topic Toast Handheld and Kitchen Printers in Restaurant Operations

Toast Handheld and Kitchen Printers

MaryRopes — Tue, 14 May 2024 19:15:25 GMT

We've been using the Toast system with one location and a kitchen printer. We got the toast handheld to use at outside events and in our outdoor space. Do we need a separate printer for this handheld? It says the handheld and printer need to be on the same wifi network - but we were told not to use wifi with the in-house system, so we are on ethernet. I put them on the wifi, however, our kitchen printer shows as being offline, so neither the handheld nor the in-house system will print. Once I toggle back to ethernet, the kitchen printer works. Obviously, we cannot use an ethernet cord with the handheld outdoors. So do I need a separate printer for just the handhelds?

Re: Toast Handheld and Kitchen Printers

rcmck — Tue, 14 May 2024 19:28:48 GMT

Wifi and Ethernet connections are the same network, you use the handheld on wifi and it will still print to kitchen as long as it is on the right wifi network usually restaurantname_toast

Re: Toast Handheld and Kitchen Printers

MaryRopes — Wed, 15 May 2024 16:50:33 GMT

thanks for helping out - we are connected to the same wi-fi - the printer is working from the kiosk but on the handheld it says it's off line. I can't get it to even find the printer.

Re: Toast Handheld and Kitchen Printers

rcmck — Wed, 15 May 2024 17:20:18 GMT

Could you share a picture of the wifi settings on the handheld?

Re: Toast Handheld and Kitchen Printers

MaryRopes — Wed, 15 May 2024 18:18:14 GMT

Re: Toast Handheld and Kitchen Printers

rcmck — Wed, 15 May 2024 18:52:18 GMT

Ok that looks like a Wi-Fi network from your ISP possibly, are you self managed as far as the network? If not do you know which toast provided router you have? Do you have a separate wireless access point?

Here is a list of routers

https://central.toasttab.com/s/article/Setting-Up-Your-Network-Meraki-Router

Re: Toast Handheld and Kitchen Printers

MaryRopes — Wed, 15 May 2024 19:30:14 GMT

thanks for responding - I put screen shots of the meraki router and the modem we have - Comcast is our ISP.

Re: Toast Handheld and Kitchen Printers

rcmck — Wed, 15 May 2024 19:53:08 GMT

Okay, and you do not see any other wifi networks when you go to wifi settings on the handheld or even a phone wouldpick them up, should be named your-restaurant-name_secured and your-restaurant-name_toast. Do you have an external access point on a wall or ceiling that looks like this?

Re: Toast Handheld and Kitchen Printers

MaryRopes — Wed, 15 May 2024 19:57:19 GMT

I'll check - may not be able until tomorrow - but I don't recall ever seeing a restaurant name site - and we don't have this item you have in the picture - BTW what is it?

Re: Toast Handheld and Kitchen Printers

rcmck — Wed, 15 May 2024 20:50:05 GMT

It's just a wireless access point used in Larger buildings were the built-in wifi of the router is not enough.

Re: Toast Handheld and Kitchen Printers

MaryRopes — Wed, 15 May 2024 21:16:34 GMT

got it - we don't need that - the restaurant is in a house - and the property is probably 25X100 feet.

Re: Toast Handheld and Kitchen Printers

rcmck — Wed, 15 May 2024 21:54:31 GMT

Okay, if you don't see the toast wifi networks tomorrow you could try a simple reboot of toast router, if they still don't show up you we need to contact support, nothing you can do with the router itself other than unplugging it.

Re: Toast Handheld and Kitchen Printers

au79teahouse — Wed, 15 May 2024 22:42:32 GMT

Most likely you will need it in order for your handheld to work properly. The CBR2-T router is provided by you ISP not Toast and your toast devices will not work properly when connected to wireless network by that router unless your have a self-managed network. This is why when you switch your terminal to wifi, tickets don't print because your terminal and printers are not on the same network.

https://www.toasttab.com/customers/shop/product/01tC0000004j7TwIAI

Re: Toast Handheld and Kitchen Printers

rcmck — Thu, 16 May 2024 01:32:07 GMT

I think they were referring to not needing the extra access point in addition to the buiit in wifi.

Re: Toast Handheld and Kitchen Printers

au79teahouse — Thu, 16 May 2024 04:45:11 GMT

I could be wrong but I don't see a device that has built-in wifi other than the comcast router. I assume they don't have an Ubiquiti wireless AP that causes tickets not sent to printer when both their terminal and handheld are connected to their ISP wifi. But it works when terminal is connected to network through Ethernet. I guess we will find out tomorrow.

Re: Toast Handheld and Kitchen Printers

MaryRopes — Thu, 16 May 2024 11:23:54 GMT

I don't have the ubiquiti - actually not sure what that is. I saw in this diagram on the setup a 'toast network switch' we don't have that either. when we first installed the hardware, we couldn't get the printer to work - we just have the kiosk and the kitchen printer - and we were told to plug the printer into the kiosk directly - the printer did work then. I wonder since the printer is directly connected to the kiosk, if that it what is causing the handheld to see it as being offline - if that's the case - any idea on how to fix or do I need to get this switch?

Re: Toast Handheld and Kitchen Printers

rcmck — Thu, 16 May 2024 17:15:14 GMT

Switch is not necessary, that's if you have more devices than the router has ports. You just need Wi-Fi from the toast router to get the handheld to work and to be able to see any printers on the network, as far as I know the Z3 has wireless built in an the access point is not needed either, if you are not seeing the toast wireless networks I would try a reboot or contacting support and let them know you don't have Wi-Fi from your router.

Re: Toast Handheld and Kitchen Printers

MaryRopes — Thu, 16 May 2024 19:36:28 GMT

I can't find my response from this morning - but I saw someone's comment come across today - I do need the ubiquiti device - to have the printer connect to that and then the handheld will work - can't thank you guys enough for your help on this !! great community help!

Re: Toast Handheld and Kitchen Printers

rcmck — Thu, 16 May 2024 19:41:23 GMT

Did support tell you that you need the ubiquiti device to have Wi-Fi? I don't have any experience with the newer routers just the much older one, but I thought they still had the Wi-Fi built into that model at least. Just curious in case this comes up again in the future.

Re: Toast Handheld and Kitchen Printers

au79teahouse — Sun, 19 May 2024 05:06:09 GMT

It is interesting that I had exact the same model of meraki router. I was told it is just a switch when we first signed up. I am shocked when you mentioned that it has a built-in WAN. It doesn't seem to have WAN unless it was turned off before it was shipped out.