A common problem for some new access control network installations is an inability for Doors and the PC to communicate with the access control network. Most often, the problem is in one of three areas: PC COM port operation, the Doors COM port configuration, or a COM port/hardware device conflict. While COM port/hardware device conflicts need to be resolved by a certified PC technician, PC COM port operation and the Doors COM port configuration can be checked in a few simple steps.
Verify PC COM port operation.
Keri provides a PC COM port test that can verify basic COM port operation. The COM test is copied to your PC as part of the Doors installation. It is found in the \kerisys\Doors32_vX.XX\utils folder (where X.XX is the revision number of the Doors software). The COM Test Quick Start Guide PDF with instructions for running the COM test is found in the Technical_Documents\PXL-250_SB-293\Support_Documents folder of the Keri CD-ROM.
Close the Doors program and disconnect the PC from the master controller.
One port at a time, install the loop-back plug and test all available COM ports on the PC (the loop-back plug is provided with Doors). Note all ports that PASS the test.
One port at a time, with the loop-back plug removed test all available COM ports on the PC.
Only those COM ports that pass with the loop-back plug installed and fail with the plug off should be used by Doors. Any COM port that passes both tests with and without the loop-back plug installed are probably being used by other devices or are experiencing a hardware device conflict (see Step 3) and should not be used by Doors.
Verify Doors is configured to use the correct COM port.
Open the Doors program, open the Setup > System pull-down menu, and click on the Network Config tab. Verify the correct COM port has been enabled (the COM port that passed the COM test as described above). If not, select the correct COM port and click the SAVE button.
Close the Doors program, shut the PC down, and connect the communication line. Start the PC, start the Doors program and test to see if communication can now be established.
If communication is still not established, it is very likely there is an IRQ or memory range conflict between the COM port and another hardware device on the PC (modems are frequent culprits). Have a certified PC technician verify there are no device conflicts.
If Steps 1 through 3 are unable to resolve the communication problem, contact Technical Support.
Question: When is the best time to call Tech Support so that I am least likely to be put on hold waiting for a Technician? And when I call, why do the Technicians ask for all of my contact information?
Answer: The Technical Support department at Keri Systems can be a busy place. During our peak call times, you may experience a wait for assistance. Our peak time for callers is between 9 A.M. and 2 P.M. Pacific Time. To minimize your wait, call outside the peak times if possible.
When you reach a Technician, you will be asked for some information before starting to assist you. This information is important and is used to track your call. We enter all calls into a call tracking system for future reference and analysis. Please be patient with the Technician and provide the information requested. It is also important that you know the model number of the product you are calling about. This helps the Technician focus troubleshooting to the product in question.
Sometimes it will not be possible to resolve your problem on the first call. You may be asked for additional information about the site, or to try a few things and call us back. In this case, you will be given the tracking number for the call. When you call back, give this number to the Technician. This will prevent the Technician from repeating already covered troubleshooting information, and allow the Technician to resume troubleshooting more quickly.
It's important that you do some basic research before calling us. Review the Technical Manual or Quick Start Guide for available information. This will help you better understand the problem, and many problems can be resolved using the documentation that's available on the Keri CD and the Keri web site.
If you are preparing to create a Badge Template using the GuardDraw program, ensure the badge printer is set as the default printer before opening Guard Draw and the printer/page orientation (landscape versus portrait) is set to the way you want your badge to appear. This ensures GuardDraw uses the badging printer margins for designing your template. When you have finished creating your template, don't forget to change the default printer back to your regular printer.
When creating Badge Templates, it is best to create the templates on the PC on which the Doors/GuardDraw programs have been installed. This allows the default data paths between Doorsand GuardDraw to be used when saving templates, minimizing possible networking/path directing issues. Do not create templates on one PC and then copy them to the Doors PC as the data paths between Doorsand GuardDraw will not be correct and the badge templates will not be visible to Doors.
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