Just wondering if anyone else has experienced Star Printer connection issues since the last couple of updates? Could be an internal thing at my store but thought I would ask the community just in case!
Topic summary
Multiple users report persistent Star Printer connection issues with Shopify POS, particularly affecting TSP143iiiW models. The problems began after recent software updates, with printers frequently disconnecting and showing blue blinking lights.
Root Cause Identified:
- IP address conflicts occur when routers reassign printer IPs to other devices (phones, tablets)
- Network switching on POS devices causes apparent disconnections
- Shopify app connectivity issues requiring full app restarts
Attempted Solutions:
- Isolating printers on dedicated 2.4GHz networks while keeping POS devices on 5GHz
- Setting static IP addresses on both printers and routers
- Creating separate guest networks for non-POS devices
- Ensuring iPads connect to only one configured network
- Completely closing and restarting the Shopify app (not just backgrounding)
Current Status:
- Issues persist despite troubleshooting with both Shopify and Star support
- Some users switched to hardwired Epson printers or Bluetooth models as workarounds
- Multiple participants believe this is a Shopify app bug, noting Star’s own app manages printers without issues
- Shopify staff recommend contacting support for account-specific log analysis, though previous support interactions yielded no resolution
Unresolved: No official fix confirmed; discussion remains open with ongoing frustration.
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You’re not the only one! We too have been having multiple issues with the TSP143iiiW printer. I’m not sure if it’s on the Shopify end or not though as the printer blinks blue when it’s not connected.
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Hi folks,
Please run through the troubleshooting tips listed on our Help Center if you’re having issues with your receipt printer. If issues persist, please contact our support team and this issue can be investigated further by our retail department.
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Hi… I wanted to give an update. Basically, when the printer loses connection it’s likely due to another device (say, somebody’s phone) acquiring the same IP address as what the printer was given. This could happen if the printer is considered “disconnected” by the router OR if the router is powered on or off (i.e. a power loss). In this case, the router will think that IP address is open again and will give it out to the first device asking for connection. This would prevent the printer from reconnecting.
Ok, so going off that theory, I set the printer up on the 2.4g band of the router by itself. I also setup the POS Customer terminal on the 5g band of the router and the POS iPad on the 5g band by themselves. I then made a new Guest Network (most routers made in the last few years have this by default) for 5g and am only allowing phones or other new devices connect to that guest network. No device is allowed to connect to the 2.4g network that the printer is on.
Since doing this new “policy”, the printer has not failed to connect. Granted, when the router is powered on/off I then need to power the printer on/off, but it seems to reconnect after a few seconds of trying without issue. If I do have a problem in the future, I’m going to add a second router that handles the POS devices and let the first router handle all “roaming” devices. Doing this would prevent this problem, but I do think it’s solved for now.
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Doug,
Do you mind telling me which router you use? I am having the same issue (have been for about 9 months). If this works, I’m willing to get a new router. Thanks
Sure… I did not actually buy this new - we inherited it. It seems it’s inexpensive and so far this seems to be working for us. The one caveat that we’ve run into is when the POS terminal (iPad) connects to one of the other networks. Just be sure you select “Forget this Network” for all other networks that the iPad knows about besides the one you want it to connect to. At any rate here’s an Amazon link to the exact router I have:
https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-AC1350-Wireless-Router-Archer/dp/B01K1JJUNW
I also highly recommend you use their Tether app if you get this to set things up.
Let me know and good luck!
So we have all this set up just like this. Our network equipment needed updates so we started that process, then we started having trouble with two of our printers getting frequently disconnected from shopify and we talked shopify and that didn’t seem to be the problem. They suggested talking to Star themselves (the brand of our printers) they said the printers should be on a 2.4g network. So we created that network which is tied into our 5g network and pointed these two printers to that network. We continued with updates and things settled for a week then issues again. The we set these two printers to static IP addresses and that seem to help. One we set earlier then the other and it lasted about a week with no issue but now issues again. The other is starting to show issues.
We have a large store which there are actually two buildings. One building is where all our networking equipment/routers are and there is a register setup in that building (setup includes: ipad, printer, cash drawer, card reader and scanner). The other building is larger and has alot of wifi equipment at each station. There are 3 register setups in that building and one ipad with just a printer connected to it. It’s complicated and has been working just fine until we started these updates. We can’t seem to figure out why we can’t get them to settle down. And it’s not all of them so that’s what stumping us. Any extra advice or info you have to offer is definitely appreciated!
The only suggestion I can make in your situation is to be sure the devices that act as your Registers (iPad, chip reader, customer terminal) are all only configured to connect to ONE network. Sometimes when you have them setup, they are configured for multiple networks in the area, but this will cause problems and make it look like the printer is disconnected when it’s really the terminals.
To make sure your iPad is only configured to connect to your main network (5g, but the same network as your printer that is on 2.4g), go to the Settings section of your iPad and click “Wi-Fi”… then click “Edit” from the Wi-Fi screen (it’s in the upper right). This will show you all of your configured networks (networks you’ve connected to in the past with this particular device). Make sure you ONLY have the one 5G network connection setup there which is the same network as your 2.4G connected printer. If you do this, this will ensure your iPad is only ever going to try to connect to the network that the printer is on.
I’m not sure how to do this same thing with the POS Terminal though. I apologize. Good luck with this and please update again!
