Connectivity

PAX A920 / A920 Pro: Wi-Fi will not connect or keeps dropping

What to check when a PAX A920 or A920 Pro cannot join Wi-Fi, loses the connection during the day, or shows Wi-Fi but transactions fail: credentials, coverage, channel conflicts, DHCP versus static IP, and the ping test.

Applies to
PAX A920, A920 Pro
Last reviewed
Oct 26, 2026 by Abdul Rashid

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Exact messages this covers

  • Connect Error
  • DNS Resolve Error
  • Connect Timeout

Check first

  • Does the terminal see the network name in Settings > Wi-Fi?
  • Did it work before? Has the router, ISP or Wi-Fi password changed recently?
  • Does the problem follow the terminal around the premises, or only happen in one spot?
  • Is the network using DHCP or static IP addresses?

Use this when an A920 or A920 Pro will not join Wi-Fi, drops off during the day, or shows Wi-Fi but cannot reach the processor.

Before you start

  • Have the exact SSID and password. Both are case sensitive.
  • Ask whether anything on the network changed (new router, new ISP, new password).
  • Find out whether the network uses DHCP (the usual case) or static IP addresses.

Steps

  1. Open Settings > Wi-Fi, confirm Wi-Fi is on, select the network and re-enter the password. Expected: connected, Wi-Fi icon showing.
  2. Power off the access point and the terminal for about 3 minutes, power on, wait about 2 minutes, then check. Expected: the terminal reconnects.
  3. In the payment application press Function (Func), select Ping, keep www.google.com and press Enter. Expected: Successful. A DNS Resolve Error means the network's DNS is at fault; the ISP needs to look at it.
  4. Static network only: Settings > Wi-Fi > the network > Advanced options > IP settings: Static. Enter IP, gateway, subnet mask and DNS, then Connect. Expected: connected and ping passes.
  5. Move the terminal beside the access point and test again. Expected: if it only works up close, coverage is the problem. Add or move an access point.
  6. For drops with good coverage: change the access point channel to one no nearby network uses, put the access point on an always-on outlet, and keep microwaves away from it. Expected: no more drops.
  7. Ask the ISP or network admin to whitelist the terminal's MAC address on the firewall and confirm the payment app's ports are open. Expected: ping passes and transactions complete.

If that did not work

If ping succeeds but transactions still fail, the problem is in the payment application, host or processor settings. Contact Allstar support with the app name, processor and the exact on-screen message. Do not change host settings yourself.

Sources

Stop and contact support if

  • Ping passes but transactions still fail: the issue is in the payment application, processor or host settings. Contact Allstar support with the app name and processor.
  • The terminal asks for a settings password you do not have: contact Allstar support.
  • Any tamper or security message on screen: stop, contact support.

Contact Allstar support (sales@allstarterminals.com, 888-403-7066) with the model, serial number, payment application, processor and the exact message on screen.

Contact support about this

Notes

  • Sources are PAX Technical Knowledge Base pages (PAX's Confluence site, linked from the pax.us Support menu). They are support notes, not a versioned manual.
  • The Function > Ping path is inside the payment application (PAX describes it for BroadPOS-style apps). Other payment apps may not have it.
  • PAX notes a ping test fails on private networks or some static-IP setups even when the terminal is fine; weigh the result against whether transactions work.
  • Settings may be protected by a password set by the ISO or PAX. Passwords are never printed here.

Sources

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