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  1. Inova Payroll
  2. Time Labor Management (TLM)
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Synergy A/20 Fingerprint Timeclock

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How to prepare for your new time clock

Installing your new Device

Manager Guide to Enrolling Employees

When your Synergy Device Stops Communicating

Maintenance/And Other Helpful How-Tos

Wi-Fi Set Up

Manager/Admin Guide

Before Your New Time Clock Arrives

How to prepare for your new time clock

Location

The Synergy A/20 terminal needs the following to communicate with the Inova system:

  • Ethernet Connection
  • Power supply – unless your location has POE (power over Ethernet) capabilities (not common).

Employees

Employees will need at the very minimum a badge number.  Depending on how you want employees to clock in there are a couple of options.

A badge number is required in the badge ID field in order to enroll an employee on the time clock. This can be the same as their Employee ID number or a different number.  Only Badge 1 is required to enroll on the terminal.

Badge numbers must be a unique number and can not start with a Zero

  • Some clients have employees swipe or enter a badge number prior to placing their finger on the reader.
  • Some clients don’t use the finger reader at all, and employees just swipe a badge to clock in/out.
  • The Synergy allows employees to just place their finger on the reader without entering a badge number.

Please let the Hardware team know how you intend to use the device for clocking in/out.

Installing your new Device

The Synergy will come assembled and programmed with your specific functions.  Employees who are in the Inova system at the time of programming should also be loaded in.  Any employees hired after the initial programming will load automatically after the device is hooked up and communicating with the system.

We will program the device to connect to your network via DHCP.  If you have any reason to have the device connect via a Static IP Address, please contact Inova Hardware Support. You will need to provide us with the static IP address, Subnet Mask, Default Gateway, and DNS Server.

Step 1: Plug in the Ethernet Cable

Ethernet cable plugs into the back of the In Touch terminal. 

Step 2: Plug the terminal into an electrical outlet

The Device is now ready to go. You can view a System Report called Synergy Installations to view the status of each device.  This report will let you know the last time the device has connected.  If you have more than 1 device, we will add a description of where the device is located.

 

Manager Guide to Enrolling Employees

Only if you plan on using the clock with the Biometric Finger Reader

Pre-Enrollment

  • Employee must be setup in the Inovasystem and have a badge number assigned to them.  Badge numbers must be a Unique number and cannot start with a ZERO.
  • Time clock must perform a reboot or resend employees to the device

The Synergy device is constantly bringing over employee punches to the system.  However, new employee information or changes only occur at certain times during the day.

For the device to recognize a new hire immediately, the clock must send this information. Below are 3 scenarios for enrolling new hires.

  • New hire information is entered on the prior day: No further action required – Employee can be enrolled on the clock the following day.
  • New hire information entered the same day:  Device is rebooted at the clock – clock will update, bringing over any new employees.
  • New hire information entered the same day:  Resend Employees command sent to the clock – clock will update, bringing over any new employees.

Biometric Consent

Employees being enrolled with a fingerprint on the clock will need to consent to their fingerprint being used/stored.

The Biometric Consent URL can be found by navigating to Menu: Settings > Global Setup > Company Setup.

Select the Login Config Tab > The biometric consent URL is in the Login/Logout Preferences box.

https://secure.ipsonline.net/ta/XXXXX.consent    

 

The employee will have to open up a web browser, go to the above link, and enter their employee ID or badge ID to agree to the biometric consent.

How to Enroll a Fingerprint

  1. At the Punch Screen, hit the F4 Button
  2. Enter the Supervisor password – 31415926
  3. Hit the F1 button for fingerprint.
  4. Hit the F1 button to enroll.
  5. Enter the Employee Badge Number you’d like to enroll
  6. Follow the screen prompts to place your finger on the reader 3 times.

How to Verify a Fingerprint

  1. At the punch screen, hit the F4 button
  2. Enter the supervisor password – 31415926
  3. Hit the F1 button for fingerprint
  4. Hit the F3 button to verify
  5. Enter the employee number to be verified
  6. Follow the instructions to place your finger on the reader

How to Delete a Fingerprint

  1. At the punch screen, hit the F4 button
  2. Enter the supervisor password – 31415926
  3. Hit the F1 button for fingerprint
  4. Hit the F2 button to delete
  5. Enter the employee number to be deleted.

Issues with Fingerprint Enrollment: Employee has a worn or unreadable fingerprint

Some employees have worn fingerprints due to either age or the type of work they have performed.  If this happens, try the steps below:

  • Have the employee try a different finger
  • Have the employee wash their hands and apply a moisturizer to them

 Programming Solution – Using Special Enroll for Tough-to-Read Fingerprints

Settings for this function are found within the employee’s main profile settings

  • Synel will be listed along with their saved fingerprints. 
  • Check the box for Special Enroll
  • Employee will enter their badge number and then be prompted to place their finger on the reader, and it will punch them in.

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WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR SYNERGY DEVICE STOPS COMMUNICATING AND WHEN TO CALL FOR HELP

 If the Synergy device stops communicating, you will want to perform the basic troubleshooting steps below.  The device will allow punching if there is no internet connection, and when a connection is made, the punches will download to the Inova system.

 

Step 1: Reboot the Device

If punches are not flowing, the first thing to try is to Reboot the Device. 

There are 2 ways to reboot the Synergy A/20 device.

