Knowledgebase: Networking
Add a Workstation: Network Setup Basics
Posted by Sean W, Last modified by Sean W on 14 May 2020 11:02 AM

Add a Workstation: Network Setup Basics How to setup a computer to run POSitive on an additional workstation
--- ADD A WORKSTATION: NETWORK SETUP BASICS SUMMARY ---


--- WARNINGS AND RESTRICTIONS ---

  • Review the System Requirements to be sure your equipment meets our recommended hardware and software specifications
  • Review the 'POSitive Running Slow' KB article to avoid pitfalls with poor performance issues and protection software incompatibilities
  • Running POSitive products on more than one computer requires a high-speed internal Ethernet network connection
  • Running POSitive products over a high-speed wired network is required for best performance and reliability
  • Running POSitive products over a wireless network is not officially supported due to poor reliability and performance
  • Running POSitive products on Microsoft Windows 'Basic', 'Home', 'Starter' and 'RT' edition operating systems is not a supported method due to various networking and other limitations


NOTE: The 'POSitiveForBusiness' folder referenced throughout this article represents your POSitive installation folder, which may have a different name on your computer or server. Likewise, 'PFB.exe' represents namely our 'POSitive For Business' product. Your product may vary, therefore the name of the executable file will also be accordingly different.



------------------------------
STEP 1: SEAT LICENSING
------------------------------

Be sure that your software license contains the correct quantity of "seats" covering additional workstations. Contact your dealer or POSitive Sales department to purchase additional seats.

How to view the quantity of seats your license covers:
Launch POSitive and click on the Help pull-down menu at the top. Then choose About > Maintenance Plan > Seats

Back to top



------------------------------
STEP 2: STATION MANAGER
------------------------------

Each computer using POSitive is a separate station and needs to be listed in Station Manager with a unique ID number. Each networked computer (station) has it's own unique settings including printer links, hardware attachments, and overall operations.

You must:
a. First create or clone a new station for the networked computer you are adding.
More information can be found by searching in the Help file:
 i. Click on the 'Help' pull-down menu at the top of POSitive and choose 'Help'
 (Problems opening or viewing the help file? See: http://kb.gopositive.com/helpfilefix)
 ii. Click the Search tab
 iii. Enter your search term: i.e. "station"
 iv. Select a topic from the Title list search results: i.e. "Station Manager"
 Navigation: Your Business Setup Options > Station Manager
b. Next, skip to step 3 (POSitive Installation Location) below and complete all of the remaining steps below, then .
c. After you have completed steps 3 through 14 below, login to POSitive. After you login you will be prompted to choose a Station. Choose the station that you created or cloned in step 2a above.
d. Next, proceed with printer assignments and hardware attachment configuration. See our Hardware Support knowledgebase article for more helpful resources.

Back to top



------------------------------
STEP 3: POSitive INSTALLATION LOCATION
------------------------------

Be sure that POSitive is already installed on the computer that will act as a server. It should currently be in its own folder on the drive. For example 'C:\POSitive' and the POSitive files should be installed within this folder (e.g. your POSitive installation path should be something like 'C:\POSitive\POSitiveForBusiness'). The folder name and path should never contain spaces or be too long.

For high volume stores, we recommend that the POSitive installation folder reside on your busiest register computer for the best performance. If this is not already the case, simply exit POSitive and copy the POSitive installation folder over to that computer first, then delete it from the originating computer... Now the new computer will act as the POSitive installation server. For best performance your SQL Server should not reside on the same computer as your busiest register. For more information on our recommended configuration review the System Requirements knowledgebase article:

Back to top



------------------------------
STEP 4: FOLDER SHARING
------------------------------

On the server where POSitive is installed, share the folder one level ABOVE the POSitive installation folder. In this case, you will share the 'C:\POSitive' folder with FULL permissions for 'EVERYONE' on both the Sharing and Security tabs... and be sure to turn Caching OFF. If you are unsure of network sharing and permissions, please contact POSitive support or consult a network technician.

