Occasionally, you may encounter issues while processing with Lightspeed Payments. If your Lightspeed Payments terminal has disconnected from your network or is encountering technical issues, here are some troubleshooting steps that you can take to get your business back up and running as quickly as possible.

What's in this guide?

Check for system-wide issues
Checking connectivity issues on your payment terminal
Troubleshooting your network settings
Configuring your payment terminal
Updating your Lightspeed payment terminal
Resetting the configuration of your payment terminal
Replacing the SIM card of your payment terminal

Check for system-wide issues

An external incident may impact portions of Lightspeed Restaurant. Check our status page for updates on the status of all Lightspeed products, including Lightspeed Restaurant and Lightspeed Payments.

Checking connectivity issues on your payment terminal

Many common technical problems are caused by network connectivity issues. Start by checking the connectivity of your Lightspeed Payments terminal.

Ensure your payment terminal is connected to your network and has internet access.

In the case of an internet outage or other network issue, the terminal may be connected to a different network, or your network may have lost its connection entirely.

Ensure your payment terminal is connected to your network and has internet access.

In the case of an internet outage or other network issue, the terminal may be connected to a different network, or your network may have lost its connection entirely.

Check the signal strength on your Lightspeed Payments terminal.

If you notice that your network strength is weak, your terminal may be too far away from your router to receive a reliable signal, or there may be obstructions blocking the signal. Try moving your terminal closer to your router and confirm that your router is not blocked by any obstructions, such as cabinets, mirrors, metal objects, and thick walls or ceilings.

Confirm that your Lightspeed Payments terminal is connected to the same network as the device accessing Lightspeed Restaurant.

Your Lightspeed Payments terminal should be connected to the same network as your Lightspeed Restaurant POS to function properly.

Once you have confirmed that your Lightspeed Payments terminal is connected to your network and you have a reliable connection, check that your payment terminal and the iPad accessing Lightspeed Restaurant are on the same network.

1. On your payment terminal, note the IP address using the steps above.
2. Check the IP address of the iPad connected to Lightspeed Restaurant.
   1. On your iPad, open the Settings app.
   2. Tap Wi-Fi.
   3. Tap on “i” next to your connected Wi-Fi name. 
   4. Take note of the IP address.
3. Compare your terminal IP address and your Restaurant device’s IP address. Verify that the first three sets of numbers match, indicating that your devices are on the same network.

   The last integer in the IP address refers to the host ID of the device itself and should be unique.

   

   For example, the IP addresses 192.168.1.27 and 192.168.1.36 contain matching network IDs, indicating that both devices are connected to the same network. The IP addresses 192.749.1.27 and 192.168.5.9 do not have matching network IDs, indicating they are not connected to the same network.

4. If your terminal and the device accessing Lightspeed Restaurant are not connected to the same network, you will need to connect your devices to the correct and same network.

Troubleshooting your network settings

If you have confirmed that your Lightspeed Payments terminal is connected to the correct network but are still experiencing difficulty connecting or slow processing times, you will need to troubleshoot your network.

Network issues may need to be resolved through your internet service provider. However, there are a few steps you can take to quickly resolve some of the most common issues.

Update the DNS settings of your network

It may be necessary to update your DNS settings on your POS device to create a more secure and reliable connection between your register and your Lightspeed Payments terminal.

1. Open the Settings app on your iOS device.
2. Tap on Wi-Fi.
3. Tap on “i” next to your connected Wi-Fi name. 
   
4. Tap Configure DNS.

   

5. Tap Manual > Add Server.
6. Enter the DNS server address: (9.9.9.9)
7. Tap Save.
8. Restart your terminal and iPad to save your changes.

This changed DNS will keep working even if you temporarily disconnect from this Wi-Fi network and reconnect. But, if you forget this network, it will set the DNS back to its default settings.

Verify the speed and strength of your Wi-Fi network

If you are experiencing slow performance when processing a transaction, there may be an issue with your local network speeds or your wide area network speeds. Testing your connection speeds will allow you to pinpoint the cause of the issue.

Testing your local network connection

In order to test the speed of your local network, a ping test is required. A ping test allows you to see the connection between the devices on your local network and identify any instances where there are drops in connection or slowness that could cause delays in processing transactions.

iNetTools is an app that can be installed on your iPad to perform a ping test. Once installed, follow the steps below to test your POS and terminal connectivity.

1. On your payment terminal, note the IP address using the steps in the section above.
2. Open up iNetTools on the iPad that you use for POS. 
3. Navigate to the Ping section. 
4. Input the IP address of your terminal into the hostname or IP section. 
5. Tap Start. 
6. Let the test run for 10 minutes straight. 
7. Tap the stop button after 10 minutes to view your results.

You'll notice that after you hit start, you'll begin to see lines of text with your terminal IP appear in the iNettools app, this displays the communication between your iPad and your terminal in real time. After the test completes and you get your results you'll want to see that packet loss is at 0% and the responses on average are under 50mb and no greater than 100mb's. You'll also want to see consistency in communication, meaning that the response times are staying within the same range and not spiking up.

