Troubleshooting printer issues in Mews POS

This article describes how to resolve common printer issues in Mews POS, including connection failures, configuration problems, and printing errors.

If your printer stops working or fails to connect in Mews POS, POS administrators and F&B managers can work through the relevant section below to restore service.

All Mews POS printing requires the printer and your POS device to be on the same local Wi-Fi or wired network. Printers cannot communicate with Mews POS over mobile data such as 4G or 5G. If you do not meet this requirement, printing fails regardless of any other configuration.

In this article, you can solve the following common printer problems:

My printer is not printing

If a printer that was previously working has stopped printing, work through the steps below.

  1. Check that the printer is powered on and has paper loaded.
  2. Check that the printer is on the same Wi-Fi network as your POS device. Open your router's connected devices list to confirm both are on the same network.
  3. In the Mews POS app, go to Settings > Devices > Printers and tap the printer name.
  4. Tap Print Test Receipt. If the test receipt prints, the connection is working.
  5. If the test receipt does not print, print a self-test sheet from the printer by holding the reset button for approximately three seconds. The self-test sheet displays the printer's current IP address.
  6. In the Mews POS web dashboard, go to Settings > Outlets, select the outlet, then go to Printers. Check the Device address (IP, MAC, device ID) field and compare it with the IP address on the self-test sheet.
  7. If the addresses do not match, update the Device address (IP, MAC, device ID) field to match the self-test sheet.
  8. Restart the printer and retry the test receipt.
ⓘNote: Printers must use a static IP address. If your printer uses DHCP, its IP address changes each time it restarts. Contact your IT team to assign a static IP address to the printer.

My kitchen printer prints all product categories

If your kitchen printer prints tickets for all product categories instead of only the ones you configured, check the outlet printer settings.

  1. In the Mews POS web dashboard, go to Settings > Outlets and click to select the outlet.
  2. Click Edit next to the printer.
  3. Under Categories, confirm that only the correct categories are selected. Hold CTRL (Windows) or CMD (Mac) and click to select multiple categories.
  4. Click Save.
  5. In the Mews POS app, go to Settings and click to select the outlet again to resync the configuration. If the issue persists, clear the app data in your device settings and log in again.
  6. Send a test kitchen order to confirm the category filter is working.

My printer is not found when I try to add it

The most reliable way to add a printer in Mews POS is via the web dashboard. The web dashboard saves printers at the outlet level and syncs them to all devices automatically. You do not need to add the printer again if you log out, reinstall the app, or switch to a different device.

Before you begin, confirm two things: the printer power is ON and connected to the same local network as your POS device, and the printer uses a static IP address. To find the printer's IP address, print a self-test sheet by powering the printer off, then powering it on while holding the Feed button.

  1. Check that both the printer and your POS device share the same subnet. Under Settings > Wi-Fi, note the IP address of your POS device and compare the first three groups of numbers with the IP address on the self-test sheet. They must match — for example, both devices show 192.168.1.X.
  2. In the Mews POS web dashboard, go to Settings > Outlets and select the outlet where you want to use the printer.
  3. Under Printers, click New printer and enter the following details:
    • Name: a label to identify the printer
    • Printer class: your printer brand, such as Epson or Star
    • Printer category: LAN for network printers
    • Model: your exact printer model, such as TM-m30
    • Device address (IP, MAC, device ID): the static IP address from the self-test sheet
  4. Click Save.
  5. In the Mews POS app, go to Settings > Devices > Printers, select the printer, and tap Print Test Receipt to confirm the connection is working.
ⓘNote: For Bluetooth printers, pair the printer with the Android device in the device Bluetooth settings before adding it in the Mews POS app. You can learn how in our help article Bluetooth printer pairing for Mews POS.

I am getting a connection error or error code 1

If the Mews POS audit log shows Failed to print on Epson printer with error code 1, the printer is reachable on the network but the Epson driver is returning a low-level connection error. Follow the steps below to diagnose the issue.

  1. Test whether the printer can print its own self-test page. Power the printer off, then power it on while holding the Feed button. If the printer cannot produce a self-test page, contact your printer vendor for repair or replacement.
  2. Open the printer's web configuration page by entering its IP address into a browser on the same local network. Confirm the printer status shows Online.
  3. Ask your IT team to confirm there are no firewall or VLAN rules blocking traffic between your POS devices and the printer's IP address.
  4. In the Mews POS web dashboard, go to Settings > Outlets, select the outlet, then go to Printers. Confirm the following for the failing printer:
    • Printer class: Epson
    • Printer category: LAN
    • Model: matches your exact Epson model, such as TM-m30 or TM-U220
    • Device address (IP, MAC, device ID): matches the IP address from the self-test sheet
  5. If other printers on the same network work correctly and only this Epson printer fails, the issue is with the printer hardware or its local network configuration. Contact your IT team or printer vendor to investigate.
ⓘNote: For older Epson impact models such as the TM-U220B, incorrect DIP switch settings cause persistent connection errors. Mews recommends consulting the Epson documentation for the correct DIP switch configuration for your model.

Printing does not work on mobile data

Mews POS sends print jobs directly from the Android device to the printer over your local network. When a device uses mobile data, it leaves the property network and cannot reach printers with local IP addresses.

Connect the POS device to your property Wi-Fi network to restore printing. Mews recommends extending Wi-Fi coverage to all areas where staff take orders, including outdoor terraces and remote service areas.

If a network printer is not reachable, you can send guest receipts by email or SMS as an alternative.

Once your printer produces a successful test receipt, your printer resumes printing for orders and receipts across all connected outlets.

 

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