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How to troubleshoot Ethernet and WiFI printers

Hello Seller Community,

 

As businesses reopen for in-person shopping and dining, we know it’s important that your hardware is set up and ready to use. 

 

In this post, we will run through some common troubleshooting tips for Ethernet and WiFi interface printers. If you have any questions, reply below. 👇

 

Having trouble with Square Terminal’s built-in receipt printer? Check out Square Terminal Troubleshooting guide in our Support Centre

 

Before we start, here’s a short checklist 📝

 

✔️  Make sure you are using a printer that is compatible with Square

You can find our list of compatible printers here


✔️  Make sure your device software and Square app are fully up to date.

You can always check for updates from the Play Store (on Android devices) or App Store (on iOS devices).


✔️  Make sure that the printer paper is fully loaded inside the printer.


✔️ For Star Micronics printers, download one of these apps so you can run through advanced troubleshooting steps:



Let’s dive in!

 

Troubleshoot Ethernet and WiFi Printers

While Ethernet and WiFi printers are quite similar, there are still some differences. That’s why it’s important to identify the correct connection mode for your printer before we dive into more troubleshooting steps.

 

Under the printer icon, there’s usually a long sequence of numbers (for example, 123.456.78). This is the printer’s IP address and you can always identify an Ethernet or WiFi printer based on these numbers. To print out the IP address for the printer:

  1. Turn off the Star Micronics or Epson printer.
  2. Press and hold the feed button.
  3. Turn the printer back on.
  4. Continue to hold the feed button until the Network Configuration report prints out.
  5. Check the IP address on the printed report to make sure it matches the IP address listed for the printer in the Point of Sale app.

 

Once that’s done, follow the troubleshooting steps outlined in this Support Centre article for Ethernet and WiFi print...

 

If you’re using the Star SP-742 printer, there are some additional steps to make sure that the printer is configured correctly. To reset the printer:

  1. Unplug all cables from your printer and make sure the printer is turn off
  2. Flip the printer over and locate your DIP switch cover.  Tip: It's located next to the product label and is kept closed by a single screw. 
  3. Remove the cover to see the 8 DIP switches.
  4. Flip switch 4 and replace the cover.
  5. Plug all the cables back in and turn your printer back on.

 

You can find more advanced troubleshooting steps for Star Micronic printers here

 

If you’re using an Epson printer, some models like the Epson TM-U220 may be using an outdated ethernet interface that is not supported by the Epson software development kit, which means the printer may no longer be supposed by the manufacturer. If so, you’d need to purchase a new interface card in order to use the printer. 

 

There are some additional steps we can run through to determine this. First, you’ll want to print out the printer’s status sheet or dynamic status sheet. For the status sheet:

 

  1. Turn the printer off.
  2. Press and hold the feed button.
  3. Turn the printer back on while holding the feed button.
  4. Let the status sheet print then power cycle the printer again.

 

For the dynamic status sheet:

 

  1. Press and hold the little button on the back of the ethernet interface card (pen or pencil) for 5 seconds then let go.
  2. After a few seconds the dynamic status sheet will print.
  3. Do not hold this button for longer than 10 seconds, as it will factory reset the card.

 

On the sheet, you’ll need to look under Hardware Version to determine the interface. If the sheet has 2.00 this means you’re using the USB-E02 adapter which is no longer supported, so you’ll need to purchase E03 or E04. 

 

Additional resources

Tra
Community Engagement Program Manager, Square
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Admin

You can find troubleshooting guides for Bluetooth printers and USB printers in our Seller Community too!

Tra
Community Engagement Program Manager, Square
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