What to expect when your FasCard location is offline
- Christopher Patac
- Eugene Mitchell
- Steve Marcionetti
Introduction
FasCard and FLEX systems communicate with our secure data center through any assigned Satellite Access Point (SAP) using an available internet connection. This allows always-on access for customers while the system is online.
This guide provides detailed information regarding ways to identify and troubleshoot such a problem, should a service interruption or outage occur.
Am I Online?
Spotting an outage may be one of the first and most immediate activities you will notice in a store, depending on the source and severity of the outage taking place.
The FasCard Admin Site
When accessing the FasCard Admin Site at https://admin.fascard.com with the correct System Maintenance privilege (or Admin privileges), the System Maintenance tab can identify whether any number or all FasCard/FLEX reader(s), kiosk(s) or satellite(s) are offline. This is typically the first place to check, as all transactions and data are passed through our secure data center.
Future Planning
In the event an outage occurs, you can proactively set up alerts to notify you or any authorized personnel of the outage shortly after the event happens.
From the same System Maintenance page, navigate to the System tab, followed by the Alerts sub-tab.
Click the Configure Alerts button, followed by the Add New button.
If any ‘Satellite Offline’ alerts with Disabled status are present, you may also select one of those existing alerts to modify instead.
If adding a new alert, select Satellite Offline from the dropdown selection. Upon doing so, a form will appear to select locations, set time intervals and the email address(es) you would like for the alerts to go to.
Once you have entered what settings you would want to have this alert trigger, click Save.
Local Troubleshooting
So, an outage is taking place. When an employee or authorized individual is on-site at the location, identifying the correct type of service interruption can determine what next steps may follow.
When any or all SAPs are powered on but not showing as ‘Online’ on the FasCard Admin Site:
For touch reader screens or a kiosk screen, a ‘crossed-out globe’ icon will display on the top-right of the display. For legacy first generation readers, a letter 'I' with a down-arrow icon will appear.
This typically signifies that any or all readers may be having difficulty sending or receiving data with any or all SAPs, or SAP(s) may not be receiving an active internet connection (or, in very rare occasions, the FasCard Data Center servers are inaccessible).
When any or all SAPs are powered off or non-responsive:
Any or all readers that may be experiencing a SAP interruption will display a 'No Wi-Fi' icon on the top-right corner of the reader screen or a kiosk screen.
This typically signifies that any or all Satellites may be physically off power or unable to communicate with FasCard/FLEX readers themselves, or that the FasCard/FLEX reader itself cannot reach an available working SAP to receive data.
Live Status Updates for FasCard Services
In the rare, unlikely event that the FasCard Secure Data Center and various services are offline or unresponsive, you may check CCI’s Status page at https://cci.statuspage.io/ for live status updates of CCI systems and subscribe for status updates, in the event that the outage is occurring on CCI’s servers.
What can my location do while offline?
While in an offline state, limited functionality may be present depending on the type of outage that is present at a store location. The most vital component that any FasCard/FLEX location can have during an outage is the Super Card provided with every system.
Super Cards can be obtained directly through CCI, should a Super Card be not available or if spare Super Cards may be necessary.
What is a Super Card?
The Super Card exists as an emergency card swipe for any equipment, whether LaundryCard, FasCard or FLEX systems, and can only be used in emergency situations. Super Cards serve as an override to force any machine with an installed reader to start without any required payment. As Super Cards are intended for emergencies, the system itself safeguards against unauthorized usage of a Super Card when a system is online and operating as normal.
Below are scenarios where Super Card usage would apply.
Satellite Access Point completely offline, Reader(s) Out of Service but Powered Up.
When the Satellite is completely offline and unable to communicate to any FasCard/FLEX reader, if the FasCard reader shows an Out of Service state, coin functionality, loyalty cards, and credit cards will not properly operate. Using machines, at this point, will require a Super Card to start any washers and dryers that still have a FasCard/FLEX reader powered up.
Satellite Access Point completely offline, Reader(s) Display Price with ‘Insert Coin’ shown.
When the Satellite is completely offline and unable to communicate to any FasCard/FLEX reader, if the FasCard reader shows a price and the message ‘Insert Coin’ on the idle screen, any machines with the reader in this state will continue to operate using Coins or a Super Card. Loyalty cards and credit cards will not function while the SAP is completely offline.
