• Set power performance to maximum

  (Jul 2011 O/S) Windows Start -> System Tab -> Power -> Advanced -> Set to "Max Performance"

  (Nov 2011 O/S) Windows -> Settings -> System Power -> CPU Power [tab] -> Set to "Max Performance"

• Increase time for auto-shutdown/sleep mode

  (Jul 2011 O/S) Windows Start -> System Tab -> ??? -> Advanced -> Either remove sleep mode or set to 10 to 15 minutes

  (Nov 2011 O/S) Windows -> Settings -> System Power -> Advanced [tab] -> Turn OFF "Turn off device if not used for" or set to the highest minutes.

  • This will stop the scanner from going to sleep and upon waking up, possibly receiving a different IP address.
  • It also allows for faster scanning at the door as the usher does not need to wait for the scanner to wake up and re-connect to the wireless router.
• Set the Scanner to have a fixed IP address

  Theatre Manager counts the number of scanners in use by the IP address of the scanner that it is connecting from. If it is a DHCP and if each time the scanner connects to the network, it is given a new IP address, then you may run out of ticket scanner licenses.

  You can talk with the IT department personnel responsible for issuing IP addresses to determine a range of suitable numbers to assign to the scanners and set the scanner to a fixed IP. This will make connections to the wireless hub faster and allow Theatre Manager to keep track of the various scanners more effectively.

Finally, if you can connect via internet explorer (located in the applications folder on the scanner) on the wireless device to your web site, you should have all the network infrastructure in place to do ticket scanning. This means only the Theatre Manager scanning program needs set up.

Theatre Manager's application for the scanners is preset with the System Entry Password and System Exit Password of "123" (without the quotes). You may change this password and set your own System Entry and System Exit Password.

After you have changed the password(s), ensure you provide the updated password(s) to the required people within your organization> Otherwise they will not be able to access the Theatre Manager scanner application setup utilities.

To change the password(s), you perform the following steps:

You can edit the password files directly on the wireless scanner itself.

To change the password(s), you perform the following steps:

1. Navigate to Windows -> File Explorer -> Applications -> AMS

The files you are looking for are:

• SystemPassword.txt (it contains 123)
• ExitPassword.txt (it contains 123)

Quick tips on scanner connections

• Make sure Wireless is on (it is off by default)

  Windows Start -> Settings -> Connections tab

• Change network from "work" to "internet"

  Windows Start -> Settings -> Connections -> WIFI -> change "work" to "internet"

• Turn Wireless mode "on"

  Windows Start -> Settings -> Connections -> Wireless Manager -> On

• Uncheck the 801.11d checkbox

  This can be accessed from the home screen (or from the AMS setup/wireless/Options screen) by:

  • Clicking on the wifi settings
  • Clicking on the Fusion button on the bottom menu
  • Choosing Options, Regulatory (needs to be set to the country you are in to match your router - usually USA or Canada)
  • uncheck the 801.11d checkbox.

Symptoms

The symptoms seem to be that the first number from the ticket will appear on the scanner, then a small delay, then the second number will appear, then a small delay, then the rest of the numbers. In total, it might take the scanner just over a second to register all the numbers, rather than a fluid slow of digits to the screen.

Solution #1

If this occurs, the MC55 needs version 2.0.0.4A or later of scan wedge software installed. Please download and reinstall as per instructions to put the new software in place. Also, please record any settings you have made to set up the scanner as the re-install process clears all data and settings from the scanner.

Solution #2

Recent versions of Windows Mobile also has spell checking turned on. This has a rather detrimental effect on ticket scanning - as it the scanner tries to spell check and predict each ticket number as it is scanned. Please turn this off.

Only a couple of your scanners appear to be working. The scanners that are not working show the following:

Scanners should be using a fixed IP address. Click here for more information.

Theatre Manager tracks the scanner count by IP Address. If the scanner change their IP address (which they can do if they do not have a fixed IP address) a single scanner could be counted multiple times and your database knows how many scanners you are licensed for. If an IP address changes, then the database says - and now we have a fifth IP address. So somewhere along the line, Scanner #2 got assigned a new IP address.

Second, Stop/Start all the Web Listeners (so they are all off at the same time). This will reset the IP addresses in the log. When you start the scanners again, the new IPs will be registered and the scanner counts will be refreshed. You can also go the to the Web Listener and click the Clear Cache button.

Do not use a DNS Address, use a Static IP Address.

Further on the scanner, is it looking for tickets.YourTheater.com or is it looking for the direct IP address of the Apache machine (192.xxx.xxx.xxx)? Entering the IP of the Apache machine will speed transmission as the scanner will not have to wait for the DNS to resolve. You change this in the scanner setup, and change the address. Click here for the setup page.