One more thought - you said “the other building is larger and has alot of wifi equipment at each station”. If you have all of that wifi connected to the same 2.4g network then this is likely why you’re having the issue. I would recommend getting a router completely dedicated to the printer and POS stuff and don’t allow any other wifi equipment to connect to that additional router. This will create a sub-net for your POS stuff and will essentially shield it from the IP issues I described with our setup. I think you may be having IP issues with either running out of available IP addresses OR your other wifi devices are trying to use the static IP that you setup on your printer.
One thing to note about static IP addresses: You need to setup the static IP on BOTH the printer AND the router. It’s not enough to do just one of them (i.e. the printer). This will make the router reserve that IP address such that it doesn’t give it to another device. That too could be the issue that maybe you don’t have it setup on the router side correctly.
Sorry maybe I should explain a little better. We have two 5g networks. One we use just for our staff and their computers, phones etc. That has a guest network with it for our guest’s also. Then the other is strictly for our register stations and it now has the 2.4g added because we first assumed that was the issue with two of our printers. One of these printers (currently giving us trouble) is in the building with the main routers themselves and have been since the beginning with no issue. It also has an access point there just for extra umph, i guess you could say. The other printers in the larger building are spread out. One (currently giving us trouble) is in a room with an access point. And then the next area has an access point and a switch. That printer has not been giving us any trouble. In all these areas the access points and the switch have been updated recently and that is when the issues started. We have two other printers, one with a register station setup and one with just an ipad. The area where these are has an access point and a switch and these have not been fully updated yet and we have not seen any trouble with them. They are all set up the same way where the ipads connect to the network for just our registers and all of them always have. We do know the printers will not work if by chance somehow the ipads get connected to the regular employee network and all we have to do is point it back to the registers network and the printer is back (doesn’t happen too often though). So part of my confusion is could it be this update? Another part of my confusion is that I just tested one printer this morning, it shows up in the correct network and shows the static IP we have given it on the router and the printer’s light is steady and I can print out a configuration from the printer showing its IP address and network. All that is good. When I do a continuous ping on that printer it gives me an unreachable response, time outs and then maybe it finds it a few times. Most of that time it timed out, but I could tell when the ping found it a few times and noticed that it showed connected in shopify, but then I could see when it timed out it disconnected in shopify. This was in the morning when there was no traffic here at all and I even pinged the other printers including the other one that has been giving us trouble and they all pinged just fine. Sorry for the long explanation, but I am an amateur at all of this and have just been working with our IT person throughout this mess and we both are just getting frustrated and we are looking at just getting wired printers. I feel like it could be these updates but even more confusion is there is still a printer that has not had an issue even with the updates. Thank you so much for taking the time to read all my mess and try to provide help. It is very much appreciated. In regards to your response about editing the networks that show up on our ipads, if I get rid of them can they still be connected again if needed? Thanks again!
Hi… I wanted to give yet another update. We JUST saw an issue where the Shopify App was the problem. The printer wasn’t responding so I tried some of the other things I’ve mentioned here to no avail. Once I killed the Shopify app and restarted it (i.e. don’t just leave it running in the background - end the app all together), the printer re-connected.
Now, considering we have had issues with the printer, POS customer terminal AND the hand scanner this seems to be 100% a Shopify App connectivity problem that needs to be resolved.
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Hey, @carriec228 & @DougInOr .
Thank you both for following up with the additional context.
If you’ve performed all of the troubleshooting for the receipt printers and the problem continues to persist, then we will need to access your accounts in order to check the logs and resolve the issues. While we’re unable to provide account-specific support via the Shopify Community, we’d be happy to continue assisting you through live chats. Please visit the Shopify Help Center and login to your account to create a support request.
If you have any other questions on this topic, then don’t hesitate to let us know.
Do you mean deleting the app and reinstalling? We constantly will swipe out of the app and go back in because of stupid POS issues, but I had not yet deleted the app or reset it or anything I usually wait for Shopify staff to tell me if I should try a reset. I kind of thought that if it was a Shopify issue I would eventually see an update and then notice a difference. I talked to Shopify a couple times throughout and they basically had no resolution and just turned me to Star for help or that it was a network issue. But honestly we have been so fed up that we actually just bought two Epson printers that can be hard wired.
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So has this been a Shopify issue? I have already talked to Shopify and they helped me go through the troubleshooting and I am still having issues. They never said anything about accessing my account. I would be happy to let someone check logs if that is still an option. We did get fed up and bought two new Epson printers that can be hard wired, we just were not getting anywhere with anyone so we were not sure if it was just our internal wifi updates we had to make to our equipment that has affected these printers connections to the wifi.
I just mean swiping out of it. I used “kill” just to say completely swipe out of it, don’t just send it to the background. Uninstalling is more than what I had to do. Let me know how the Epson route goes for you. As a software developer myself, I feel this is definitely a Shopify app problem. I’m guessing the hard-wired Epson route will resolve the issue, but that may be a whole new ball of wax as well.
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Yes we have. Still researching a solution.
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After a few months and speaking with Shopify and Star I never got a solution. Luckily our owner just decided we were fed up with it and purchased all Bluetooth printers. Which I honestly still don’t like but at least they are staying connected for now! I hope you can get something figured out and if so please reply back!
We have had lots of problems too - and we have 2x Star printers different versions which both don´t appear… so it´s not just you
YES. It’s horrible! I just posted separately before I saw this.
It is 100% a Shopify app problem. The star micronics app manages the printer fine. SHOPIFY YOU HAVE A BUG IN YOUR APP.
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