Failover Network for Point-of-Sale Terminals

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BACKGROUND

POS terminals are used by businesses that sell goods and services at a physical location that accepts card payments. POS terminals depend on a reliable network to operate, an unstable network may cause inconvenience to servicing customers. Although newly designed network infrastructure is becoming increasingly reliable, minimising the risk of having an uninterrupted network is critical to upkeep quality service.

The challenge of deploying a POS terminal network is security and failover systems. The network processes sensitive information which requires top-notch security with on-going updates to maintain the integrity of the implemented security features. In recent years, an increasingly common practice of installing POS terminal networks is to integrate multiple failover systems in terms of network and power for maintaining an uninterrupted network.

Project Requirements

The solution requires installing a network device for the POS terminal that can also provide a guest Wi-Fi network, highly secured for processing sensitive information, includes multiple failover systems, and can be remotely batch managed across multiple deployment locations.

Guest Wi-Fi network

The same network equipment should not only provide network to the POS terminal but also provide internet access to staff members and captive portal for guest networks if needed.

Highly secured

The POS terminal will be processing sensitive payment data. A sophisticated network security system is necessary for protecting transaction data and reducing the risk of cyberattacks.

Failover network

A reliable network is expected to operate seamlessly, the solution should include multiple failover systems to keep the POS terminal operational in case of an interrupted network.

Remote management

A business may be operational in more than one location; a remote access option can simplify network maintenance of a large number of devices by eliminating the need to physically access the device.

TOPOLOGY

Solution

The most suitable device for this scenario is Puli (GL-XE300) - a Wi-Fi router optimised for ultra-high reliability, offering a Wi-Fi speed of 300Mbps at 2.4GHz. It is equipped with a 4G LTE failover network and includes a battery for auxiliary power.

GL-XE300 is suitable for deployment under three POS terminal usage scenarios:

  • Scenario 1: When there is an active internet connection

    GL-XE300 will be deployed in between the POS terminal and an active internet network from a modem or a wall ethernet port to act as both a VPN encryption device for the POS terminal and to provide a backup connection in case the primary internet connection method fails.

  • Scenario 2: When there is no active internet connection

    GL-XE300 will be deployed connecting to the POS terminal via Wi-Fi or an ethernet LAN connection. GL-XE300 will then provide an active internet connection to the POS terminal using its internal 4G LTE module powered by an active Nano SIM card.

  • Scenario 3: Under a portable, temporary location

    In addition to GL-XE300 connecting to the POS terminal and connected to a 4G LTE network, GL-XE300 will be powered by its battery module under a portable environment for approximately seven hours of battery life under continuous usage.

Guest Wi-Fi

Aside from providing a network to the POS terminal, GL-XE300 can also provide Wi-Fi to staff members and a captive portal for guests, configurable in the device’s admin panel. The captive portal is convenient to use, and it can also limit guests’ login time to prevent abuse of data traffic.

Failover cellular network

GL-XE300 is most useful acting as a failover network, it automatically switches to 4G LTE network when the primary connection using ethernet or repeater is interrupted. The device supports both CAT4 and CAT6 and includes an optional 4G LTE antenna for extending connection range and improving wall penetration capabilities.

Backup power

GL-XE300 is equipped with a large-capacity 5000mAh lithium polymer battery as an auxiliary power supply that keeps the POS terminal operational even under power outage scenarios. It has a high energy density while maintaining a lightweight and small size, and also has a long life cycle without a battery memory effect that reduces its lifespan. In addition, the battery supports continuous charging without damaging the battery life, extending the service time before requiring a replacement unit.

Customizable Firmware

GL-XE300 runs on open source OpenWrt operating system, it comes with our user-friendly Imagebuilder application for an easy customization of firmware packages.

Security

GL-XE300 is pre-installed with OpenVPN and WireGuard® supporting 30+ VPN services, it automatically encrypts the POS terminal's transaction data and guest Wi-Fi network traffic before passing to internet service providers. The network runs on the latest version of Internet Protocol IPv6, and it also supports Cloudflare DNS over TLS security protocol, ensuring a secure network.

Remote access and management

GL-XE300 comes with GoodCloud, our remote device management platform. It lets users conveniently import multiple GL-XE300 devices deployed in different locations for remote configuration, monitoring device usage and conducting batch firmware updates.

The device provides the option to remotely access the admin panel for network settings including guest Wi-Fi and captive portal or access the device terminal via web-SSH for in-depth diagnostics and settings configuration.

Recommended Products

Alternate Text
Puli / GL-XE300

4G LTE Wireless Router