Satellite Powered Up But Not Receiving Internet; Reader(s) functioning.
If the Satellite is online and communicating to FasCard/FLEX readers and equipment, but is unable to establish or maintain a connection with our secure data center, limited functionality is present on all connected readers.
When available, Loyalty Card functionality continues to be present as long as the SAP is online and broadcasting to readers, memorizing the last 5,000 card numbers and balance/bonus values. Any transactions that occurred during an outage will, then, be reported to our secure data center once the system is back online.
Credit card functionality can also be made available, albeit with limitations, when the satellite is powered on but not receiving internet. Limited Credit Card functionality requires an Offline Auth Amount to be set in Server Management for allowing a credit card to be used up to a set limit per card for authorization/capture after the system is back online.
What are my next steps?
Whether limited functionality is available or not during an outage, isolating the issue determines which direction to go moving forward to restore your location to an Online and fully operational state.
Verify Satellite Access Point (SAP) Status
Alongside checking the current SAP status on the FasCard Admin Site or you can also verify what state the SAP is in by accessing a FasCard/FLEX reader’s Satellite Status page.
Using an Admin assigned card or employee card with System Maintenance permissions, swipe card on reader.
If neither option is available or accessible, you will need to power cycle the reader itself, whether that involves also power cycling the machine or not. If in the event a power cycle is required:
Three-button first generation readers: Press all three buttons at the same time repeatedly within the first two minutes of a power cycle to access the Maintenance/Diagnostics menus.
Touchscreen readers: Press and hold your finger down any section of the touchscreen within the first two minutes of a power cycle to access the Maintenance/Diagnostics menus.
Navigate to Diagnostics Menu → Show satellite status.
Depending on what displays, you may get one of the following screens:
No Connection to SAP | Limited Internet | Online |
|---|---|---|
On first generation readers, where the “???” fields may show will, instead, display “* No data available *”.
Additionally, SAPs broadcast reader-focused Wi-Fi with a unique name which can be found when searching for a Wi-Fi network on a smart device or computer.
Valid SAP Network | Invalid SAP Network |
|---|---|
In the unlikely scenario that the SAP lost its configuration, whether a legacy device that does not support factory reset, a bad factory reset, a hardware interruption, or other factors, the SAP may need to be replaced.
Verify Active Online Internet Access
Simply connecting to the same network that the SAPs and readers are communicating with our FasCard Data Center and attempting to access multiple random websites (preferably ones not visited or with any cookies/cache/history cleared) and/or web-based services such as streaming or games can confirm whether a location has not experienced internet connection loss.
Restart All Internet Devices
Disconnecting and reconnecting power from any local modem, router(s), and SAPs may alleviate scenarios of internet connection loss.
Disconnect power to any/all modems and/or accessible optical network terminals, router(s) and switch(es).
Reconnect power to the modem first and wait for it to come back online completely.
Reconnect power to all personal network devices (router(s) and/or switch(es)) and wait for these devices to come back online completely.
Once internet services are resumed, you can attempt to reach an outside website to confirm whether access is restored (perform a new Google search to prevent the appearance of cached/stored webpages).
If this did not resolve your internet issue, you will need to contact your Internet Service Provider for more assistance.
Restart Satellite Access Point(s) (SAPs) and/or FasCard/FLEX Readers
Power cycling any SAPs can be performed before or after troubleshooting internet issues, but it is recommended to ensure that internet is fully online and accessible prior to continuing troubleshooting all other hardware.
Disconnect power to any Satellite Access Points.
This is typically provided by means of its included Power over Ethernet (PoE) adapter that provides both power and data over a single ethernet cable to the SAP, or an AC Adapter with traditional Ethernet providing data, but not both types of power sources.
Reconnect power to the Satellite and wait approx. 60 seconds for it to come back online completely.
The Satellite will beep once, then twice more.
Verify Satellite Access Point (SAP) Status. Power cycle at least one reader if necessary; preferably, a reader that would have the least impact to customers in an offline state.
At this point, if any/all SAP(s) and reader(s) are still not functional, you may contact CCI Technical Support for further in-depth assistance.
Conclusion
While FasCard or FLEX system services can be interrupted or experience an outage, it is only temporary. Various tools and options are available, even if simply waiting an outage out (such as an internet outage) is all that can be done, should the need arise.
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