Doorbells, intercoms and visitor entry for small offices
A front door that anyone can talk their way through is the weak point of most small offices. How to choose between a UniFi doorbell, an intercom reader and a visitor kiosk, and the procedure that makes each work.
The visitor who sounded right
Ubiquiti publishes a customer story about Exotic Motors, a collision-repair shop in Washington state. Among the problems it describes: a thief obtained the keys to a high-value vehicle by posing as an insurance adjuster (Ubiquiti, Exotic Motors). No lock was picked. Someone sounded right, and someone else let them in.
Small offices face the same problem every day at the front door. The courier, the “IT technician”, the person who says they are here to see the owner. Whoever is closest to the door buzzes them in, because the alternative is awkward.
Why it happens
- No one is assigned to the door. In a small office the front desk is often empty, so whoever hears the buzzer answers it.
- The door can’t tell anyone anything. A plain buzzer gives you a voice, not a face, a name or an appointment.
- There is no expected-visitor list. Without one, every visitor is a judgment call.
Three designs, by how your door is used
SMC’s preferred platform for visitor entry is UniFi, using Protect for doorbells and Access for intercoms and visitor schedules. If you already run an entry system that works, SMC designs around it.
1. A staffed front door: video doorbell
For a small office with a house-style front door and someone usually inside, a Protect doorbell is often enough. The G4 Doorbell Pro adopts into UniFi Protect with the mobile app and can work with the UniFi Smart Chime, which can also record ring events (UniFi Protect - Set Up Your Doorbell). Staff see who is there on their phone or a screen before they open the door; the visit is on video either way.
The doorbell does not unlock anything. Someone still walks to the door, which is the point: the decision is made by a person who has seen the visitor.
2. A controlled entrance: intercom reader with remote unlock
When the entrance is a locked door and staff are elsewhere in the building, an Access reader with a doorbell does three jobs: staff badge in, visitors ring, and the person answering can unlock remotely. Readers that support doorbell calls include the G3 Intercom, Intercom, G3 Reader Pro and G6 Entry (Configuring Doorbell Call Methods and Receivers).
Calls can go to several places at once:
- an Intercom Viewer, a dedicated screen with live video, two-way audio and an unlock button (Configuring UniFi Access Intercom Viewer);
- the Access mobile app, a phone number, a SIP desk phone, or a chime.
Route calls to people who are allowed to decide, not to everyone. Access has a Door Attendant admin role for people whose job is to open doors and talk to visitors without other admin rights (UniFi Roles Explained).
3. An unattended entrance: scheduled visitors and a kiosk
For an office where nobody may be at the front at all, schedule visitors in advance. In Access, a visitor gets a one-time or recurring visit window, specific doors, and a credential; Access can send the invitation by email or SMS (Configuring Visitor Schedules). QR codes are one supported credential.
Access also has a Kiosk Mode on an iPad. Visitors check in themselves; you can require an ID card scan, a photo, and remote approval by an admin, and print a badge on a supported Brother label printer (Configuring Visitor Schedules). ID scans and visitor photos are personal information: decide how long you keep them before you switch them on.
The procedure matters more than the device
Each design needs a short written rule that everyone follows. A version that fits most small offices:
- Expected visitors are on the list. Appointments, deliveries and contractors are scheduled in Access or written down for the day.
- Unexpected visitors are verified before the door opens. Call the company they claim to represent using a number you already have, not one they give you.
- Nobody holds the door for someone they don’t know, including people carrying boxes.
- Keys, files and equipment are released only to verified people, with a note of who took what.
- Every visit leaves a record: the doorbell or reader video, the Access visitor entry, or both.
Illustration: a man in a vest arrives at an unstaffed side door saying he is from the copier company. The intercom reader calls the office manager’s phone. She sees him on video, checks the service schedule, finds nothing booked, and calls the copier company on the number from the last invoice. The door stays shut until the company confirms. Thirty seconds of awkwardness; no guesswork.
Choosing
| Your entrance | Start with | Add later |
|---|---|---|
| Staffed, house-style door | G4 Doorbell Pro with Smart Chime | Access reader if staff need badge-in |
| Locked door, staff elsewhere | Access intercom reader, Intercom Viewer at the desk | Visitor schedules |
| Often unattended | Access reader, scheduled visitors, Kiosk Mode | Protect camera covering the approach |
Checklist
- Each entrance classified: staffed, controlled or unattended
- Doorbell or reader chosen per entrance
- Doorbell calls routed only to people allowed to decide
- Expected-visitor list kept in Access or on paper, every day
- Verification rule for unexpected visitors written and practiced
- Retention period set for visitor photos and ID scans before enabling them
- Every entry approach covered by video
When to get help
SMC assesses your entrances, designs the doorbell, intercom and visitor process, and writes the specification. A licensed installer you contract with installs the equipment; SMC reviews the bid and checks the result against the specification. SMC doesn’t sell equipment or take commissions. UniFi is our preferred platform; if your existing entry system fits, we work with that.
Start with the free security assessment at https://www.securitymedic.com/assessment. Physical security questions are covered there and on a free 30-minute call. You get a gap report to keep and a free results review.
Sources
- Ubiquiti, Exotic Motors, customer story on casestudies.ui.com (no publication date shown).
- Ubiquiti Help Center, UniFi Protect - Set Up Your Doorbell, updated October 29, 2026.
- Ubiquiti Help Center, Configuring Doorbell Call Methods and Receivers in UniFi Access, updated September 25, 2026.
- Ubiquiti Help Center, Configuring UniFi Access Intercom Viewer, updated March 31, 2026.
- Ubiquiti Help Center, UniFi Roles Explained: Admins and Users/Members, updated October 28, 2026.
- Ubiquiti Help Center, Configuring Visitor Schedules in UniFi Access, updated September 21, 2026.
- Ubiquiti Help Center, Choosing a UniFi Access Reader, updated August 25, 2026.