Lightspeed Restaurant runs on a dedicated local area network (LAN) created by a router at your business. That network, the Lightspeed network, connects all of your POS hardware. This article explains our network requirements, how to test internet connectivity, key terms you need to know, and related information.

If you're unsure how changing or resetting your network will affect it, consult an IT professional first. Our Support team is limited in how we can help with network hardware purchased outside of Lightspeed.

Network requirements

Your local area network must meet certain internet connectivity, hardware, configuration, security, and other types of requirements for Lightspeed Restaurant. 

Internet connectivity

• Internet speed: 10 Mbps download and 512 Kbps upload speeds are required for each POS device. Select an internet package fast enough to handle the total number of devices you’ll be using, along with any other network activity.
• Wi-Fi strength: Wi-Fi devices must have a Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) above -67 dBm. The closer to 0, the stronger the signal.

Hardware and cabling

Purchasing network hardware directly from Lightspeed allows our Support team to remotely configure and manage your network.

If you choose to manage your own network, our ability to assist with network issues is more limited. You are also responsible for ensuring your network hardware is PCI-compliant and configured to adhere to the PCI DSS.

• Modem: A modem is required to convert the signal from your internet service provider (ISP) into a format your local network can use.
• Router: Set up a dedicated router for Lightspeed Restaurant in a suitable location at your business. If your ISP supplied a router, purchase your own for greater control. 
• Access points: If necessary, install access points to extend the router’s Wi-Fi signal to areas it does not sufficiently cover.
• Network switches: If necessary, install switches to add additional ports for LAN devices, such as certain printers or payment terminals.
• Cabling: Use Cat 5e or better Ethernet cables with RJ45 connectors for all wired network connections. Ensure all RJ45 connectors are terminated according to the TIA/EIA 568B wiring scheme, the prevailing standard in commercial networks.
• Wall ports: Ethernet wall ports must have a direct, uninterrupted connection to your Lightspeed network’s router or to a switch leading back to the router.

Network configuration and access

• Wi-Fi setup: Create a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network using WPA2-Enterprise or WPA-Enterprise encryption. 5 GHz Wi-Fi networks are not compatible with some payment terminals and printers. 
• Devices: Connect all POS devices and hardware to the network created by the Lightspeed Restaurant router.
• DHCP reservations: Set up DHCP reservations in your router for printers, payment terminals, and other POS hardware that's connected to your network. If you are unable to create DHCP reservations, setting a static IP on each piece of hardware is an alternative.
• Network ports: Open networks ports 22, 80, 443, 7373, 8080, 8883, 9140, 8443, 9100, and 9880 to allow devices and hardware to communicate with each other and with Lightspeed’s cloud servers.
• Features to disable: Turn off wireless isolation, access point isolation, client isolation, or any other features that limit the ability of devices on your network to communicate with each other.

Security and compliance

• Firewall: Configure your firewall to allow open communication between your devices and Lightspeed.
• Updates: Regularly update the firmware and signatures of any network security tools, including intrusion detection (IDS) and prevention systems (IPS).
• Domains: Allow network traffic to and from the following domains, which are necessary to enable communication with the Lightspeed Back Office and to process payments through Lightspeed Payments.

  Domains to whitelist
  *.ikentoo.com	*.adyen.com
  *.lightspeed.app	*.adyenpayments.com

iOS / iPadOS settings

Configure the network settings on each iOS or iPadOS device to our recommended standards. This can help prevent potential disruption to certain POS functions.

• Auto-join: Enabled
• Low Data Mode: Disabled
• Private Wi-Fi Address: Disabled
• Limit IP Tracking: Disabled
• Configure DNS: Manual, use 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4

Other considerations

• Ensure there is only one active POS device on your account.
• Apple's networking guide provides additional recommendations for its products.

Testing connectivity

After setting up your network hardware, test your internet speed and RSSI in areas of the restaurant where POS devices will be stationed or roaming.

Test when the restaurant is at full capacity to ensure that every POS device meets our connectivity requirements. More devices and network traffic can reduce speeds, potentially requiring adjustments to your network setup or internet package.

