Telephone Entry Systems for Communities: DoorKing, Akuvox, 2N and CellGate
RBD Security installs, programs and manages telephone entry systems for condo associations, HOAs, apartment communities and gated neighborhoods across Washington, DC, Maryland and Northern Virginia. We keep DoorKing telephone entry panels up to date remotely, adding new residents’ phone numbers and codes as people move in and out. We also install app-based entry from 2N, CellGate and Akuvox, where every resident opens the gate or door from their phone. Panels connect by cellular, VoIP or a standard phone line. Call (202) 709-9466.
What a telephone entry system does
A telephone entry system is the panel at a community gate or building entrance with a directory of residents. A visitor finds a name and presses call. The panel rings that resident’s phone, and the resident presses a key to open the gate or door. Residents let themselves in with an entry code, a fob or, on newer systems, their phone. Couriers and service companies get their own codes, and the system can log who came in and when.
The hardware usually lasts for years. What goes wrong is the management: a directory full of people who moved out, new owners nobody can call, codes that were never changed, and a phone line that quietly stopped working.
Managed programming for DoorKing systems
RBD Security installs and services DoorKing telephone entry panels and manages them for the community. On most connected DoorKing systems, routine changes are made remotely, without a site visit:
- Adding new residents and their phone numbers, and removing residents who moved out.
- Updating directory names and display order.
- Issuing and deleting entry codes for residents, vendors and deliveries.
- Setting schedules, such as hours when the gate stays open or a delivery window.
- Troubleshooting calls that do not go through or a gate that will not release.
The property manager or board sends us the changes, we program them, and the directory stays accurate. When the problem is hardware, such as a keypad, speaker, camera, phone line or the connection to the gate operator, we send a technician.
App-based entry with 2N, CellGate and Akuvox
For communities that want to move past a phone directory, we install app-based entry systems from 2N, CellGate and Akuvox. Each resident gets the app on their phone.
- Visitors call the resident’s app, often with video, and the resident opens the gate or door from anywhere.
- Residents open the gate from their phone instead of carrying a fob or remembering a code.
- Guests and deliveries get temporary virtual keys or QR codes that expire on their own.
- Managers add and remove residents from an online portal, so move-ins and move-outs take minutes.
App-based platforms usually carry a recurring software fee. We explain every recurring cost up front, and our guide to cloud vs. on-site systems compares the options.
The four systems we install: DoorKing, Akuvox, 2N and CellGate
- DoorKing is the standard telephone entry panel at community gates across the region. It provides a directory, entry codes and a connection to the gate operator, over a phone line, VoIP or cellular. We install it, program it remotely and keep the directory current.
- Akuvox makes touchscreen video door stations with a keypad, card reader and, on some models, facial recognition. Residents answer on an app or an indoor monitor, and managers run it from the cloud. See our Akuvox intercom page.
- 2N, an Axis company, makes IP intercoms built for apartment and office entrances. Residents answer on their phones, and the panels connect to access control and VoIP phone systems.
- CellGate makes cellular-connected entry systems for gates and community entrances with no phone or internet line. Residents use an app, and managers run it online.
Cellular, VoIP or a phone line
A telephone entry panel needs a way to call out. We set up whichever connection fits the site:
| Connection | How it works | Good fit |
|---|---|---|
| Cellular | A cellular connection built into the panel or added to it. No phone line or internet needed at the gate. | Gates far from the building, sites without a phone line, and replacing a line that keeps failing. Needs a usable cell signal and a data plan. |
| VoIP | Calls go over the building’s internet connection. | Buildings with a reliable network at the entrance. Plan for battery backup so it works in an outage. |
| Phone line | A traditional analog line to the panel. | Existing systems that still have one. Analog lines are getting more expensive and harder to keep as carriers retire copper service. |
Upgrading an older system
Many communities don’t need to start over. We can often keep a working DoorKing panel and switch it to cellular, replace only the panel and reuse the wiring, or move to an app-based system in stages. Whatever the choice, we connect the entry system to the gate operator, including LiftMaster and DoorKing operators, and to access control and cameras, so the whole entrance works as one system.
Communities we work with
- Gated communities and HOAs with vehicle and pedestrian gates.
- Condo associations and co-ops.
- Apartment buildings and their property managers.
- Townhome communities with shared entrances and garages.
We work with leading property management companies across DC on condominium and apartment buildings, and with self-managed boards in Maryland and Northern Virginia.
Related services and guides
- Intercom systems
- Gates, gate operators and fences
- Access control
- Intercom brands we install
- Telephone entry for vehicle gates
- Is your gate’s phone line going away? Moving to cellular or VoIP
- Apartment intercom upgrades
- Condo and apartment building security: cloud vs. on-site costs
Want your directory updated, your phone line problem solved, or a quote on an app-based upgrade? Call (202) 709-9466 or request a quote.
Frequently asked questions
On most connected DoorKing systems, yes. Routine changes such as adding or removing residents, phone numbers and entry codes are made remotely. If your panel cannot be reached remotely, we can usually add that capability, or handle changes during a site visit.
No. The panel calls whatever number is programmed for the resident, and that is usually a mobile phone. On app-based systems from 2N, CellGate or Akuvox, the call goes to the resident’s app instead.
Usually, yes. Many systems can take a cellular connection, so the panel no longer depends on a phone line. We check the cell signal at the gate first, and if the existing panel is not a good candidate we recommend a replacement.
A telephone entry panel calls a resident’s phone number from a directory. An app-based system calls the resident’s app, often with video, and adds phone-based entry, guest passes and an online portal for the manager. App-based systems usually carry a software subscription. We price both so the board can compare.
Yes. We work with leading property management companies across DC on condo and apartment buildings, and with boards that manage themselves. Managers send us resident changes, and we keep the system current.