Squirrel POS Terminal Not Working — First Checks

🚨 IF THIS IS HAPPENING DURING ACTIVE SERVICE, CONTACT SQUIRREL SUPPORT FIRST — DO NOT WAIT FOR A TICKET RESPONSE. Squirrel has dedicated support staff who know their system best and can resolve most POS issues fastest.

Squirrel Support: 1-800-288-8160

📞 IMPORTANT — Caller ID Matters: Squirrel identifies your account by the phone number you're calling from. Each Argus venue is registered with a specific phone number. If you're calling from a cell phone or off-property, you MUST know your venue's registered Squirrel phone number to give to support. Without it, they cannot pull up your account and resolution will be significantly delayed.

After contacting Squirrel, submit an IT ticket so we have a written record and can help with anything network- or infrastructure-related on the Argus side.

This guide is for use during normal operating hours when a Squirrel POS terminal is not working. Most issues fall into a handful of common causes — try the quick checks below before submitting a ticket.

⚠️ Quick Diagnostic: Is It Just This Terminal, Or All of Them?

Before doing anything else, walk over to another POS terminal at the same venue and try to use it.

• ✅ Other terminals are working normally → The problem is just this terminal. Continue to "Single Terminal Troubleshooting" below.
• ❌ No terminals are working at the venue → The back-office server may be down, or the venue's network is down. Skip to "Multiple Terminals Down" below.

This single check tells us 80% of what we need to know. If you submit a ticket, please include the answer.

Single Terminal Troubleshooting

Fixed Terminal (the main station / full POS computer)

Step 1: Check the screen and connections

1. Is the screen on? If completely black, check the power cable at the back of the screen and at the wall.
2. Is there any error message visible? Take a photo with your phone if so.
3. Is the touch screen unresponsive? Try a hard reboot (Step 2).

Step 2: Hard reboot the terminal

1. Press and hold the power button for about 10 seconds until the terminal turns off completely.
2. Wait 30 seconds.
3. Press the power button once to turn it back on.
4. Wait for Squirrel to load — this can take up to 2 minutes.
5. Log in and try a test transaction.

Step 3: Check the cables

If after reboot the terminal isn't connecting to the back-office:

1. Locate the network cable (Ethernet) on the back of the terminal.
2. Make sure it's seated firmly into the network port. Unplug and reseat it.
3. Check that the small LED light next to the network port is lit.

If the LED is off, the network connection is dead — submit a ticket.

iPad Mobility Terminal (handheld unit)

The iPad connects to the back-office Squirrel server using a remote-access app called VNC Remotix. The iPad itself doesn't run Squirrel — it's a window into the back-office system. Most iPad issues come down to network connectivity or the VNC Remotix connection dropping.

Step 1: Check the iPad is on the right network

1. Open the iPad's Settings app.
2. Tap Wi-Fi.
3. The iPad should be connected to the Squirrel POS network (NOT corporate WiFi, NOT guest WiFi). The network name will be specific to your venue.
4. If it's connected to the wrong network, tap the correct one to switch.

Step 2: Force-close and reopen VNC Remotix

1. Swipe up from the bottom of the iPad screen and pause in the middle (or double-tap the home button on older iPads).
2. You'll see app cards. Find the VNC Remotix app card and swipe it up to close it.
3. Tap the VNC Remotix app icon to reopen it.
4. The connection to the back-office Squirrel server should re-establish automatically.

Step 3: Check the iPad battery and charging

1. If the battery is below 20%, plug it in and let it charge for at least 15 minutes before continuing.
2. If the iPad won't turn on at all, plug it in and wait 30 minutes — a fully drained iPad takes time to wake up.

Step 4: Restart the iPad

1. Hold the power button until "slide to power off" appears.
2. Slide to power off, wait 30 seconds.
3. Hold the power button until the Apple logo appears.
4. Once it boots, reconnect to the Squirrel POS network and open the VNC Remotix app.

Back-Office Workstation

Back-office workstations don't run Squirrel locally — they connect to the back-office Squirrel server using an RDP (Remote Desktop) shortcut on the desktop. Once connected via RDP, you access Squirrel Back Office through that remote session.

