bit =
of=20
> fiddling from time to time.
>=20
> I'd like to stick with Napco if only because I have no real incentive to=
=20
> learn a whole new line now that I am out of the business.  Its not like I=
=20
> would be installing more of them.
>=20
> Bob La Londe
> The EXCON-tractor