Verifying biometric device time stability while connected to the CAMS portal

This guide takes you through three tests that confirm your biometric device keeps accurate time once it is connected to the CAMS portal. All three must pass before the attendance integration with OrangeHRM can be deployed. Allow about forty minutes per device, most of it waiting.

Read the guide through before you start, and run the tests in order. Each test begins from the state the previous one left the device in, so they cannot be run separately.

Before you start

• You need physical access to the device and the admin PIN or password for its menu. Without it, the menu will not open.
• Navigation: press M/OK to open the Main Menu and to select an item, the arrow keys to move, and ESC to go back a level.
• The device must be powered on and on a stable internet connection when you begin.
• Have a reliable time reference to compare against. A mobile phone set to automatic network time works well - do not use a wall clock, which may itself be wrong.
• Photograph the device clock at each comparison, and any screen before and after you change it. If a result needs investigating, these photos let our team pinpoint the cause quickly.
• Test one device at a time, and keep the test log at the end of this guide to hand.

You should already have completed the following, all covered in their own guides:

• Verifying the time on your biometric device before integration
• Disabling NTP on your biometric device - automatic internet time must be switched off, or it will mask the very drift these tests look for.
• Ensuring secure data transfer between biometric devices and OrangeHRM — for a non-CAMS device, confirm HTTPS communication is configured.

Test 1 — The device clock is accurate after connecting to CAMS

This confirms the device shows the correct time once it is connected to the CAMS portal.

1. From the start screen, press M/OK and go to COMM. > Cloud Server Setting (labelled Communication > ADMS Setup on some firmware).
2. Set Domain Name (DomainNm) to the server address supplied by your OrangeHRM Implementation Consultant, for example 2x.camsbiometrics.com. Press M/OK to save.
3. Press ESC until you are back at the start screen. Wait five minutes for the device to connect.
4. Look at the device clock and at your phone at the same moment. Record both times in the test log, together with the difference and whether the device is ahead of or behind your phone.
5. Photograph the start screen showing the device clock.

If the times match, the device and the CAMS portal are in sync. Go on to Test 2.

If they do not match, stop here. Do not run Tests 2 and 3. Send us your test log and photographs, and your Implementation Consultant will advise on the next steps.

Test 2 — The device clock stays accurate without an internet connection

This confirms the device holds the correct time on its own when the internet is unavailable, while it remains configured for the CAMS portal.

1. Start from the end of Test 1, with the device showing the correct time.
2. Leave the Domain Name setting exactly as it is. The device stays configured for CAMS throughout this test — only the internet connection is removed.
3. Disconnect the device from the internet by unplugging the network cable or switching Wi-Fi off.
4. Note the device time and your phone time at that same moment, and record both.
5. Wait five minutes.
6. Check the device clock again. Record the difference against your phone and whether the device is ahead or behind.
7. Photograph the start screen showing the device clock.

If the time is still correct, the device holds time reliably without an internet connection. Go on to Test 3.

If the time has slipped, record it in the log and still go on to Test 3. The two results read together tell us whether the device keeps time by itself or only while CAMS is feeding it.

Test 3 — The device clock stays accurate after a restart

This confirms the device retains the correct time after being fully powered off and restarted, while still configured for the CAMS portal.

1. Start from the end of Test 2, with that test's result recorded.
2. Leave the device disconnected from the internet. This test measures the clock across a power cycle, so reconnecting now would let CAMS reset it, and the result would tell you nothing.
3. Record the device time and your phone time at the same moment.
4. Switch the device off completely and unplug it from the power supply.
5. Wait five minutes.
6. Plug the device back in and switch it on. Wait a further five minutes.
7. Compare the device clock with your phone. Record the difference and whether the device is ahead or behind.
8. Photograph the start screen showing the device clock.

After the tests — put the device back

1. Reconnect the device to the internet by plugging the network cable back in or switching Wi-Fi on.
2. Go to COMM. > Cloud Server Setting and confirm the Domain Name value is still there.
3. Make a test punch and confirm it reaches OrangeHRM. Allow a few minutes for the device to reconnect first, then remove the test punch from the attendance record.

Domain Name should be the same value set up during this test.

You are done when

• All three tests are recorded in the log, one row per test for every device.
• The device is back on the internet and still shows the CAMS Domain Name value.
• A test punch has reached OrangeHRM.

What your results mean

No difference in any of the three tests. Your biometric device is verified and ready for CAMS integration deployment with OrangeHRM. Contact your Implementation Consultant to proceed.

A difference in any test. Send us your test outcome and your Implementation Consultant will guide you on the next steps. Do not deploy the integration until the clock is stable — an unreliable clock records punches at the wrong time, and that error carries through to attendance sheets, overtime and payroll.

What to send us

Email the following to your OrangeHRM Implementation Consultant, and we will take you through the next steps:

• The completed test log.
• The device model, serial number, and firmware version for every device tested.
• Your photographs of the device clock at each comparison.
• Anything unusual you noticed — an error message, or the device restarting on its own.

Test log

Fill in one row per test, for each device. The first row is an example — you do not need to complete it. Copy the block of three rows for any further devices.