Troubleshoot network connection on Square Terminal
When Square Terminal is properly connected to the internet, you’ll see a network status indicator at the top right corner of the status bar. If your Square Terminal is not accepting online payments or connecting to hardware accessories, you may be experiencing network connectivity issues.
Network connection issues may be related to out of date Square Terminal software or incorrect set up. Learn how to Set up Square Terminal and update software on Square Terminal and Square Register.
This article provides troubleshooting for your Square Terminal to address Wi-Fi or Ethernet network connection issues.
Before you begin troubleshooting
When to troubleshoot
Network connectivity troubleshooting involves steps that include checking your network connection, testing a separate device, and rebooting your hardware. Rebooting your hardware may take a bit of time. If at all possible, try to troubleshoot your Square Terminal after hours. If you must troubleshoot during the workday, try to avoid peak busy hours so your customers will experience few delays.
Troubleshooting requirements
To troubleshoot your Wi-Fi connection, you may need the following:
Your Square account login information (email address and password or device code)
Wi-Fi network name and password
Separate mobile device that can connect to Wi-Fi
To troubleshoot your Ethernet connection, you may need the following:
Your Square account login information (email address and password or device code)
An Ethernet cable
Separate mobile device that has an Ethernet port
Saving data while troubleshooting
Square hardware networking requirements
In most cases, Square hardware is easy to connect to the internet and use straight out of the box. However, if your business has a more complex networking setup, you may want to check Square’s networking requirements to optimize the performance of your Square hardware. Learn how to set up network requirements for Square hardware.
Option 1: Troubleshoot your Wi-Fi connection
- Sign in to the Square POS app on your Square Terminal. You can also check your connection from Square Terminal if you are signed out.
- Tap ≡ More > Settings > Hardware > Network. If you are signed out, tap Change Settings > Network.
- Make sure you see the Wi-Fi status indicator on the top right corner of the status bar and a checkmark next to the network you are trying to connect to. If the network listed is not correct, tap the correct network from the list and enter your Wi-Fi password.
- Toggle Wi-Fi OFF and then back ON.
- Wait a minute or two to see if you see a checkmark next to the network.
- Grab a separate device that can connect to Wi-Fi, like a phone, tablet, or laptop.
- Bring the device close to your Square Terminal and check the Wi-Fi status indicator on the upper right corner of the device.
- The status bar should have 3-4 white bars to indicate a strong signal.
- If your device has a strong signal, but your Square Terminal does not, move on to Step 3.
If your device does not have a strong signal either, consider contacting your internet service provider or network professional.
Option 2: Troubleshoot your Ethernet connection
- Make sure you can see the Ethernet network status indicator on the top right corner of the status bar.
- If you don’t see the Ethernet network status indicator, try unplugging and plugging in the cable from the Ethernet port on the Hub and from the router or modem.
- Grab a separate device that has an Ethernet port, like a laptop.
- Plug the device into your router and check if it connects to the internet.
- If your device connects to the internet, unplug the Ethernet cable and plug it back into your Hub for Square Terminal.
- If you have a Wi-Fi network available, unplug the Ethernet cable from your Hub for Square Terminal and switch to Wi-Fi. Square Terminal will default to using Ethernet connection over Wi-Fi if both are available.
- Sign in to the Square POS app on your Square Terminal. You can also connect to Wi-Fi from Square Terminal if you are signed out.
- Tap ≡ More > Settings > Hardware > Network. If you are signed out, tap Change Settings > Network.
- Toggle Wi-Fi ON.
- Select your Wi-Fi network from the list and sign in with your Wi-Fi password.
If troubleshooting your Ethernet connection does not resolve your issue, proceed through Steps 1-3.
Step 1: Restart your Square Terminal
Try to establish a network connection before restarting your Square Terminal. The steps below require you to restart or factory reset your Square Terminal. Make sure you have the login credentials for your network and your Square Terminal (device code or email address and password).
Press and hold the power button and release as soon as you see the Restart option.
Tap Restart. If you hold the power button down too long and see a black screen with a count-down timer, immediately release the power button before the timer goes to 0. If you don’t, this will Factory Reset your Square Terminal instead of restarting it.
Try to process a payment before moving on to the steps below to send a diagnostic report and factory reset your Square Terminal.
Step 2: Send a diagnostic report
Sending a diagnostic report helps Square further investigate your issue if you cannot resolve it on your own.
Diagnostic reports can take between 2-7 minutes to upload — make sure you have a strong internet connection and your device is powered on during this time.
Sign in to the Square POS app on your Square Terminal.
Tap ≡ More > Support > Troubleshooting.
Tap Upload Support Ledger.
Tap Send Diagnostic Report.
Once you tap Send Diagnostic Report, you can leave the screen and continue using your Square Terminal normally while the report is sent in the background.
Step 3: Factory reset your Square Terminal
The steps below require you to factory reset your Square Terminal. Make sure you have the login credentials for your network and your Square Terminal (device code or email address and password).
Tap ≡ More > Settings > Hardware > General.
Tap About Square Terminal > Factory Reset > Confirm Factory Reset.
Tap Reset one last time. From here the countdown will begin and your Terminal will reset.
You can also Factory Reset your Square Terminal by holding down the power button for 10 seconds until you see a black screen with a count-down timer.
Keep holding down the power button until that timer goes to 0 and the screen says you can release the power button.