  1. Hit the Pound # button on device 3 times and then press the F1 key.
  2. The device will fully reboot.

The other reboot alternative

  1. At the punch screen, hit the F4 button.
  2. Enter the supervisor password – 31415926
  3. Hit the F4 button to reboot the clock

Step 2: Restart Device by Reloading the Clock Application

If a reboot doesn’t solve the connection issue, perform the steps below to reload the clock application to the device.

  1. Hit the menu button
  2. Type in the supervisor password – 31415926
  3. Choose option 3 to reload application
  4. The device application will restart

Step 3: Move the Device to another location

Sometimes a connection failure is not due to the hardware but due to a faulty Ethernet switch or cable.  To rule this out, we need to have the device moved to another location in the building.  The best option is to take the device into an office, unplug the computer from its Ethernet cable, and hook up the clock. 

If the clock connects and starts downloading punches, we have ruled out the clock as the problem.  In this case, you would need to contact your IT support and relay to them that something might be wrong with the Ethernet cable, port, or switch.

Maintenance/And Other Helpful How-Tos

Fingerprint Security

The system uses hashing algorithms to encrypt fingerprint data. We do not actually store any fingerprints directly. The clock will scan an employee's finger, turn it into a mathematical formula, and store that instead. When they scan a finger, the formula is regenerated again and compares the result in the system to see if anything matches it. If it does, it allows the employee to punch. For example, it's not the employee's fingerprint itself. It looks more like "cjQAgk7/gICRiJuSkoyLloKfeYuAglCUZoxDdE1saHHOY89q4oXkdkRpZFbFZMhVy2q9XdGFdVS4V8FUzHfNfdd3WEzEiZlcfrKrvcaiXpVHnmmOuKi7uFJxOXFlaG9vflamZqd/kn+cdaWOr5C3lHS78h1USCD9f1Xqr1qL/A==". 

There is no way to decode this information back into a fingerprint. It only works one way, so their data is safe.

How to Check the IP Address of a Device

  1. At the punch screen, hit the F4 button
  2. Enter the supervisor password – 31425926
  3. Hit the F2 button for system information
  4. It will display the IP address, as well as the number of employees and the POD location

 How to change the Static IP address of the device in a web browser

  1. Open a web browser
  2. Enter the IP address followed by a colon and 8080. For example: 10.130.4.52:8080
  3. It will then ask for a username and a password.
  4. Username: ROOT
  5. Password: SYNEGY
  6. Click on the EHTERNET tab along the top
  7. You’ll need to fill in the network options for Ethernet:
    • Eth0ip – Static IP address
    • Eth0sm – Subnet Mask
    • Eth0gw – Gateway
    • Eth0dns1 – DNS1
    • Eth0dns2 – DNS2
  8. Once complete, hit the “Submit the form” button

How to change the IP Address of a device

  1. At the punch screen, hit the menu button
  2. Enter the supervisor password – 31415926
  3. Choose option 1 for Network Settings
  4. Select the option for Ethernet Static
  5. Update the IP address, Subnet mask, Gateway, and DNS fields
  6. Hit enter to confirm

How to Factory reset a device at the clock

  1. Hit the Menu button
  2. Type in the supervisor password – 31415926
  3. Choose option 3 – Support Options
  4. Select option 5 Factory Reset
  5. Type in four periods and hit Enter
  6. The device will reboot for about 2 minutes and come back to the initial configuration screen.

How to synchronize the terminal data with the company

  1. At the punch screen, hit the F4 button
  2. Enter the supervisor password – 31415926
  3. Hit the F3 button to sync data from the company
  4. After completion, it will advise whether it was done successfully or not.

How to update firmware from inside the company

  1. Within your account, go to Company Settings > System > Synergy Installations
  2. Enter the terminals settings by clicking on the icon
  3. In the upper right-hand corner, there will be a (3 dots) button; click on it to access the sub-menu.
  4. Click on the Download new code option
  5. The new download will load in the next Full Update, it will then reboot and come up with the current version

How to Resend employees to the device from inside the company

  1. Within your account, go to Company Settings > System > Synergy Installations
  2. Enter the terminals settings by clicking on the icon
  3. In the upper right-hand corner, there will be a (3 dots) button; click on it to access the sub-menu. 
  4. Select Resend Employees

Wi-Fi Set Up

How to activate the Wi-Fi of the device in a web browser:

NOTE: A WIFI dongle is needed for this WIFI capability, purchased separately, and must be connected to Ethernet during setup.

1.  Plug the Wi-Fi dongle into the USB port located on the left side or bottom of the device.

2.  Reboot the device so it may obtain a new IP address from the router.

3.  Once back up, you'll need the new IP address of the WIFI.

4.  Enter the IP address followed by a colon and the number 8080 (i.e., 10.130.4.52:8080)

5.  It will ask for a username and a password.

6.  Username: root

7.  Password: synergy

8.  Click on the WIFI tab along the top

9.  Fill in the following fields:

a.  SSID (Note: WIFI address is case sensitive. If incorrect, it will not work. It also must be a 2.4 GHz network. It will not work with 5 GHz.)

b.  PASSPHRASE

c.  Check the WIFI DHCP box.

10.  If you would like to choose a static IP, you'll need to fill in the network information:

a.  WIFI IP address

b.  WIFI SM Subnet mask

c.  WIFI GW Gateway

d.  WIFI DNSI/WIFI DNS2 - DNS server

11.  Hit the "submit the form" button when complete.

12.  It should take about 20 seconds to complete.

13.  You'll then need to reboot the device so it may connect to the wireless network.

14.  Once back up, it will show a picture of a WIFI signal when connected.

15.  If it is not connected, it will show a pic of WIFI crossed out.