This article reviews many of the components involved in an operational ePassport solution. Its objective is to expose the major variables that affect the performance of the ePassport to reader relationship. Some recent commentators have tended to focus exclusively on readers when discussing the performance, interoperability and ergonomics of this relationship. They do so at the cost of ignoring many of the critical factors involved in the ePassport to reader relationship. In the end, both aspects should be held equally accountable for interoperability.