Connecting a New Device

To control and manage a device via the starprinter.online service, it must be connected to a Device Group. Any CloudPRNT compatible device will communicate with the service, provided it has a working internet connection (via Ethernet or wireless LAN) and has been configured to use the correct CloudPRNT URL.

Discover the CloudPRNT URL for your Device Group

Before you can connect a device to the service, you must know the CloudPRNT URL of the Device Group that you intend to connect it to. You can determine the correct URL, by visiting the Device Groups page of the user portal.

This URL will follows the format: https://device.starprinter.online/cloudprnt/{groupPath}, where {groupPath} is the unique path identifier for your group.

Choosing a Polling Time

When configuring a device to connect to a CloudPRNT service, it is necessary to specify a Polling Time setting. This setting determines the maximum amount of time (in seconds) that it can take for a printer to be notified of any print job, and begin printing. Therefore, a lower polling time is generally preferable for the best performance. However, a very short polling time can also put additional load on the Star servers, and is very often not necessary.

A polling interval of 10s is recommended for most use cases, especially remote scenarios such as kitchen order or warehouse picking ticket printing.

Configure a Device using a Web Browser

All current CloudPRNT devices include a web server which allows them to be configured locally using a web browser using the following process:

  1. Connect your printer to the local network and print a self-test page, by powering the printer on with the FEED switch held.
  2. Near the end of the self-test print, you should find the IP address for your printer on the local network.
  3. Using a PC, tablet or smartphone that is connected to the same network at your printer, open a web browser and browser to http://<printer IP> to open the printers built-in configuration interface.
  4. Login to the printer, default credentials are Username: root, Password: public (please change this password if there is any concern over security on the local network)
  5. Open the printers "CloudPRNT" setting page
  6. Set the CloudPRNT service to "Enable", Server URL to the CloudPRNT URL for your Device Group, and Polling time as required.
  7. Click "Submit" and then save changes.

Your printer will then save the settings, and restart. It will attempt to connect with your Device Group, and when connected will print a "Welcome" page.

You can now browse to the Devices page on the user portal to view the status of your device and print to it.

Other Configuration Options

By App

It is also possible to configure mC-Print devices, using the Star "mC-Print Utility" from an Android or iOS based phone/tablet (available in the Google Play, or Apple App stores).

By USB Memory Stick

Devices may also be configured by connecting a USB stick containing the correct configuration files. This can be especially useful for configuring multiple devices at once. Please contact Star for assistance.