A service or side door for deliveries, cleaners, and contractors needs its own video intercom, not just a doorbell camera. On UniFi Access, that means a G3 Intercom or G3 Reader Pro at the door, a Door Hub or Door Hub Mini to drive the lock, and an Intercom Viewer or the UniFi Access mobile app to answer the call, grant one-time or recurring access, and log the event. The hardware and credential choices below are what an installer needs to resolve before the door frame is prepped.
Which UniFi Access hardware fits a service door?
Two device types cover this job. The G3 Intercom is an indoor/outdoor intercom terminal built for managing entry requests, with Touch Pass support for mobile credentials, and it is rated IP55 for outdoor mounting — appropriate for an exterior service door exposed to weather (Access G3 Intercom). The alternative is the G2 Reader Pro or newer G3 Reader Pro, which combine an NFC reader with intercom and camera functions in a more compact body (Access G2 Reader Pro). Both reader families support PIN access, NFC card/keyfob access, and UniFi Identity mobile access, and both are listed as outdoor-ready with IP55 ratings (UniFi Door Access - Ubiquiti). For a single service door, the practical choice usually comes down to whether you want the larger built-in display and camera of the Intercom or the smaller footprint of a Reader Pro — a question worth putting to your installer alongside the door's existing frame and conduit.
Behind the reader or intercom sits a control hub that actually drives the lock. The Door Hub handles entry and exit control for a single door, with lock terminals for both 12V and dry contacts, an auxiliary output for a chime or door operator, inputs for a door position sensor and emergency override, and PoE ports to power the reader and an adjacent camera. The Door Hub Mini is a more compact version for the same single-door job, with fewer terminals but similar PoE-powered reader/camera support (UniFi Door Access Control Hubs - Ubiquiti). Either hub can run a fail-safe magnetic lock or a fail-secure electric strike, both of which are listed as accessories designed to connect directly to the hub.
How does a delivery or cleaner actually get in?
When someone presses the intercom at the service door, the call routes to the homeowner's phone through UniFi Talk or the mobile app, and simultaneously to an Intercom Viewer if one is installed indoors — a dedicated display built to work with the Intercom and Reader Pro for visitor screening and remote access control (UniFi Door Access - Ubiquiti). The door can then be unlocked with one click from the Intercom Viewer, a phone, UniFi Talk, or a web session, without the person inside needing to walk to the door.
For recurring visitors like a weekly cleaning crew, a PIN or an NFC card/keyfob issued through the reader gives standing access that can be revoked the same way it was granted. For a one-off delivery or a single contractor visit, a temporary PIN or a one-click remote unlock avoids handing out a permanent credential at all. Keyless options across the reader line include PIN access, NFC card and keyfob access, and mobile access through UniFi Identity, plus Touch Pass for contactless mobile unlock on supported readers — so the choice between a standing credential and a one-time unlock is a configuration decision, not a hardware one. This is also the point to confirm with your contractor which credential types should auto-expire and which should require manual revocation.
How should the intercom sit on the network?
A service-door intercom and its hub are PoE devices and belong on the same security VLAN as the rest of your access and camera equipment, isolated from the general household network the way a broader network upgrade would isolate IoT and AV traffic. Cave Group's networking upgrade work builds exactly that kind of VLAN-segmented UniFi deployment, so a door intercom project is normally scoped alongside the gateway, switching, and access-point plan rather than bolted onto an existing flat network. Readers and cameras paired together let an installer monitor every entry event in real time with video attached to the access log, which only works cleanly when the intercom, hub, and any nearby camera sit on a network built for that traffic in the first place.
What does an installer need to resolve before mounting?
Before the service door is finalized, an installer should confirm the lock type the door frame will accept — fail-safe magnetic or fail-secure electric strike — since each pairs with a specific hub output and has different behavior on power loss. The hub itself needs dedicated PoE runs, not a shared switch port already loaded with other devices, and a junction box or flush/wedge mount matched to the chosen reader or intercom model is part of the installation hardware list rather than an afterthought. If the door is outdoors and exposed to direct sun or driving rain, a sunshield accessory is worth specifying alongside the intercom at the same time as the mount. These are the same questions that belong in any access control project under Cave Group's broader security services, and a service door is a smaller, more affordable version of that same planning exercise.
Frequently asked questions
Does a UniFi Access intercom need its own control hub?
Yes. The G3 Intercom or a reader connects to a Door Hub or Door Hub Mini, which provides the lock terminals, auxiliary outputs, sensor inputs, and PoE ports that actually open the door and log the event.
Can a cleaner or contractor get a temporary code instead of a permanent key?
Yes. UniFi Access readers support PIN access alongside NFC cards, keyfobs, and mobile credentials, so a one-time or time-limited PIN can be issued for a single visit and a standing PIN or card can be issued for recurring staff.
Is the intercom rated for an exterior door?
The G3 Intercom and the current reader models are listed with IP55 outdoor ratings, which covers rain resistance for an exterior service door; confirm mounting location and sun exposure with your installer since a sunshield accessory is available separately.
Should the service-door intercom share a network with the rest of the house?
It should sit on a segmented security VLAN with the access hub and nearby cameras rather than the general household network, which is the kind of segmentation planned as part of a broader networking upgrade.
How does the homeowner answer the door if they are not home?
Calls route to the UniFi Access mobile app or UniFi Talk on a phone, and the door can be unlocked remotely from that app, the web, or an indoor Intercom Viewer without anyone needing to be physically present at the door.