1. Walk to the furthest corner of each service area, including outdoor and patio sections.
2. On a phone or tablet, visit an online speed test and follow the prompts to test your upload and download speeds. You need 10 Mbps or faster for downloads and 512 Kbps or faster for uploads.
3. Use Apple's Airport Utility or a third-party Wi-Fi analyzer app to test your RSSI. The minimum RSSI is -67 dBm, with higher values indicating a stronger Wi-Fi signal. If the RSSI is too weak, add new access points or move existing ones to increase signal coverage.

   • Checking RSSI with Apple's Airport Utility

     • Download Apple's AirPort Utility app on an iOS or iPadOS device.
     • Open the iOS or iPadOS Settings app.  
     • Scroll down on the left side and select AirPort Utility. 
     • Toggle on the Wi-Fi Scanner setting.
       
     • Open the AirPort Utility app. 
     • If prompted, tap OK to allow AirPort Utility to find and connect to devices on your local network. 
     • Tap Wi-Fi Scan in the upper-right corner. 
     • Tap Scan to begin the scan.
     • As nearby Wi-Fi networks begin to appear, search for your network on the list. Look for the RSSI, the signal strength, under the network name.
       
     • When finished, tap Stop to halt the scan. Then, repeat steps 2-4 to toggle off the Wi-Fi Scanner setting.

       Important: Skipping this step and leaving the Wi-Fi scanner active may drain the battery life of your device.

4. Repeat the previous steps to test each other service area.

How devices share data

This section discusses how the Lightspeed network works, including the different types of POS devices and how data moves around. This will help you understand the network activity caused by Lightspeed, which can be useful for managing your system.

Role of active and passive POS devices

Active and passive POS devices serve crucial roles within your network. They operate on OSI Layer 2, which ensures reliable device-to-gateway and device-to-device communication in unicast or broadcast mode.

• Active POS devices function as local servers, store financial transactions, keep track of open orders, and transmit data to the Back Office.
  • Typically only one active POS device is recommended. For optimal performance, connect this device directly to your router using an Ethernet adapter.
  • Before adding more active POS devices, try improving the connection of your existing active device by using Ethernet or moving it closer to the router. One active device with a strong connection will outperform multiple active devices with weaker connections.
  • Active POS devices must remain connected to your network and powered on with the Lightspeed app open during service. If an active device disconnects, other devices running the Restaurant POS app won't be able to function properly.  
• Passive POS devices relay data to an active device, which then sends it to the Back Office. 
  • Use passive devices for any POS devices in your restaurant after your initial active device, especially those that may frequently turn off or disconnect from your network.
  • Passive devices must be connected to the same network as an active device with the Restaurant POS app open.

Flow of data to and from POS devices

Active POS devices

Active POS devices communicate with:

• Active POS devices transmit encrypted blocks of financial data to the Back Office, providing a detailed record of transactions.

• Active POS devices receive sales data and other information from passive devices. The active device then processes the data and sends it to the Back Office.

• Active devices send technical data such as logs, crash reports, and error messages to our servers. This data is used to optimize performance and troubleshoot issues.

• Active devices send and receive data to and from Lightspeed Payments payment terminals to facilitate card payments and refunds. A POS device signals the payment terminal to initiate a transaction, then the terminal communicates with Lightspeed Payments to obtain approval. Active devices also receive error messages from payment terminals when issues arise.

• Active devices send print commands to connected printers and receive error messages if printing fails, ensuring receipt and ticket generation.

• Active devices can interact with third-party software through API, both sending data to and receiving data from these programs. This enables additional features such as inventory management and customer relationship management.

• Active devices communicate with Apple's servers to receive software updates.

Passive POS devices

Passive POS devices communicate with:

• Passive devices relay information to active devices, which then process the data and send it to the Back Office. They depend on active devices to act as intermediaries for information flow.

• Passive devices send and receive data to and from Lightspeed Payments payment terminals to facilitate card payments and refunds. A POS device signals the payment terminal to initiate a transaction, then the terminal communicates with Lightspeed Payments to obtain approval. Active devices also receive error messages from payment terminals when issues arise.

