Patent ID: 8662386

Claim:
A method for controlling access to an enclosed area, the method comprising: receiving a card identification signal including a card identifier (ID) in an access card controller through an access card reader associated with an entrance to the enclosed area, at least one of the access card controller or access card reader being powered via a Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) interface; determining an operational mode of the access card controller, the operational modes including a standalone mode and a network mode; authenticating the card ID by transmitting the card ID to an access control server when the access card controller is determined to be operating in the network mode; authenticating the card ID against entries of one or more internal tables stored in the access card controller when the access card controller is determined to be operating in the standalone mode; sending a signal to unlock a door at the entrance to the enclosed area associated with the access card reader when the card ID has been successfully authenticated; wherein the access card controller serves, from the access card controller, configuration data that can be displayed by a web browser external to the access card controller.