If you do see packet loss appearing in the results or notice that the response times are exceeding 100mbs, this may indicate a network issue and consulting a local network tech would be recommended. If at any point you need help interpreting these tests, feel free to reach out to our support team. 

If you want to test your device connection to the wide area network otherwise known as the internet, you can do so by following the steps below:

Testing your internet connection 

To test the speed of your internet connection, open the browser of the iPad used to access Lightspeed Restaurant and use a trusted third-party speed test site, such as the one offered by your Internet service provider.

Run a speed test to check if your connection has any connectivity issues. A 10mbps difference between tests points to issues. Restart your router and speak with your internet service provider if the problem persists.

What to look for:

• Download speeds: 25-30 Mbps is the minimum required speed when using Lightspeed Payments. Keep in mind that if you regularly have multiple devices connected at one time, your speed will be lowered and you may need a higher speed. A slower download speed may lead to connection issues or delays when processing payments.
• Upload speeds: 5 Mbps is the minimum required speed when using Lightspeed Payments. A slower upload speed may lead to delays when processing payments.
• Ping: Ping refers to how long it takes for information to travel between two points. The lower the number the better. A rate of 70 or higher indicates an issue with your network.

Check the consistency of your Wi-Fi network

If your internet speeds match the minimum requirements when testing your network speed and strength, but you are still encountering problems with connectivity, you may be experiencing an inconsistent or overloaded network connection. 

To test the consistency of your network, you can run a packet loss test. Packets are small units of data sent over a network from one source to a specific destination. Packet loss occurs when a network packet fails to reach its expected destination, resulting in information loss. 

To test for packet loss, open the browser of the iPad used to access Lightspeed Restaurant and use a trusted third-party packet loss test site. 

For best results, you will need to run the test for 30 seconds. A shorter test may cause unreliable results. 

What to look for

Any amount of packet loss is indicative of a larger issue on your network. If there is any packet loss you should consider reaching out to your Internet service provider or IT technician.

Configuring your payment terminal

If you need to reassign your payment terminal to a new site location or if your new terminal has not been configured, you can manually add the terminal to your account through the Financial Services tab of your Back Office.

If your payment terminal has already been paired to your site, it will appear in the Financial Services > Terminals. From this page, you can assign, edit, or unassign your payment terminal.

Assigning your payment terminal to your site

By default, when you receive your new payment terminal from Lightspeed, it will already be configured for your account, so all you will need to do is plug it in and pair the terminal. If your payment terminal has not yet been configured, you can add it to your account manually.

1. Ensure your payment terminal has been physically set up and is connected to Wi-Fi.
2. If your payment terminal is not currently assigned to a site, the payment terminal will display a six-digit code. This code will refresh once every five minutes.
3. In the Back Office, navigate to Financial Services > Terminals.
4. Click Add a terminal.
5. Enter the six-digit code currently displayed on the terminal.
6. Click Assign.
   

Your payment terminal must be updated to firmware version 1.94 or greater. If your terminal has not been updated to version 1.94 or later, your terminal will display an error message that reads "Unable to set up. No store assigned. Reach out to the provider of this terminal for assistance." Contact support to configure your payment terminal.

The terminal will refresh and will now appear in the terminal assignment tab. You can now finish pairing your terminal to a location and POS configuration.

Moving a payment terminal between locations

1. In the Back Office, navigate to Financial Services > Terminals.
2. Click on the serial number of the terminal you want to reassign.
3. Under Assigned Location, select the new location you want to assign the terminal to.
4. Click Update.
   

The terminal will refresh and will now appear in the terminal assignment tab. You can now finish pairing your terminal to the new location and POS configuration.

Unassigning a terminal from your site

If you wish to remove a terminal from your site, you can unassign the terminal completely. This fully disconnects the terminal from the site, allowing it to be reassigned to another account later.

1. Navigate to your Back Office. 
2. Select Financial Services > Terminals.
3. Click on the serial number of the terminal you want to unassign.
4. Under Assigned Location, click Unassign terminal.
5. Click Update.
   

Updating your Lightspeed Payments terminal

Your payment terminal receives automatic software updates as new versions become available. It's important to allow these updates, as failing to install them may prevent your terminal from accepting payments.

Best practices for automatic updates

• Leave the terminal powered on and connected to ensure updates are installed at their scheduled time.
• If you unplug the terminal overnight, an update may begin the next time it's powered on.
• You can manually check for updates by rebooting the payment terminal or following the steps below:

Manually updating your payment terminal

Resetting the configuration of your payment terminals

To resolve any syncing or connection issues, you may need to remove the configuration and reset your Lightspeed Payments terminal. This clears the current settings on your payment terminal and you’ll need to reconfigure it afterward.

Replacing the SIM card of your payment terminal

Your payment terminal comes with a SIM card already installed. Do not remove or replace your SIM card unless directed to by the Lightspeed Payments support team.

What’s next?

If you’re still experiencing issues or have additional questions, reach out to our Support team for further assistance.