Configuring visitor escort for turnstiles in delegation mode - Requiring visitor escort increases security for turnstile-accessible areas. Using Config Tool, you can set restrictions on visitor host configuration and add size limits to visitor delegations. - Security Center 5.13

Security Center Administrator Guide 5.13

Product
Security Center
Content type
Guides > Administrator guides
Version
5.13
ft:locale
en-US
Last updated
2025-04-16

Requiring visitor escort increases security for turnstile-accessible areas. Using Config Tool, you can set restrictions on visitor host configuration and add size limits to visitor delegations.

What you should know

Visitor escort for turnstiles in delegation mode requires Synergis™ Softwire 10.7 or later with non-intelligent interfaces. This procedure does not apply to visitor escort for turnstiles in single passage enforcement mode.
NOTE: Delegation mode is not to be confused with single passage enforcement mode. The latter mode is supported by non-intelligent interfaces and Mercury controllers. For more information about this mode, see the Synergis Softwire Single Passage Enforcement Technote.

Procedure

  1. Configure the general settings for visitors.
    1. Click Access control > General settings and set Cardholder groups can escort visitors to OFF.
      NOTE: If the option is left ON, the Visitor astray and Missing tail host events aren’t triggered.
    2. (Optional) Set Limit visitors for single host to ON and set a limit.
      General settings of the Access control task in Config Tool showing the Limit visitors for single host option enabled.
      NOTE: The defined number is the threshold above which a second host must be added. There’s no limit to the visitor number for two-host delegations.
    3. Click Apply.
  2. Create the TurnstileANSSI custom field.
    1. Click System > General settings > Custom fields and click Add an item ().
    2. From the Entity type list, select Door ().
    3. From the Data type list, select Boolean.
    4. In the Name field, enter TurnstileANSSI.
    5. Click Save and close > Apply.
  3. Configure the antipassback settings for the area.
    1. In the Area view task, select the area in the entity tree.
    2. On the Advanced page, set Enforce visitor escort rule to ON.
    3. (Optional) Set Antipassback to ON.
      Advanced page of an area in Config Tool showing antipassback enabled.
  4. From the entity tree, select the area's door, and configure it as a turnstile.
    1. Click the Custom fields tab, select TurnstileANSSI, and then click Apply.
    2. (Optional) Click the Identity tab, and set the icon to a turnstile ().
    3. Click the Properties tab.
    4. In the Visitor escort and two-person rule section, set Maximum delay between card presentations to a higher value than the default five seconds to give visitors enough time to badge and pass through the turnstile.
      A visitor must present their credential and enter within the set delay, otherwise a Visitor astray event is triggered.
    5. Click Apply.
  5. In the Cardholder management task, ensure that the cardholders you want as visitor hosts have the Can escort visitors option set to ON, and all other cardholders have Can escort visitors set to OFF.
    Cardholder in Config Tool with the Can escort visitors option enabled.
    NOTE: All cardholders created in Security Center versions before 5.7 SR2 have the Can escort visitors option enabled by default. You can use the Options checkbox in the Copy configuration tool to deactivate the Can escort visitors option for multiple cardholders at the same time. The Options checkbox copies the values of the following:
    • Use extended grant time
    • Can escort visitors
    • Bypass antipassback rules
    • Security clearance
    Make sure to only use this feature on cardholders with matching option values.