Configure a Windows host for USB and Ethernet

This guide shares a Windows host's internet connection with a PAX terminal over USB, and covers giving the terminal internet over Ethernet. For the overall picture — topology, ports, and the terminal-side setup — start with Connect your terminal to your POS.

Note

The terminal must already be switched to USB-PC (RNDIS reverse) mode. If you haven't done that, follow Configure the terminal for USB in Connect your terminal to your POS first.

Set up the USB (RNDIS) connection

USB tethering (RNDIS) gives a reliable, low-latency link. These steps share your computer's internet connection with the terminal over USB.

Step 1 — Configure your computer

Open the Network Connections window (Start → type View network connections, or Control Panel → Network and Internet → Network and Sharing Center → Change adapter settings). A new connection appears — here, Ethernet 3:

New network connection

Right-click the connection that has internet access, open Properties → Sharing, and share it with the payment terminal connection. Here, NVP_OPT has internet access:

Share internet connection

Select the payment terminal RNDIS connection:

Select RNDIS connection

Open the RNDIS connection's Properties → IPv4 and configure it with the static IP 192.168.42.1, netmask 255.255.255.0. This address is the gateway you set on the terminal during terminal-side setup.

Configure static IP
Terminal connection configured

The terminal now has internet access.

Step 2 — Make internet sharing persistent

Keep the shared connection working after the computer reboots. Open Windows PowerShell with administrative privileges:

Open PowerShell as administrator

Run (this is a single command):

New-ItemProperty -Path HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\SharedAccess -Name EnableRebootPersistConnection -Value 1 -PropertyType dword

Then set the Internet Connection Sharing service to start automatically:

  1. Open Services (Start → Services, or Windows + R → Services.msc).
  2. Open the Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) service.
  3. Set its startup type to Automatic.
Set ICS service to Automatic

Note

For full instructions, see RNDIS — Sharing of internet connection with a payment terminal on Windows 10.pdf in the Attachments at the end of this article.

Set up the Ethernet connection

To give the terminal internet access over Ethernet instead of (or alongside) USB:

  1. Swipe down from the top of the terminal screen and tap the Settings icon.
  2. Enter the password pax9876@@.
  3. Select Network & internet.
  4. Enable Ethernet.

For the most reliable setup, use an Ethernet cable for internet and the USB connection for POS↔terminal messages — this avoids communication issues between the terminal and POS during network problems.

Verify the connection

Once the host is configured, confirm the terminal has internet from the Pay On Site Diagnosis screen — see Verify connectivity in the main guide.

Next steps