Hapana Member Access Control (MAC) Power & Internet Planning

Power & Internet Outage Planning

Door Access & Security Systems — Including the Hapana MAC

Document Purpose: This guide helps locations plan for and respond to power and internet outages that may affect their door access control and security systems, including the Hapana Member Access Controller (MAC).

1. Understanding the Two Key Risk Scenarios

Locations should plan independently for two distinct types of outages, as each affects your access control system differently.

2. Power Outages

What Happens During a Power Outage

Without a power source, the Hapana MAC and all associated door readers will cease to function. Depending on the type of door hardware installed, doors may default to a locked or unlocked (fail-safe/fail-secure) state — this is determined by the door hardware configuration set up during installation.

Locations must confirm their door's fail state with their installer before an outage occurs.

Planning for Power Outages

Locations should consider the following measures to maintain access control during a power outage:

• Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS): Install a UPS unit to provide battery backup power to the MAC and door readers. This keeps the system operational during short-term outages (typically 1–4 hours depending on battery capacity).
• Know your fail-state: Confirm with your installer whether doors are configured as fail-safe (unlock on power loss) or fail-secure (lock on power loss). This determines your security posture during an outage and your member communication plan.
• Generator planning: For locations operating 24/7 or with extended unstaffed hours, a generator connection to the access control system is strongly recommended.
• Staff protocols: Ensure staff are trained on manual door overrides and have physical key access as a backup entry method.

3. Internet Outages

What Happens During an Internet Outage

The Hapana MAC is designed with resilience in mind and maintains a 6-hour offline database to support continuous member access via FOB/card during network outages. Here is how the system behaves:

• Real-time sync occurs whenever the MAC is online — all member validation is handled through Hapana's central system.
• Scheduled sync occurs every 6 hours, downloading an updated member whitelist and blacklist to local storage on the MAC.
• Delta updates push new memberships and cancellations in real time via websocket between scheduled syncs.
• Failover activates automatically if Hapana's web services become unreachable — the MAC switches to its local offline database.
• Activity logging continues locally during an outage and syncs back to the central system upon reconnection.

Important Limitations in Offline Mode

⚠️ Time-based access restrictions are NOT enforced during offline mode. For example, youth curfew restrictions will not apply — members will be permitted entry regardless of time while the MAC is offline. Locations with time-sensitive access rules should have a staff plan in place for extended outages.

Additionally:

• The MAC must connect to the network at least once per week or it will lose its provisioning as a security protocol.
• The MAC checks in with the Hapana Access Control Master Instrumentation System every 2 hours.

4. Impact by Access Credential Type

Different access methods respond very differently to power and internet outages. Locations should understand the behaviour of each credential type they have deployed.

4.1 QR Code Access (Hapana App)

⚠️ If a location uses QR code access or the Hapana mobile app access button as the primary access method, an active internet connection is essential.

QR codes are scanned by the contactless check-in function in the Hapana App. They require real-time validation against Hapana's central system at the moment of scan and do not support offline operation. This occurs from the App to Hapana’s core platform and then to the MAC at the location. If internet connectivity is lost, QR code access will immediately cease to function — there is no offline fallback for this credential type.

Internet outage: ❌ Not functional — real-time validation cannot occur. Power outage: ❌ Not functional. Power outage with UPS: ✅ Functional.

4.2 RFID FOB Access (MIFARE — Recommended Standard)

MIFARE FOBs (13.56 MHz) are the most resilient credential type during internet outages. Because the member's credential ID (CSN) is validated against the MAC's local offline database, FOB access continues to work for up to 6 hours after internet connectivity is lost — provided the MAC remains powered.

Internet outage: ✅ Functional for up to 6 hours using the offline database. After 6 hours without reconnection, access may be impacted. Power outage: ❌ Not functional. Power outage with UPS: ✅ Functional.

Note: Any membership changes made during an internet outage (new sign-ups, cancellations, suspensions) will not be reflected until the MAC reconnects and syncs. Members added or removed during the outage window may be incorrectly granted or denied access.

4.3 RFID FOB Access (HID Prox / EM4100 — Legacy)

HID Prox and EM4100 credential types behave the same as MIFARE during outages — they are validated locally against the MAC's offline database and do not require internet connectivity for basic door access.

Internet outage: ✅ Functional for up to 6 hours using the offline database. Power outage: ❌ Not functional. Power outage with UPS: ✅ Functional.

Note: These legacy credential types are not recommended for new installations due to lower security (susceptibility to cloning). However, their offline resilience is equivalent to MIFARE.

4.4 NFC / Card Access

NFC-based cards (e.g., MIFARE NTAG215, DESFire) operate on the same 13.56 MHz RFID principle as FOBs and behave identically during outages. They are validated against the MAC's local offline database and do not require internet for access validation.

Internet outage: ✅ Functional for up to 6 hours using the offline database. Power outage: ❌ Not functional. Power outage with UPS: ✅ Functional.

4.5 Summary: Access Method vs. Outage Resilience

4.6 Planning Recommendations

For QR and App usage, internet connectivity must be treated as critical infrastructure:

• Use a reliable, business-grade internet service — avoid consumer-grade plans with poor uptime SLAs.
• Install a 4G/LTE mobile data failover router to automatically switch to a cellular connection if the primary internet service fails. This is the most crucial thing you can do to ensure continual operations.
• Train staff on outage procedures: If internet is lost and QR access is unavailable, staff should have a clear process for manually verifying membership and granting entry.
• Consider adding RFID FOB or NFC card access as a backup credential method if internet outages are prevalent at a location.

For FOB/NFC/Card-based locations, power resilience is the primary concern:

• Install a UPS covering the MAC and all door readers to maintain access during short power outages.
• Be aware of the 6-hour offline limit — if an internet outage extends beyond this window, the MAC's offline database may become stale and access reliability cannot be guaranteed.
• Ensure the MAC reconnects to the internet at least once per week to maintain its provisioning status.

5. Summary: Recommended Outage Preparedness Checklist

Power Outage Preparedness

• UPS battery backup installed and covering MAC (poe) and all door readers
• Fail-state (fail-safe vs. fail-secure) confirmed with installer and documented
• Physical key or manual override access available to staff
• Generator considered for 24/7 or unstaffed hour operations

Internet Outage Preparedness

• Business-grade internet service with reliable uptime in place
• 4G/LTE failover router installed (especially critical for QR/App only locations)
• Staff aware that QR code and app access will not function during internet outages
• FOB/card backup access available at primary entry doors if necessary
• Staff trained on manual membership verification and door override procedures
• MAC connectivity confirmed at least once per week to maintain provisioning