Will the integrated contactless reader in my Dell laptop work with the 125 kHz proximity card that is used for physical access control to my building?
The integrated reader in Dell laptops will not work with a 125 kHz proximity card. It is based on the use of 13.56 MHz contactless smart cards. If you are using a proximity card for physical access control and want to use the same card for two-factor authentication to your Dell laptop, there are some options for you to consider:
- HID highly recommends that you consider upgrading your card and physical access control system to use a more secure contactless smart card such as HID Seos®. Proximity cards have known vulnerabilities and should be upgraded to ensure your security and privacy. HID is happy to have a discussion with you about these vulnerabilities and help you to outline an upgrade path that is suitable for your organization.
- Should you not want to upgrade the cards used in your physical access control system, there are a few options:
- HID manufactures multi-technology cards that include proximity technology and contactless smart card technology. You can continue to use the existing proximity readers at the doors while using a more secure technology for authentication to your laptop.
- Rather than using the embedded reader in the Dell hardware, you can continue to use your existing proximity cards with a USB-connected OMNIKEY® 5025 CL desktop reader peripherally connected to your Dell hardware.
- Depending on what readers and cards you have in your physical access control ecosystem, there may be a variety of upgrade paths. HID would be happy to speak to you directly about your situation to help identify alternatives for upgrading your system and/or using a contactless credential on your Dell laptops.
What cards are supported by the integrated contactless smart card reader in my Dell hardware?
Dell hardware supports a wide variety of contactless smart cards including the partial list shown below:
- Seos
- HID Legacy iCLASS® (iCLASS SE cards are not supported)
- HID iCLASS Prox (a multi-technology card including Legacy iCLASS and proximity)
- MIFARE® Classic 1K
- MIFARE Classic 4K
- MIFARE DESFire® EV1
- MIFARE DESFire 8K
- FeliCA®
- NFC Forum Tags
There are a variety of other card types supported by Dell hardware. If you have questions about support for a specific card type, please contact HID. There are many variants of each card type shown above. It is highly recommended that you test the card type(s) you plan to use with your hardware and the application software you plan to use before making a bulk purchase of cards and/or software licenses. HID is happy to work with you to provide a sample card as needed.
What software works with the integrated contactless smart card reader in my Dell hardware?
HID recommends that you leverage your built-in Dell laptop contactless smart card reader for advanced multi-factor security using the HID DigitalPersona® multi-factor authentication software.
HID DigitalPersona provides secure access to Dell laptops and applications using a variety of flexible, convenient and secure authentication factors, including contactless smart cards. Using the built-in contactless smart card readers in certain Dell laptops, organizations can extend security to mobile users, which can use contactless smart cards as a primary authentication factor when logging in.
If you have specific questions or would like to speak to someone, please contact HID.
Are there other software options?
Depending on which hardware you have deployed, what version of Windows® you are using, and what card type(s) you wish to use, there may be other software and/or authentication options. Please contact HID for additional information.
Which OMNIKEY desktop readers are supported on Dell Wyse Thin Clients using Dell Thin OS 9.1?
The OMNIKEY desktop readers that are supported include:
- OMNIKEY 3021 Contact Smart Card Reader
- OMNIKEY 3121 Contact Smart Card Reader (also available in a TAA version)
- OMNIKEY 5025 Low Frequency Proximity Card Reader
- OMNIKEY 5022 High Frequency Contactless Smart Card Reader
- OMNIKEY 5427 Low / High Frequency Contactless Reader (also available with a Bluetooth® Low Energy option)
Learn more about supported HID OMNIKEY card readers >>
Which HID fingerprint biometric readers are supported on Dell Wyse Thin Clients using Thin OS 9.1 MR1 and later?
The HID fingerprint readers that are supported include:
- DigitalPersona 4500 Optical Fingerprint Reader
- EikonTouch™ TC710 Capacitive Fingerprint Reader
- EikonTouch TC510 Capacitive Fingerprint Reader
- Lumidigm® V311 Multispectral Fingerprint Reader
Learn more about supported HID fingerprint readers >>
What Dell hardware supports the optional integrated contactless smart card reader?
As Dell hardware and options periodically change, HID recommends that you always contact Dell at the links below for the most up-to-date information on what hardware supports the optional integrated contactless smart card reader.
Dell hardware with ControlVault 1 Driver and Firmware
Dell hardware with ControlVault 2 Driver and Firmware
Dell hardware with ControlVault 3 Driver and Firmware
What Dell hardware supports the optional integrated FIPS-201 fingerprint reader hardware?
As Dell hardware and options periodically change, HID recommends that you always contact Dell for the most up-to-date information on what hardware supports the optional integrated FIPS-201 fingerprint reader. Information current as of July 2021 is shown in the table below.
Please note that there is a lengthy list of older Dell hardware that supports an integrated FIPS-201 fingerprint reader. Please check your hardware accordingly.
If I want to order the optional contactless smart card reader and/or fingerprint reader, what do I need to do?
HID would suggest that you discuss your needs with your Dell representative before ordering your Dell hardware. Dell should be able to assist you in ordering the hardware with the option(s) you require.
When ordering your Dell notebook, be sure to select the correct PalmRest option when customizing your device. Models that support the HID integrated FIPS-201 fingerprint reader (see list in the FAQ) will have the option to select a PalmRest with the “FIPS Fingerprint Reader”. PalmRests that include the FIPS Fingerprint Reader should be selected.
As this is not necessarily intuitive, we highly suggest you work with Dell to ensure your hardware is correctly configured.
What version of Dell Wyse ThinOS supports HID’s single fingerprint readers?
As Dell hardware and options periodically change, HID recommends that you always contact Dell for the most up-to-date information on what hardware supports HID’s single fingerprint readers. For information on Dell software compatible with ThinOS Driver and Firmware, visit Dell.