Step 1: Try the RDP shortcut again

1. Close the current RDP window if it's frozen or showing an error.
2. Look for the Squirrel Back Office RDP shortcut on your desktop (it usually has the Remote Desktop icon — a blue computer monitor).
3. Double-click the shortcut to reconnect.
4. If prompted for credentials, enter them carefully and try again.

Step 2: Standard reboot of your workstation

If the RDP shortcut still won't connect:

1. Close any open programs (save your work first).
2. Click Start → Power → Restart (not shut down).
3. Wait for it to fully boot back up.
4. Try the RDP shortcut again.

Step 3: Check your network connection

1. Open a web browser and try to load any website (e.g., google.com).
2. If you have no internet, that's a broader network issue affecting more than just Squirrel — submit an IT ticket about the network.
3. If you have internet but the RDP shortcut still fails to connect, the back-office Squirrel server may be down. Contact Squirrel Support at 1-800-288-8160 and submit an IT ticket as well.

If RDP keeps failing after these steps, a service on the Squirrel server may need to be restarted — that's a Squirrel Support task.

Multiple Terminals Down

If NO terminals at your venue are working, the issue is likely one of:

• The back-office server is down or has lost its connection
• The venue's network is down
• A Squirrel service has crashed

Steps to try:

1. Check the back-office workstation. Is it on? Are there error messages? Can it access the internet?
2. Check that the network cabinet hasn't been bumped. If you have access, look for a small network switch (usually a black box with blinking lights). Make sure power and network cables are seated.
3. Do NOT power-cycle the back-office server itself without Squirrel direction — this can corrupt open transactions.
4. Call Squirrel Support immediately (1-800-288-8160) if it's during service hours. Submit an IT ticket as well.

Cash Drawer / Receipt Printer Not Working

These attach to the terminal and have a few common issues:

1. Cash drawer doesn't open — usually a connection issue. Check the cable from the printer/terminal to the drawer is plugged in.
2. Receipt printer not printing — check paper, check that the green "online" light on the printer is on. Open and close the paper lid to clear any error states.
3. Printer error light on — there's usually a small printed manual or sticker on the printer indicating what each light means.

If these don't resolve, submit a ticket. Do NOT take printers or cash drawers apart.

Moneris (Credit Card Terminal) Issues

If a credit card transaction is failing, the issue may be the Moneris terminal, not Squirrel.

1. Try the transaction again — sometimes single failures clear on retry.
2. Check that the Moneris terminal display shows it's ready.
3. Try a different Moneris terminal at the same venue if available.
4. If all Moneris terminals are failing, the Moneris service may be down — contact Squirrel Support at 1-800-288-8160 (they can confirm if it's a Moneris-side outage). Submit an IT ticket as well. Accept cash or other payment methods until resolved.

Note: Do not retry the same card multiple times if a transaction was declined — this can result in legitimate customer cards being flagged for fraud.

When to Submit a Ticket

Submit a ticket if:

• You've gone through the steps above and the terminal still doesn't work.
• The back-office server is unreachable.
• A Moneris terminal is failing consistently.
• A printer or cash drawer doesn't respond after a reboot.
• You're seeing a specific error message you don't recognize.

During service hours, contact Squirrel Support first at 1-800-288-8160 — they have the deepest knowledge of their own system. Submit an IT ticket as well so we have a written record and can help with anything network- or infrastructure-related on the Argus side.

Caller ID reminder: Squirrel identifies your account by the phone number you're calling from. If you're calling from a cell phone, know your venue's registered Squirrel phone number to give them.

What to Include in Your Ticket

To help us resolve this quickly, please tell us:

1. Which venue and station? (Examples: "Lakeside Dining — bar terminal," "Maestro's — Server station 2," "Yacht Club — back-office")
2. What type of terminal? Fixed terminal, iPad Mobility, or back-office workstation?
3. Is it just this terminal, or are all terminals at the venue affected?
4. For iPads: what is the asset tag (printed on a sticker on the back)?
5. What exact error message appears, if any? Photo of the screen is ideal.
6. What have you already tried? (Reboot, network check, etc.)
7. Is service active right now? (i.e., are you actively losing transactions?)

Related Articles

• iPad Terminal Frozen or Not Turning On
• WiFi / Network Connection Issues at F&B Venues
• Optimum Control — Common Access and Report Issues

KB-170009 | Created: May 20, 2026