Best practice guide for network setup

Hardware, connection speed and Access Point (AP) placement play a critical role in a network. When setting up your network, follow the tips below to reduce connectivity issues for the most reliable experience.

Network Setup Basics

Begin here with the most basic network setup recommendations:

1. Use your own dedicated router and internet connection:
   1. Your payment terminals should be connected to their own secure SSID, not shared with other devices
   2. If you offer Wi-Fi to customers, create a separate guest SSID
2. Make sure you have a strong enough internet connection:
   1. For a dedicated service (not shared) we recommend a minimum upload and download speed of 1Mbps and a latency/ping of under 60-80ms.
   2. For a shared connection we would recommend separation via secure SSID and a minimum upload and download of 5Mbps if shared with general operational services g. a back-office PC
   3. For sites where they additionally offer guest Wi-Fi, we would recommend a minimum of 10Mbps with a dedicated bandwidth of 1Mbps for the payment service
3. Always give device the most direct connection to your router:
   1. A connection directly into the router via an ethernet cable will always give the greatest level of performance and reliability (suitable for counter-top devices only)
4. The SSID / Name of the WIFI network will need to be visible and not hidden.

For ethernet devices, use a longer CAT-5 cable rather than using extenders.

1. Wireless devices are more susceptible to interference from the environment and potential external interference from other 3rd party services

Common issues for reliable Wi-Fi include reflective surfaces (mirrors/glass, low ceiling, internal walls, poor placement of wireless AP’s and signal overlap from adjacent Wi-Fi networks)

4. Contact a professional services provider if you need help setting up your network:
   1. Since every network is unique, there is no universal setup Contact an IT professional or your internet provider for help setting up your router and AP’s
   2. Ensure you provider is allowing traffic in/out over ports 11183 & 11186
   3. Wifi: 802.11 b/g/n , 2.4Ghz

Hardware and Connection Speed

Wireless AP Placement

The AP’s physical location affects the strength of the Wi-Fi connection. Poor placement leads to a poor network connection which can cause credit card processing issues, delays in response time from the payment gateway amongst other issues

Open and Elevated

Set up the AP in an open area central to where your customers are located, because of how Wi-FI signals travel, its best to elevate the device, don’t put them under a counter or in a cupboard or in any other enclosed location

Avoid Obstructions

Make sure there are no major barriers obstructing the line of sight between your payment terminal and the Wi-Fi AP, this includes brick/concrete walls, metal furniture, or any large objects between the two devices.

Avoid Sources of interference

Any device emitting a wireless signal can potentially interfere with your network, setup the wireless AP a few feet away from cordless phones, microwaves, wireless cameras, and other such devices.

Distance Away

A network’s range can vary depending on the AP in use and the environment, setup of the AP with 30 feet of your prime trading areas and signal quality of between -40 and -60dBm is recommended, where necessary additional AP/s should be installed to ensure that your wireless network has sufficient coverage across the entire site.