Update: 4/19/17
The links to the StarMicronics printer page and to the WiFi PowerPack have been updated. It looks like StarMicronics redesigned their website. Also of note: the guide was originally written for the TSP143LAN and now we recommend using the TSP143III mostly based on market availability. The process is pretty much the same as is written in this guide except you don’t have to telnet into the printer anymore (huge win). They’ve built an HTML interface to the printer from which you can assign a static IP to the printer.
We’ve gotten many, many questions about POS hardware setup and compatibility and we only know what we know. Now you guys can know what we know. This post will include all of the steps it takes for me to completely set up all of the hardware necessary to run a tasting room on the Vin65 platform (according to me no one but me).
Hardware:
Printer:
StarMicronics TSP143LANIII
StarMicronics TSP143LAN <- This link is dead
Wireless Adapter for the Printer (to eliminate the printer’s dependency on a hard-line ethernet connection) (optional but useful):
StarMicronics WiFi PowerPack <- Updated link
Cash Drawer:
I looked at the bottom of the cash drawer I’m using for this test and it says: “MODEL:_____” so that’s pretty great.
As a general rule, the only thing I look for on a cash drawer is the connection type it has on the back of it. Apparently, you should by no means use a regular landline phone cable See page 25 of this document for exact specifications. so if it looks like a phone line port but it’s not, it’s probably going to work.
Additional Hardware:
I set the system up on a Windows 10 laptop (anything Windows 7+ will work) but always intended to use the printer wirelessly on an iPad Air 2 running the Vin65 iOS app. All this to say that I think it’s 100% possible to set this system up from an iOS device alone or from a Mac. I intend to work through those setups myself but I haven’t done them at this time of writing.
Setup:
(Disclaimer: This is what I did. It worked and I don’t know of a better way.)
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Install the printer drivers from StarMicronics’ website onto your Windows laptop. I obtained them from here. And here’s a direct download link for Windows 10. (Warning: this is a direct download link)
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Laying out hardware, connecting the right things to each other in the right way:
- Ensure that the printer is off.
- Plug the printer’s power cable into the wall.
- Plug the ethernet cable into the ethernet port of the printer and the other end into the ethernet port of the WiFi PowerPack.
- Plug the micro USB cable into the WiFi PowerPack on one end and into your Windows Laptop’s USB port on the other end.
- From your Windows laptop, connect to the wireless network that your WiFi PowerPack is broadcasting. If you got this product from StarMicronics (and not TP-Link), the device should be broadcasting an SSID (network name) of something like “Star WiFi”. If, for whatever reason, you need to reset this device (using the recessed reset button on the device itself), it will start to broadcast a default TPLINK-like SSID. The SSID and Password are listed on the back on the actual WiFi PowerPack. I’ve done this setup a couple of times and I usually mess it up the first time around and end up hard resetting the device so that I only see the TPLINK SSID. Maybe you guys should just do that: just start off by hard-resetting the device.
- Once you’re connected to the TPLINK SSID, access the web page http://tplinklogin.net. Make sure you don’t have an ethernet cable plugged into your computer. If that URL doesn’t work, try to access 192.168.0.254. I’ve done it both ways. Justin Belieb it or not, I’ve had the most success accessing this device page from the Microsoft Edge browser. Other than using Microsoft Edge to download Google Chrome when you fresh install Windows, this is the only other purpose for which I’ve used Edge. Another mitigating factor for the success of this step is to use the “Incognito Mode” (Chrome) or “Private Browsing Mode” (Edge) to access the URL. I won’t show my ignorance by trying to guess why that helps.
- In your browser of choice, once you try to access that URL, you’ll be greeted by a popup asking for login credentials. The default username and password are both admin. This info is also on the back of the WiFi PowerPack. Log in using those credentials.
- After logging in, go to Quick Setup on the left. Select “Client Mode” (the bottom option) on the subsequent screen. Select “Next” and on the next page, select “Survey” in the middle of the page. I don’t know why the “Survey” button usually doesn’t work for me but I can tell you that it’s sure a pain to try to enter the information manually though it’s possible to do it that way.
-If “Survey” works, simply select your main network that the iPad will be connected to from the list and fill in the password in the last field on the screen.
-If “Survey” doesn’t work, you must enter the SSID, MAC address of AP broadcasting that SSID, Authentication Type, and PassWord (that’s their stylization of that word, not mine). If Survey doesn’t work, you probably have something going on with your network. I can’t really pretend to help here. If this step fails, please don’t continue. - Now click next and a “Congratulations” screen pops up. Usually, there’s a progress bar too. When this is done, it’ll look like everything broke. If on Chrome, you can play the little dinosaur Comcast game now. That’s because the TPLINK is no longer broadcasting that SSID. Instead, it’s now bridged a connection to your local network. This is good. Alternatively, your laptop might try to automatically connect to your regular network. Also acceptable.
- If it didn’t happen automatically, connect to your normal local network again.
- Now let’s get acquainted with an antiquated technology that has changed very little since 1969: Telnet to assign Static IP
- Make sure Telnet is installed. I’m pretty sure it’s not enabled by default. Just search for Telnet in your computer’s search bar/menu (bottom left). If it shows up in your search, it’s installed but don’t open it. Instead, go to the Command Prompt.
