How do I sync a ZKTeco terminal to cloud HR software?
PeopleMuster syncs a ZKTeco fingerprint terminal by connecting to it at its IP address on your local network and pulling new punches over TCP port 4370, every 30 minutes on weekdays. Nothing is installed on the device, and its push-server settings stay empty. Each punch arrives as who punched and when, mapped to a person in PeopleMuster.
Cloud software gets punches off a ZKTeco terminal in one of two ways. In a push setup, you tell the terminal to send records to a server address, usually through its ADMS or cloud server menu. In a pull setup, the software reaches the terminal over the network and reads the new records itself. PeopleMuster pulls.
Pulling keeps the terminal simple. Apart from a fixed IP address, you leave its menus and firmware alone. PeopleMuster asks it for punches on a timetable: every 30 minutes on weekdays, over port 4370.
Setup runs in four steps. Give the terminal a fixed IP on the office network. Enter that IP on the ZKTeco integration in PeopleMuster's settings. Map each device user to a person on the attendance user mapping screen. Then check the Last synced time on the attendance screen after the next half-hour.
Mapping is the step people skip. Your terminal knows everyone by the ID they enrolled under, and PeopleMuster knows them by name. Until the two are linked, a punch has nowhere to land. The mapping screen counts mapped and unmapped users, shows a Mapped % figure and refreshes the device's user list on demand.
Fingerprints stay on the terminal. PeopleMuster receives only the device user ID, the device serial number and the punch time, and it keeps no fingerprint template anywhere in its database.
Once punches arrive, they're ordinary attendance. Each one is measured against the person's assigned shift, giving late minutes, working hours and an on-time rate. Anyone who checks in from the browser card instead lands in the same table, so a mixed team reads as one.
Related questions
Do I need to install software on the ZKTeco terminal?
No. PeopleMuster connects to the terminal by its IP address and reads new punches over TCP port 4370. Your device keeps its existing firmware and settings.
Do I need to set up ADMS or a cloud server on the device?
No. ADMS is the push method, where the terminal sends records out. PeopleMuster pulls records instead, so the terminal's push-server fields stay blank.
How often does PeopleMuster read the terminal?
Every 30 minutes on weekdays. The attendance screen shows a Last synced time, so you can tell at a glance whether the morning's punches are in.
How do I find ZKTeco users who aren't mapped yet?
Open the attendance user mapping screen. Its Unmapped Users count shows how many device users still need a person, and Refresh Device pulls the latest user list from the terminal.