Getting started guide
Setting up Lightspeed Payments
PreviousIntroduction to hardware
Learn morePreparing your site for installation
NextFrom printers to cash drawers to payment terminals, selecting the right hardware for your business helps optimize workflows and ensures your business runs smoothly. This article will guide you through the types of hardware available and how to set up hardware with Lightspeed Restaurant.
Available hardware
To ensure an optimal setup for Lightspeed Restaurant, it is important to have the right hardware. In this section, we'll discuss the essential and optional components and show how each piece works together to maximize the system's performance.
Essential hardware
Essential hardware consists of equipment that is crucial for running your restaurant. These are the fundamental tools you'll need for point-of-sale transactions, preparing orders, and managing cash flow. For a complete list of the various devices that you can use, their features, and compatibility details, refer to our Supported Hardware article.
Optional hardware
Optional hardware includes additional peripherals that, while not necessary for daily operations, can enhance your workflow and customer service. These tools provide more functionality, efficiency, and convenience.
Selecting the right hardware
Choosing the right hardware depends on your business and its specific requirements. While purchasing hardware, it's important to be aware of various factors, such as the connectivity options (e.g., LAN vs. Bluetooth), compatibility with your devices, and the specific features of each hardware type.
Connection types
Choosing the right connection types for your hardware is crucial for the efficient operation of Lightspeed Restaurant. Different connections impact performance, reliability, and versatility in unique ways.
LAN (Local Area Network) connection
Recommended
LAN-connected hardware communicates through a wired network via an Ethernet cable. It's known for reliability and speed and is often recommended as the most stable option. By connecting devices through a shared network, they can be used by multiple POS devices throughout your restaurant.
We strongly recommend using printers and payment terminals with a LAN connection to support a sturdy and reliable connection. Should you choose to purchase a Bluetooth or USB printer, be aware that they can only be linked to a single iPad at a time. See our article on Optimizing your network for Lightspeed Restaurant for more suggestions.
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Bluetooth connection
Bluetooth devices connect wirelessly and offer flexibility when it comes to hardware placement. However, the range of Bluetooth is limited, and interference from other devices could affect connection quality.
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Wi-Fi connection
Like Bluetooth, Wi-Fi allows for wireless hardware placement but with a more extended range. It's suitable for larger premises or mobile devices, such as some printers and payment terminals. However, Wi-Fi is susceptible to connection issues due to network congestion or interference.
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USB (Universal Serial Bus) connection
USB-connected hardware is simple to set up and reliable. It's ideal for hardware like receipt printers that are positioned close to the POS. However, USB-connected devices are less flexible insofar as they can only be linked to a single iPad at a time.
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Printer types
In restaurants, thermal and impact dot matrix printers typically serve distinct purposes. Thermal printers utilize heat to produce receipts, resulting in quieter and quicker prints, ideal for front-of-house operations. Impact printers, on the other hand, function by striking an inked ribbon against receipt paper and are not subject to discoloration, which is ideal for kitchen printing.
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Thermal printer |
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Impact Dot Matrix |
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Because thermal and impact printers use different printing methods, printouts from each type will look different. For example, thermal printers print in monochrome, while impact printers use an ink ribbon and often can print in two colors.
iPads and iPhones
The Lightspeed Restaurant POS App is designed to work on Apple iOS, leveraging the touch screen to ensure a user-friendly experience for you and your staff as you take orders. Having multiple devices allows your staff to handle multiple tasks simultaneously, such as taking orders and processing payments.
iOS Device | Benefits | Considerations |
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iPad |
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iPhone / iPod |
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Purchasing hardware
You can purchase supported hardware directly from Lightspeed. Our online stores are customized for each region and only stock items that have been tested and verified by Lightspeed. If you choose to buy your hardware elsewhere, we encourage you to purchase the supported models listed in this article.
- Australia & New Zealand: https://store.lightspeedhq.com.au/
- Europe: https://store.lightspeedhq.nl/
- UK: https://store.lightspeedhq.co.uk/
- North America: https://store.lightspeedhq.ca/
If you have questions, you can contact us.
Setting up your hardware
After you select and purchase your hardware, the next step is to set it up when it arrives. It’s important to prepare your restaurant in advance of your installation so that everything goes smoothly.
Preparing your site
Before installing your hardware, get your business’s venue ready by setting up the required network equipment, running cabling, and making other physical preparations. Learn how to prepare your site in our next Getting started article.
Installing your hardware
You may have hired an on-site professional to set up your hardware, or you might be doing it yourself.
Listed below, we have generic setup guides for each hardware type to help you get started. These guides provide a step-by-step walkthrough to ensure your hardware is correctly set up with the Lightspeed system.
- Barcode scanner setup
- Setting up a receipt printer
- Setting up your physical cash drawers
- Payment terminals
If you already know what model you have, refer to the relevant sections of the Supported Hardware article to find setup instructions for your specific device.