Printer troubleshooting: Network, PAD, and routing issues

Ticket printers are essential for communication between the front and back of house. If a printer stops working, orders may not print correctly, and service can be delayed.

Use this article to troubleshoot common ticket printer issues and identify whether the issue is related to:

• Network
• Printer hardware
• PAD connection
• Item routing

Check the network

Confirm that the restaurant's network is working and that all PADs are connected to the correct Wi-Fi network.

Check the physical printer

1. Confirm that the printer is plugged in and turned on

2. Confirm that the Ethernet cable is securely connected to the back of the printer. Ethernet cables, such as Cat5 or Cat6 cables, look similar to phone cables but have a wider connector

    

   The Ethernet port is located on the back or bottom of the printer

3. Confirm that the other end of the Ethernet cable is securely connected to the wall or network port

4. On Epson TM30 printers, check the two blue indicator lights. The left light indicates that the printer has power, while the other indicates an active network connection

    

Check the printer lights

Select the option that matches the lights on the printer:

• Front and rear lights are on
• No front or rear lights

• Front lights are on, but rear lights are off

   

Front and rear lights are on

Are any paper or error lights on?

No front or rear lights

1. Confirm that the printer's power and Ethernet cables are securely connected
2. If the front lights turn on but the rear lights remain off, follow the steps under Front lights are on, but rear lights are off
3. If there are still no lights, connect the printer at a known working printer station using the working station's cables
4. If the printer still does not power on, contact Tabit Support for further assistance

Front lights are on, but rear lights are off

1. Confirm that the Ethernet cable is securely connected to both the printer and the wall or network port
2. If the rear lights remain off, connect the printer at a known working printer station using the working station's cables
3. If the printer connects and prints at the working station, connect the working printer to the original printer station
4. If the working printer also has no rear lights at the original station, the issue is likely related to the network connection or Ethernet cable. Contact the site's network provider or replace the Ethernet cable
5. If the original printer does not work at the known working station, contact Tabit Support for further assistance

Check the PAD connection

If the printer has power and is connected to the network, check its connection from the PAD.

1. On the PAD, go to Operations in the top-right corner

    

2. Select Printers > Setup Printers

    

3. Review the list of printers configured for the restaurant

   The indicator next to each printer shows its current connection status:

   • Red: The printer is offline. It may be turned off or disconnected from the network
   • Green: The printer is online and connected to the network

    

4. If the printer status is green, select the Print icon to perform a test print

    

Check item routing

If the printers are online and working but specific items are not printing, check the Item Routing configuration in Tabit Office.

Follow the steps below to confirm the item's printer routing:

1. In Tabit Office, go to Menu > Items, search, and select the item you want to route

2. Then, select the Edit icon next to Routing

     Items are automatically routed based on their assigned category. For example, if the "Burgers" category is routed to the grill kitchen station, any item created under this category will automatically be sent to the grill station

   

3. Check the boxes of the relevant kitchen queue(s) you would like to route the item to

   

4. Select Publish to o update the changes

    

5. On the PAD, long press Refresh all data to download and apply the changes

    

6. Confirm that the item now prints to the correct printer or printers