Deciding who comes through your gate — and how — is what access control is all about. Today's options go far beyond a single remote, letting you admit visitors from your phone, give staff their own codes, and see who is at the gate before you open it. Here is how the main systems compare.
Digital Keypads
A keypad mounts at the gate and opens it when a valid code is entered:
- Simple, reliable, and inexpensive.
- Supports multiple codes, so family, housekeepers, and vendors can each have their own — and you can change or revoke them at will.
- Works well as a standalone option or a backup to other systems.
Telephone Entry Systems
Telephone entry — DoorKing (DKS) is the best-known brand — calls your phone when a visitor presses the call button:
- You talk to the visitor and press a key on your phone to open the gate, from anywhere.
- Ideal for estates with long driveways where you can't see the gate from the house.
- Supports a directory of residents and access codes for a whole community.
Smart Video Intercoms
Internet-connected video intercoms are the modern upgrade:
- You see and speak to visitors on your smartphone, whether you are home or traveling.
- Many integrate with smart-home platforms and log who came and when.
- Great for second homes and owners who travel frequently.
App-Controlled Operators (MyQ and similar)
Some gate operators, like LiftMaster's MyQ-enabled models, connect to Wi-Fi directly:
- Open, close, and monitor the gate from an app.
- Get alerts when the gate opens, and grant temporary access remotely.
Vehicle Access: Loops and Readers
For hands-free entry, in-ground loop detectors and RFID readers open the gate automatically for recognized vehicles — convenient for daily comings and goings.
Which Should You Choose?
- Want the simplest, most affordable option? A keypad.
- Long driveway and lots of visitors? Telephone entry.
- Travel often or want to see who is there? A smart video intercom or a MyQ-enabled operator.
Most of our clients combine two or three — for example, a keypad for staff, a video intercom for guests, and an exit loop for vehicles. We integrate all of them with existing LiftMaster, DoorKing, and Linear operators, so you rarely need to replace your whole gate system to upgrade how you control it.
Digital keypads and telephone entry give staff and guests their own access.