-If you don’t see Telnet, you just need to turn on the “feature” from the Programs and Features part of Windows. This is free and doesn’t take very long. - Back to your printer: While the printer is still off, hold down the feed button on the front of the printer. While still holding down the button, turn the printer on by using the power switch on the left side of the unit. Keep holding down the button until two sheets print out. We’re interested in the second sheet.
- In the Command Prompt, type in "telnet xxx.xxx.xx.x (the IP Address from the receipt in the section on the bottom called “Current IP Parameters Status”) (note: the IP address can pretty much look like anything. If you have a lot of meddling nerds, it could deviate quite severely from my example here):
telnet 192.168.27.3 - Press enter and the Command Prompt should return some info about the printer. You need to log into the printer too.
-Username: root
-Password: public - Now we need to assign the printer a Static IP address. These are the steps. All the info you need is on the bottom of the second sheet that printed out. Just pause the video when you need to. http://recordit.co/voC6yXbs0z
- After that’s done, exit the Command Prompt. Unplug the WiFi PowerPack from your computer’s USB port and plug the USB cable into the DK Power Module that came with the PowerPack. Plug the cash drawer cable into the DK Power Module as well. Plug the DK Power Module into the only remaining port on the back of the receipt printer. Do any kind of cable management or PowerPack mounting you see fit.
- After we reserve this IP Address in your router and as long as your wireless network doesn’t change, you will now be able to unplug the printer, plug it in again anywhere withing the reaches of your wireless network, and it will still work. Every device will understand where it is on the network and the days of not being able to see your printer after the power goes out are gone. Because we went through the trouble of both using a WiFi PowerPack and assigning the printer a Static IP, your printer only needs a power source and to be within your wifi’s range to be able to work. Pretty cool.
Recap: So far we’ve installed the receipt printer driver and configuration utility on your computer. We’ve used your computer the set up the WiFi PowerPack and bridge a connection between your network and the printer. We’ve also given the printer a Static IP address. Next, we have to reserve that IP Address in your router. After that, we’ll ensure that your iPad is seeing the device and we’ll test the printing functionality to make sure that everything’s working.
Let’s Knock Out A Couple of TODOs Really Quick:
Goal 1: Initialize Printer on Windows Laptop
- On your computer, search for the Ethernet Setup Utility (may be called something slightly different than that).
- You’ll see a popup that says something to the effect of: “We couldn’t find a USB printer. Do you want to look for a LAN printer?” You’ll click yes.
- The utility will find the device. Click on it and click next. A window pops up and you should tell it to not give you network connection loss errors. Also, give it a better name (like “Receipt Printer” or “Bar” or “Food Prep Area 1”, you get the idea).
- Click next. You’ll be in the actual configuration utility now. Do a test print if you want. Mission Accomplished. Printer is initialized.
Goal 2: Set up printer on iPad
- On your iPad, make sure the iOS Software is completely up to date. (Go to Settings > General > Software Update)
- Now go to the App Store and make sure Vin65’s app is up to date
- Open the Vin65 app and log in
- Open the menu icon the top left of the screen and tap on Device Settings.
- Tap on Reload Printer List
- Tap on the Printer dropdown field
- Select your receipt printer from the list
- It will show up as [Name You Gave It] (MAC Address)
- Ex: Receipt Printer (11:22:33:44:AD:CB)
- If you have a Cash Drawer attached to your printer, check that box
- Tap Save in the bottom right of the window
- If you have a Cash Drawer, follow these same steps for the Cash Drawer field
- Save your settings
- Test: Open the Menu again and tap Print Receipt. Your receipt should print. Printing a receipt this way always has a signature line and a tip line. When you print a receipt at the end of a transaction, neither of those fields will ever be on there.
- Test: Open the Menu and tap Open Cash Drawer. Your cash drawer will open. Also, your Cash Drawer will always open when you tap that button no matter how far away you are from it when you tap it. Think about that for a second.
Goal 3: Reserve the printer’s Static IP in your router
- So far, I’ve tried to give very specific instructions about very specific products. Unfortunately, there are as many routers and configurations thereof as there are varietals and styles of wine. This step is necessary but I can’t give you the exact steps you need to make this happen.
- Check out the Best Solution in this thread. That guy does a pretty good job of explaining the necessary steps to do this.
- Here are the steps if you have one of the new, very cool eero WiFi systems:
- Open the eero app on your phone
- Tap on the hamburger menu icon in the top left corner
- Choose “Network Settings”
- On the bottom of the screen, tap “Advanced settings”
- Once you’re in “Advanced settings,” choose “Reservations & Port Forwarding”
- Proceed to “Add a reservation”
- Select the MAC address of the printer (this is still on that receipt that you printed out earlier, near the top of the page)
- Enter the IP if it’s different from the Static IP you gave it earlier
- Tap Save in the top right of the screen
Guys, we did it!
Here’s the doc on how to configure a Chrome instance on your Windows computer to print in kiosk mode, kiosk printing, etc.
TODO:
- Doing this from a Mac
- Doing this from an iOS device
- ??? (Suggestions?)
Final Disclaimer:
Here’s the deal, guys. This write-up is kind of the extent of our liability when it comes to hardware problems. If something isn’t working quite right, you call should the manufacturers of these devices (and not Vin65 Support). In the near future, I’ll add in the various support numbers for these hardware providers here.