• Passive devices send print commands to connected printers via active devices and receive error messages if printing fails. This ensures proper generation of receipts and tickets, even from non-active devices.

• Passive devices communicate with Apple's servers to receive software updates.

Troubleshooting basics

The first step for any tech troubleshooting is to make sure everything is still plugged in and turned on. As obvious as it may seem, this simple check can save you lots of headaches.

Further steps include:

• Ensure that network cables are not damaged and securely connected at both ends. They should click into place when plugged into devices.
• Look for status and power lights on each device where available. All devices that require power should be connected and switched on.
• If your printers are using the Ethernet connection, they should be plugged into the Ethernet ports on the back of the modem/router - these are usually marked 1, 2, 3, 4. Using ports marked as Internet or WAN will not work.
• Ensure your tablet is on the same network as your printers.
• As a last resort, you can always turn everything off, wait 10 seconds, and then turn everything back on again.

Getting support

Network issues often appear when hardware malfunctions, such as LAN printers failing to print. Lightspeed agents can assist with certain supported networking products, but some issues are beyond our reach. This section outlines how to get support, and our limitations, in more detail.

Contacting our Support team

If you're having network issues, first try some basic troubleshooting steps. Contact our Support team and we'll assess whether your issues are within the scope of how we can support you.

Our Support team can help with:

• Troubleshooting network connectivity for supported hardware
• Troubleshooting Unify, IgniteNet, and Zyxel network hardware purchased from Lightspeed
• Troubleshooting connectivity issues between Lightspeed and payment terminals

Our Support team cannot help with:

• Physically broken hardware
• Any issues (networking or otherwise) for hardware not supported by Lightspeed
• Connectivity issues originating from your internet service provider

If we cannot directly assist, contacting a third party for additional support may be necessary. Depending on the issue, that might mean calling your ISP, the person who installed your network, or the manufacturer of hardware you've bought.

Glossary

Our networking glossary defines key terms used in this article and throughout our help center. Click a toggle to view the terms within that letter group sorted alphabetically from A to Z.

• Access point:
  The network hardware that extends Wi-Fi signal coverage to areas not reached by the main wireless router. Access points typically cover about 100 m² (1000 ft²). Add new access points or move existing ones to increase signal coverage if your RSSI doesn’t meet our internet connectivity requirements.

  Cabling:
  The physical wires and cables used to connect network hardware, typically referring to Ethernet cables in a network setup.

  Cat 5e:
  A category of Ethernet cable capable of supporting speeds up to 1 Gbps. This is the minimum requirement for network cabling in your Lightspeed Restaurant system, but you can also use newer variants like Cat 6.

  dBm:
  Decibel milliwatts, a unit of measurement for RSSI (the Wi-Fi signal strength). Values closer to 0 indicate a stronger signal. Lightspeed Restaurant requires that POS devices maintain an RSSI greater than -67 dBm.

  DHCP:
  Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, a network protocol that automatically assigns IP addresses and other configuration settings to devices on a network. We recommend setting up DHCP reservations for LAN printers and payment terminals to ensure they always receive the same IP address.

  DHCP reservation:
  A router feature that assigns a fixed local IP address to specific devices. This ensures devices always get the same IP from the router, meaning you won’t need to update the IP address in Lightspeed Restaurant after initially entering it. We recommend setting up DHCP reservations for printers, payment terminals, and other hardware peripherals that connect to your network.

  Ethernet:
  A wired networking technology that uses cables to connect devices to a local area network. We recommend using printers and payment terminals with Ethernet connections as they are generally more reliable than wireless technologies.

• Firewall:
  A network security system that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules. Configure your firewall to open specific network ports that allow open communication between your devices and Lightspeed servers.

  Internet:
  The global system of interconnected computer networks that uses standard protocols to connect devices worldwide.

  Internet service provider (ISP):
  A company that provides internet access to subscribers. An ISP connects your local network to the broader internet, enabling Lightspeed Restaurant to communicate with cloud-based services. Consider a business-grade package from your ISP for enhanced reliability and support.

