General Network Troubleshooting Best Practices

Summary

This article outlines a set of general best practices on how to approach a network troubleshooting issue and determine next steps. Your approach may vary depending on the nature of the network problem and the equipment involved.

Table of Contents

1. Identify the Issue
2. Check Physical Connections
3. Rebooting Affected Devices
4. Check Network Connectivity
   • Visual & Environmental Factors
   • General Connectivity
     • Wired
     • Wireless
   • Verify IP Configuration
     • DHCP
     • Static
   • Firewall & Security Settings
   • Analyze Network Traffic (Inc. Speed Test)
5. Escalate

Identify the Issue

Start by gathering information about the problem, clearly defining the problem will help focus your troubleshooting efforts.

Talk to the user or system administrator to understand:

1. Symptoms of the Issue
2. When the issue started, When does it happen?
3. Recent local changes that may introduce an issue

Check Physical Connections

Verify that all physical connections are properly connected and secure. Loose or damaged cables can also cause network connectivity problems, a spare should be used to confirm. Connections you can verify are:

1. Network cables (On payment and network devices)
2. USB Cables
3. Power Connections/Adaptors (POS, Payment devices, network devices, power strips)
4. POS Terminal devices

Reboot Affected Devices

Sometimes, a simple reboot can resolve network issues. Restarting affected devices, including routers, switches, and modems can help clear any temporary glitches or configuration errors.

1. General rule of thumb when restarting hardware devices, please allow at least 30 seconds before reconnecting it to the power source. First try the POS terminal device reboot, then move on to troubleshooting other hardware such as a modem or router if needed.
2. Be sure to fully unplug from the power source, wait 30 seconds, then be sure to plugin all devices and cables securely back to a known good power source and with the proper cables. Also allow adequate time for the devices to properly boot, at least 60 seconds or longer in some cases depending upon your setup.
3. Once you have allowed for modem/router to display the appropriate status lights (Typically, Green = good, red = bad, and flashing indicates activity). The manual that came with your router or modem will have more information regarding what status the lights indicate. Once all devices have been rebooted and status looks good, please re-try.
4. Also try a different power source if you have reason to believe the power source may not be working as expected (Ex: If you had storms in the area recently).
5. This applies to POS terminal devices, modems, routers, and other devices that may be a part of your configuration.

Check Network Connectivity

Network issues can cause a variety of issues and can also be created by numerous factors. If by the end of troubleshooting it is determined that the ISP (Internet Service Provider) could be the root cause or needs to be consulted, the merchant can choose to consult the third party with us on the line or alone to help determine next steps.

Visual & Environmental Factors

Using visual and environmental indicators you can verify if there is a network connectivity issue. Methods would include:

1. Visual: Connectivity indicators on payment devices for Wi-Fi or Physical connections show 'connected' and 'online' 
2. Environmental: Inquire if other devices using the same network are also experiencing connectivity issues, indicating a potential larger issue.

It is important to note:

1. Environmental issues can be tough to track down as a root cause because they can be hidden from plain sight.
2. This can render remote methods of troubleshooting less effective unless someone with a trained eye or ear is able to investigate or speak on behalf of the local infrastructure.
3. This is especially true in the case of intermittent issues.

Fullsteam takes all reported issues seriously, we ask that in the case of intermittent issues all potential environmental factors are taken into consideration.

Fullsteam's industry experience has provided a baseline of confidence to assess the probability a reported issues exists within a local environment versus an implementation, system, or device. We appreciate your partnership when addressing these issues as we know they can be difficult to identify a root cause and solution path. 

General Connectivity

Wired Devices 

1. Attempt to plug the device into a different port - The router has several ports on the back - choose a different one than what you have been using.  
2. Attempt to plug directly into the modem (not through the router)
3. Attempt to plug into a separate switch (if applicable).

Modem (front/back) - These come in various shapes/sizes.

Router Port 

Switch

Wireless Devices

1. Minimum Internet Speed recommendation of 5Mbps
2. Check the network password (passwords are case sensitive)

Password

1. Check to make sure that the password being entered to connect to your network is accurate and complete. 
2. It is important to note that passwords are case sensitive and if not entered exactly as listed will result in the device not being able to connect to your network, resulting in error messages.

Verify IP Configuration

Ensure that IP configurations, such as IP addresses, subnet masks, and default gateways, are correctly set up on the payment device. Incorrect configurations can lead to connectivity problems. The type of payment device will determine the steps needed to verify appropriate network settings based on the local payment infrastructure. 

Note: Fullsteam support will not verify or change settings on merchant owned network equipment only Payment Devices

DHCP

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, enables automatic assignment of IP addresses and network configuration settings to devices on a network.

• DHCP allows devices, such as computers, smartphones, and printers, to connect to a network and obtain the necessary network parameters, including IP address, subnet mask, default gateway, and DNS server addresses, without manual configuration.
• Dynamically allocated IP addresses, simplifies network administration and eliminates the need for manual IP address assignment per device.

Static I.P.

Refers to manually assigned network settings, such as IP address, subnet mask, default gateway, and DNS server addresses, to a device on a network.

• Unlike DHCP or dynamic configuration, where these settings are automatically assigned, a static configuration requires the user or network administrator to manually enter and configure the network parameters on each device.
• The assigned network settings remain fixed unless changed manually, providing a predictable and consistent network setup for the device.

Review Firewall and Security Settings

Network firewalls and security settings can sometimes block network traffic. Review the firewall rules and security configurations to ensure they are not causing the issue. Temporarily disabling the firewall can help determine if it's the cause.

Note: Firewall changes need to be verified or changed by the merchant or their internal IT specialist

TriPOS network connectivity information

1. Allow outbound https port 443 traffic to tripos.vantiv.com
2. Allow TCP/IP traffic to port 9001 of device.tripos.vantiv.com
3. Minimum Internet Speed recommendation of 5Mbps

Analyze Network Traffic

Network monitoring tools can provide insights into network traffic patterns, bandwidth usage, and potential bottlenecks. Analyze the network traffic to identify any abnormalities or patterns that could be impacting network performance such as a speed test. 

• Speedtest.net

Recommended that a location has dedicated 5mbps up and down for their payment devices.

Escalate!

If you've exhausted your troubleshooting efforts and are still unable to resolve the issue, it may be time to seek help and escalate to your immediate supervision. 

These steps provide a general framework for network troubleshooting, but the specific approach may vary depending on the nature of the network problem and the equipment involved.