Keypads & Readers: The Professional’s Guide to Choosing the Right Solution (and Not Getting Into Trouble With Your Client)

When it comes to access control, many still believe that “any cheap keypad from a marketplace” will do the job.
And unfortunately, many installers discover the truth the hard way: customer complaints, systems that don’t work, wasted time, and a damaged reputation.

Professionals in this field know one thing very well: access control solutions are not all the same.
Each situation has a different level of risk — and each level requires the right product.

In this article we’ll start with the simplest scenarios and move up to the most critical ones, so you can choose the right solution with confidence and avoid unpleasant surprises.

1. Internal Access to a Restricted Area: the Most Common (and Easiest) Case

In this situation there’s no risk of tampering: we’re inside a company, warehouse, technical room, or any indoor area where access must be limited to authorized staff only.
It’s like giving someone a key… but without handing out an actual key.

For this type of access, the most logical choice is a keypad with a code, reliable and simple to program.
The GIBIDI DCD300 is perfect here:

• onboard relay

• backlit keys

• large physical NO-touch buttons

• simple, stable programming

It doesn’t pretend to be a complex management system — it simply does what it must do: control internal access reliably and without complications.

2. No Codes, Only Cards: Access Control in Small Car Parks, Campgrounds, and Shared Areas

Sometimes using codes doesn’t make sense, or you simply don’t want to use them.
Think about small private parking areas, campgrounds with reserved facilities, or bathrooms accessible only to users who paid for that service.

In these cases you want to hand out a modern “physical key”: the RFID card.

The LEO reader is the ideal solution:

• RFID card access

• no software required

• no reporting features

• immediate, stable, and extremely easy to use

These devices are not meant to manage logs or complex permissions — they just need to work every single time a valid card is presented. And they do it flawlessly.

3. When Security Becomes the Priority: Outdoor Keypads with Remote Relay

Here the risk level rises sharply.

We are dealing with an outdoor installation, fully exposed and accessible to anyone.
In these situations, installing a keypad with an onboard relay is a critical mistake that no professional can afford.

What you need is a system where:

• the keypad is outside

• the relay is safely installed inside

• even if the keypad is removed or tampered with, access remains impossible

The MTPAD by XPR is the ideal solution:

• professional-grade keypad with remote relay

• maximum protection against tampering

• PIN mode, RFID mode, or combined PIN + RFID for extra security

• durable, dependable construction

Whenever a customer asks for real security, this is not an optional extra — it’s the only correct choice.