  IP address:
  A string of digits that identifies each computer or device on a network. IP addresses are commonly four numbers separated by periods, (e.g., 192.168.0.101) with the last number changing based on the device. If you set up new LAN hardware in Lightspeed Restaurant using its IP address, you'll need to create a DHCP reservation to ensure it does not change. 

  Kbps:
  Kilobits per second, a measure of data transfer speed. 1,000 Kbps equals 1 Mbps. Lightspeed requires a minimum upload speed of 512 Kbps for each POS device.

  Local area network (LAN):
  A type of network that exists in a physical location, such as your business. POS devices, LAN, and Wi-Fi hardware must connect to the same dedicated LAN you set up for Lightspeed Restaurant.

  MAC address:
  A permanent, physical address assigned to a device’s network interface. It is used to identify the device when it connects to your network. A MAC address is used to set up certain network printers and to create DHCP reservations.

  Mbps:
  Megabits per second, a measure of data transfer speed. 1 Mbps equals 1,000 Kbps. Lightspeed requires a minimum download speed of 10 Mbps for each POS device.

  Modem:
  Network hardware that connects your local network to your internet service provider. It converts the incoming internet signal into a format that your devices can use.

• Network:
  A system of connected computers and devices that can communicate with each other. The most common type of network is the local area network (LAN). 

  Networking:
  The practice of connecting and managing the communication between multiple computing devices.

  OSI Layer 2:
  The network layer that Lightspeed Restaurant operates on and is responsible for reliable data transfer between directly connected devices.

  Ports:
  Can refer to the software channels used for specific types of network traffic or the physical connectors on network hardware for plugging in Ethernet cables.

  POS device:
  Any iPad or iPhone running the Lightspeed Restaurant POS app.

  Power over Ethernet (PoE):
  A technology that allows network cables to carry electrical power, eliminating the need for separate power cables for access points.

  Public or private IP address:
  Public IP addresses are those used on the internet, and private IP addresses are those used within a local network. Your modem receives a public IP address from the ISP, and devices connected to your network receive private IP addresses from your router.

  RJ45:
  A standard type of connector for Ethernet cables. This connector is what you plug into the Ethernet ports on devices like routers, computers, Lightspeed-compatible printers, and payment terminals.

  Router:
  Network hardware that manages the flow of data between your local network and the wider internet.

  RSSI:
  Received Signal Strength Indicator, a measurement of Wi-Fi signal strength for a device, typically expressed in dBm. Test the connectivity of each POS device to ensure it meets our -67dBm minimum RSSI.

• SSID:
  Service Set Identifier, the name given to a Wi-Fi network.

  Static IP address:
  A fixed IP address that is manually assigned to a device and doesn't change, unlike a dynamically assigned IP address. Setting a static IP on a printer or payment terminal is an alternative if you are unable to create DHCP reservations for those devices.

  Switch:
  A device that provides additional Ethernet ports for connecting multiple wired devices to a network, such as certain printers or payment terminals. Use a switch if you need more ports than your router provides for LAN devices, and connect it back to the router for your Lightspeed Restaurant network.

  TIA/EIA 568B:
  A wiring standard for Ethernet cables that specifies the order of wires within RJ45 connectors. Widely used in commercial networks, it ensures proper connectivity by standardizing the arrangement of internal wires. If unsure how to verify wiring, consult a professional installer.

  VLAN:
  Virtual Local Area Network, a method of creating separate networks within a single physical network infrastructure.

  Wall ports:
  Also known as Ethernet jacks, these are network connection points installed in walls or floors for convenient access to the network.

  Whitelist:
  A list of approved items, such as IP addresses and domains, that are allowed access through network security measures. There are a few domains that need to be whitelisted for Lightspeed Restaurant.

  Wi-Fi:
  A wireless networking technology that allows capable devices to connect to a network without physical cables. Wi-Fi signals are broadcast by wireless routers and access points.

  WPA:
  Wi-Fi Protected Access, a security protocol for wireless networks. Use WPA2-Enterprise, WPA2-Personal, WPA-Enterprise, or WPA-Personal encryption for your Lightspeed Restaurant network's security.

  Zyxel:
  A brand of networking hardware sold by Lightspeed and recommended for use with Lightspeed Restaurant.

What's next?