Readers are the part of an access control system people actually touch, and the part where an old installation quietly becomes a liability. A large number of GTA buildings still run 125 kHz proximity cards whose credentials can be copied with a device that costs less than a good dinner.
Typical range: $650–$2400 CAD. Ranges are typical for the GTA and depend on the door, the hardware and the time of day. We confirm the price before dispatching.
The legacy proximity problem
Older 125 kHz proximity cards transmit a fixed number with no encryption and no authentication. Anything that reads that number can replicate it, and handheld cloners are freely available and simple to use. A card left on a desk for thirty seconds is long enough.
This does not make every legacy system an emergency — for a low-risk office it may be an acceptable residual risk. But it should be a decision you have made knowingly rather than an assumption that the card on your lanyard is secure. Where the site holds inventory, data, pharmaceuticals or cash, it is worth migrating.
Migrating without disruption
Multi-technology readers accept both the old and the new credential format simultaneously. That lets you swap the readers first, then issue new credentials gradually as people come through, then switch off acceptance of the legacy format once everyone has migrated.
It avoids the alternative, which is a single cutover weekend where several hundred people need new cards at once and anyone missed cannot get to work on Monday.
Reader selection
- Mullion readers — narrow, for mounting on a door frame or a narrow stile
- Single-gang readers — wall-mounted, larger read range
- Keypad-reader combinations for two-factor on sensitive doors
- Weather-rated and vandal-resistant readers for exterior and exposed locations
- Long-range readers for vehicle gates and parking entries
- Mobile-capable readers supporting phone credentials over Bluetooth or NFC
- Biometric readers where the door genuinely warrants it
Wiring and the OSDP question
The long-standing reader protocol is Wiegand, which is unencrypted and can be attacked by tapping the cable between reader and controller — a technique that bypasses the credential entirely. OSDP is the modern replacement, supports encryption, and allows the controller to detect a tampered reader.
For new installations on doors that matter, OSDP is the right specification. On existing Wiegand wiring, the practical mitigations are ensuring the reader's tamper switch is actually connected and that no reader cable is accessible on the unsecured side of the door — which, on a surprising number of installations, it is.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can key fobs be copied?
Older 125 kHz proximity fobs can be cloned easily with inexpensive, widely available equipment. Modern encrypted smart-card credentials use mutual authentication and cannot be cloned by the same methods. If you do not know which type your building runs, it is worth finding out — it is a quick check and it changes your risk picture materially.
What happens if an employee loses their card?
You disable that credential in the software, which takes seconds and takes effect immediately at every door, and issue a replacement. This is the core operational advantage over keys: a lost card is a two-minute administrative task, while a lost key on a master system can mean rekeying a building.
Can we use phones instead of cards?
Yes, and on most modern platforms it is straightforward. Mobile credentials remove card purchasing, issuing and collection entirely, and people are markedly less likely to lose or lend their phone than a card. It needs readers that support Bluetooth or NFC, which may mean a reader swap on an older installation.
Do card readers work in cold weather?
Readers specified for exterior use are rated well below Canadian winter temperatures and work reliably. The failures we see on exterior doors in January are usually not the reader — they are the lock or strike freezing, or condensation getting into an enclosure that was not correctly sealed at installation. Specifying and sealing for the environment matters more than the reader choice.
Card & Fob Readers across the GTA
We provide card & fob reader systems throughout the Greater Toronto Area. Pick your city for local detail, or call and we will tell you straight away whether you are in range.
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