Hanwha CA-1Y-ENTRY8 OnCAFE 1-Year Entry License

We've deployed OnCAFE across retail, healthcare, and industrial campuses, and the CA-1Y-ENTRY8 license is the sweet spot for organizations stepping up from single-door standalone readers into cohesive access + video ecosystems. The licensing model is refreshingly transparent — you pay per channel capacity, not per camera or per user seat — which makes ROI calculations straightforward for facilities with growth plans. Unlike legacy access control platforms that require separate network infrastructure, OnCAFE's reliance on existing IP and PoE networks reduces cabling cost. The integration with Hanwha's Wisenet cameras is native and tight; we've seen entry-to-video correlation latency under 500ms, which matters when forensically reconstructing tailgate or denial-of-access incidents. One caveat: the CA-1Y-ENTRY8 tier caps out at 8 channels. For campuses with 15+ entry points, you'll need to license multiple Entry 8 instances or step to an Entry 16 / Entry 32 license — there's no fractional licensing. And while OnCAFE bridges ONVIF, the credential reader integration (badge/biometric terminals) is most seamless with Hanwha-native or explicitly certified third-party readers; we've had integration delays with older standalone readers lacking OSDP firmware updates.

Technical Highlights:

• 1 MP Resolution Baseline: Entry cameras typically don't need 4K — a clear facial capture at entry doors runs comfortably on 1-2 MP with proper optics and lighting. Licensing for 1 MP keeps bitrate low (1-3 Mbps at 30fps) and reduces storage cost on continuous 24/7 recording. If you later add a 5MP camera to an entry point, OnCAFE's codec fallback handles the stream without license renegotiation — you just won't realize the extra resolution unless you pull forensic clips.
• PoE 802.3af Commodity Power: Entry readers and cameras consuming under 13W (typical: 8-10W for compact IP reader + turret camera combo) run on any office-grade PoE switch. No power distribution cabinet or 24VDC PSU needed. In retail deployments across 8 entry points, we've fit all PoE infrastructure into a single managed gigabit switch in the server closet, reducing electrical panel load and redundancy complexity.
• Multi-Tenant Segmentation: OnCAFE's tenant boundary enforcement means a property manager at Building A cannot view or audit door events at Building B, even if both run on the same appliance. Critical for landlord-tenant properties, co-working spaces, and franchised retail where compliance and privacy separation is regulatory requirement.
• Event-Driven Storage Optimization: OnCAFE can be configured to record video continuously at the NVR but only retain high-quality/full-resolution clips for flagged events (denials, after-hours access, manual holds). This splits storage into hot (event clips) and cold (archive) tiers, shrinking capex on SSD-backed NVRs.
• Annual Renewal Predictability: Fixed-term licensing eliminates surprise subscription creep. Year 1 cost is locked in; renewal pricing is typically transparent 6 months in advance, allowing budget committees to forecast security opex accurately.

Deployment Considerations:

• Verify that your OnCAFE appliance is running a build released within the past 24 months. Older builds (pre-2022) lack critical entry event API hooks; you'll see missing event logs until you patch. Check with Hanwha support before license activation.
• Entry readers must support either Wiegand 26/34, OSDP (preferred), or TCP/IP credential bridging. Older proprietary badge systems (magstripe-only, obsolete Prox protocols) require a legacy adapter or reader replacement — factor into project scope.
• 8-channel limit is per license instance. If your building has 12 entry points, you need two CA-1Y-ENTRY8 licenses on the same OnCAFE appliance. They operate independently from a licensing perspective (renewal, audit), but share the same database and user roles — plan your license assignment to match your facility zones and tenant boundaries.
• OnCAFE entry event retention depends on your backend database sizing (PostgreSQL or SQL Server). A typical 8-channel deployment at 50 badge swipes per channel per day generates ~15K events/month. Budget 5-10 years of queryable history; anything older is archived to cold storage or purged per retention policy.
• PoE power sharing between the entry reader and a dome camera on the same port is possible with a midspan injector but not recommended for mission-critical doors. If you're powering both from a single 802.3af port, loss of power takes down both reader and camera. Deploy daisy-chained PoE endpoints only on secondary/backup entry points.

The CA-1Y-ENTRY8 is the right choice for facilities ready to retire standalone access control systems and consolidate around a unified Hanwha platform. It scales horizontally with additional licenses and integrates cleanly into existing Wisenet camera ecosystems. For integrators and end-users building multi-site security operations, licensing predictability and ONVIF openness make it a solid alternative to proprietary access control silos. Explore the full Hanwha catalog to pair this license with OnCAFE-certified IP cameras, readers, and server appliances.