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Microcom Printers and Wireless Printing

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Microcom printers have the ability to print wirelessly using a Panda Wireless dongle. When the printer is unboxed the dongle can be inserted directly into the USB port and the printer configured to join the network using Wi-Fi.

For security, Wi-Fi printing should be set up on a private, secure network where only administrative staff have access. The speed of ticket printing will largely depend on the network speed. Wi-Fi printing may not be as effective for larger batch printing.

Connecting Microcom Printer to Wi-Fi

  1. Turn the printer Off using the rear panel power switch.
  2. Plug the Wi-Fi dongle into the USB port on the back of the printer.

    The Wi-Fi dongle will not light up.

  3. Turn the printer On.
  4. Press the CONFIG MENU button on the printer display.
  5. Press Next until you see the OPTIONAL PORTS setting and press.
  6. Press the OPTIONAL PORTS button, select the WIFI bullet and click SAVE.
  7. Press Next until you get to the WIFI menu option.
  8. Press the WIFI button.
  9. Press the WIFI JOIN button, choose the JOIN setting, and click Save.

    Use the Next button to continue navigating through the settings.

  10. Press WIFI SSID, enter the name of the wireless network to be joined, and click Save.
  11. Press WIFI PASSPHRASE, enter the wireless network password, and click Save.
  12. Press WIFI DHCP, select ENABLE, and click Save.
  13. Press WIFI PORT, enter 9100, and click Save.
  14. Press WIFI ENCRYPTION, select your Wi-Fi network encryption, and click Save.

The Wi-Fi dongle will light up once it's connected to the network. The printer will take approximately 30 seconds to retrieve a DHCP IP address from the network.

 

If the Microcom printer has previously been connected via an Ethernet cable or an Ethernet cable has been plugged into the printer you will not be able to simply plug the dongle in and configure the Wi-Fi settings. Follow the steps below to complete the wifi setup process.

 

Removing Ethernet Settings Before Using Wi-FI

  1. Turn the printer Off using the rear panel power switch.
  2. Unplug the Wi-Fi dongle and/or Ethernet cable from the printer.
  3. Turn the printer On.
  4. Press the CONFIG MENU button on the printer display.
  5. Press Next until you get to the ETHERNET menu option.
  6. Press the ETHERNET button.
  7. Press the DHCP button, select the DISABLE bullet, and press Save.
  8. Click the Next button to advance to the IP ADDRESS menu.
  9. Click the IP ADDRESS button, change each of the four numbers to 10, and press Save.

    This removes the previously configured IP address from the ethernet connection and moves the settings back to default.

  10. Press EXIT and REBOOT NOW.
  11. Wait until the printer comes back online and you see the PRINT button.
  12. Turn the printer Off.
  13. Plug the Wi-Fi dongle back into the printer.
  14. Turn the printer On.

The printer will take up to 30 seconds to pull an IP address from the network. Use the Print button on the front of the printer to generate a test ticket. The IP address of the printer will appear on the test ticket. Use the Command prompt (Windows) or Terminal (Mac) to Ping the IP address on the ticket. The printer should respond.

Add the printer as a Device to Theatre Manager and set your Hardware Preferences to use the new printer. You should now be able to print to the printer using the Wi-Fi connection.