Steps
- Plan your tills. Pick one Windows PC that stays on during trading as the server till. Every other till, tablet or handheld will be a client.
- Open Database Settings. On each device, open the drawer, tap Admin, go to Tools and tap Server / Client Mode. The Database Settings screen shows the current Database Mode.
- Set up the server. On the Windows PC, choose Server and tap Save Settings. Note the address and access token it shows.
- Connect each client. On each other till, choose Client, enter the server address, port and access token, tap Test Connection, then Save Settings.
- Lock it down. When every till has joined, tap Lock Down Now on the server so only tills with the token can connect.
- Check it works. Hold an order on one till and resume it on another, or open a table on one and see it busy on the other.
The three modes
Standalone uses only the device's own database and suits a single till. Server shares this device's database with other tills on the same network and is available on Windows with the Pro plan. Client connects this device to the server till and works on any platform with the Pro plan.
The server till finds itself on the network automatically and restarts its database service when the PC boots, so clients reconnect after a power cut without anyone re-entering settings.
What is shared
Client tills write their sales into the server's database, so the server is the one place that holds the day's orders. Held orders, the floor plan and table status, and the kitchen display are shared, so a waiter can start an order on a tablet and the counter can take payment for it.
- Needs the Pro plan
- Server till must be a Windows PC
- All tills on the same local network
- Each client needs the server's access token
Frequently asked questions
Does Server / Client Mode need internet?
The tills talk to each other over your local network, so held orders, tables and the kitchen display keep working between tills when the internet drops. The server still uploads sales to the cloud back office when the connection returns.
Can a Mac or iPad be the server?
No. The server till must run SeroPOS on Windows. Macs, iPads, Android tablets and phones can all be clients.
What happens if the server PC is switched off?
Client tills cannot reach the shared database and show Server is Offline at sign-in. Keep the server PC on and plugged in during trading, ideally on a small UPS, and switch it on before the clients.