RFID Hotel door locks now are mainly use the 125KHz and RFID13.56MHz.
Many newbies may not clear what is the difference between 125KHz and 13.56MHz RFID Hotel door lock.
Actually they are both the major 2 types RFID technology widely used in Hotel door lock system especially in hotels.
They both use contact-less key(room card) and provide very similar using experience.
In the whole RFID Hotel Door Lock system usually includes 3 basic elements-The lock, Room key and encoder.
These three elements are interrelated and indispensable.
They should be used the same RFID technology otherwise they can not compatiable with eachother.
RFID Door lock system for Hotel
For instance, the 125KHz room key(card) can only be read by 125KHz lock and 125KHz key encoder.
Same happens to the 13.56MHz system.
Comparison of 125KHz and 13.56MHz RFID Hotel door locks
| 125KHz RFID Hotel door locks | 13.56MHz RFID Hotel door locks | |
| Room Key Working Frequency | 125KHz | 13.56MHz |
| Major brand used | Temic E5551 Atmel T5557
| Philips Mifare S50 |
| Room Key detect distance on hotel door lock | Contactless Less than 2cm
| Contactless More than 3-5cm
|
| Room key Read/write life | More than 100,000 times | More than 100,000 times |
| Capacity | 264bit/330 bit | 8K bit |
| Reliability of data saved in Room key | Low Easy lost | High Never lost |
| Hotel Door lock manufacturing cost | Low | High |
| Room Key encoder manufacturing cost | Low | High |
| One card Application in hotel | unavailable | Available |
| Security | Simple Encryption Easy copy by special device | DES Encryption Not easy copy |
From the above form you could understand the differences between these 2 contact-less technology.
For the hotel application, the 13.56MHz RFID technology will be better in security,Reliability and system expansibility.
13.56MHz Better for Hotel
Security-The hotel room usually places the customer’s valuables. It requires high security.
13.56MHz tech’s encryption is in higher security level than 125KHz tech.
Using experience-Technically the room key(card) working distance are same in 125KHz and 13.56MHz.
But in hotel door lock real using, they are different.
The reason is the door lock’s material- metal.
In most hotel door lock, the antenna will be surrounded by metal,except the front and back.
The metal will decay the RF signal.
Bonth 125KHz and 13.56MHz RFID signal will be affected.
In this environment, the higher frequency（13.56MHz）still keeps an acceptable working distance in 3-5cm, better than 125KHz(left only 1-2cm).
System expansibility-13.56MHz RFID based on 8Kbit capacity card.
This card can contain much more data than 125KHz card.
Take KAHN Hotel Access control System for example, it allows one card access many regions.
In KAHN Hotel door lock System one card could access to guest rooms, elevator, Swimming pool.
The KAHN Software provide guest key programming function in front desk.
Of course everybody must select to mifare card locks for future technology.
Thanks for info about hotel locks difference.
Well, actually the 125K RFID tech is also use-able because the tech is cheap.
Cheap in electronic parts inside the lock and the key cards.
But 13.56MHz RFID provide more flexibility and possibilities. For example 1 card can open the door and used as a parking card.