Back to top



------------------------------
STEP 6: SQL SERVER CONFIGURATION
------------------------------

Complete all steps in the SQL Configuration knowledgebase article:
See: http://kb.gopositive.com/sqlconfigtroubleshooting

Back to top



------------------------------
STEP 7: WINDOWS FIREWALL CONFIGURATION
------------------------------

If you are using Windows Firewall then complete all steps in the Configure the Windows Firewall to Allow SQL Server Access knowledgebase article:
See: http://kb.gopositive.com/firewalltroubleshooting

Back to top



------------------------------
STEP 8: NETWORK TYPE
------------------------------

Network type should be set to 'Private' on all workstations
To get the best connectivity, all Windows Setting's 'Network Type' should match the server and be the same on all computers. Also, we recommend that your 'Network Type' in Windows is set to 'Private' on all computers including the server. Acceptable Network Types are 'Private', 'Work', and 'Domain'.


To find out which Network Type your computer is running and change it to 'Private' if applicable
1. Click on the Network icon Network Icon in the System Tray and choose 'Network & Internet Settings'
2. On the Settings page, under Network & Internet on the left, select 'Ethernet'
3. On the right, click the 'Connected' network connection
4. Look under Network Profile
5. Select 'Private' if applicable

(Older versions of Windows 10, for 'Ethernet' Connections with an 'Internet' Access Type, look under 'View your active networks')


NOTE: Running POSitive products over a wireless network is not officially supported due to poor reliability and performance. Learn more in our System Requirements knowledgebase article))


How to change the Network type in older versions of Windows 10

  1. Single-left-click on the Network icon Network Icon in the System Tray and click on Network Settings
  2. Click on your Ethernet Connected Network
  3. Turn on 'Make this PC discoverable'
    If that doesn't work...
    1. Click the Windows Start menu and type "homegroup" and select the HomeGroup option from the search results
    2. Click the 'Change network location' link
    3. Choose 'Yes' to make your PC discoverable
      NNOTE: It is NOT necessary to join or create a HomeGroup if you don't already have one setup. Also, HomeGroup is no longer supported in newer versions of Windows 10.
    4. See video and details
  4. Other methods


How to change the Network Type in Server 2016 using PowerShell:

  1. 'Get-NetConnectionProfile | Set-NetConnectionProfile -NetworkCategory Private'


How to change the Network Type in other versions of Windows



Back to top



------------------------------
STEP 9: DRIVE MAPPING
------------------------------

On each of the workstations, you need to map a drive to that shared 'POSitive' folder on the server. POSitive does NOT support using a UNC path (e.g. '\\SERVER\POSitive'). Don't worry if you don't know what that is. The easiest way to map a network drive is to open 'File Explorer', 'Windows Explorer', 'This Computer', or 'My Computer' and type the server name in the address bar at the top starting with '\\'. (e.g. '\\SEVERNAME\' without quotes). If you typed it correctly, you will see your network shared 'POSitive' folder. Right-click on the 'POSitive' folder and choose 'Map Network Drive'. Choose a drive letter (We usually use Drive letter 'P:' for 'POSitive'). Make sure that 'Reconnect at sign-in' is checked and then click 'Finish'.

Back to top



------------------------------
STEP 10: NETWORK SHORTCUT TARGET
------------------------------

After the drive has been mapped create a shortcut to on the desktop of each workstation for 'PFB.exe' (or 'PRM.exe' if you are using POSitive Retail Manger) which can be located at (e.g.) 'P:\POSitiveForBusiness\PFB.exe',  by opening the POSitive installation folder and finding 'PFB.exe' (You may have 'Hide extensions for known file types' turned on if you cannot find the '.exe' part of the filename. To turn it off, open a new 'File Explorer' windows and click View or Tools and select (Folder) Options. Click the View tab and uncheck the option 'Hide extensions for known file types.' Click OK to close. Close the newly opened File Explorer window). Right-click on PFB.exe and select Send To > Desktop (Create Shortcut).

Back to top



------------------------------
STEP 11: MICROSOFT SQL SERVER 2012 NATIVE CLIENT
------------------------------

Install the SQL Native Client that is distributed with POSitive software onto each workstation. This can be accessed from the mapped network drive that you created above at (e.g.) 'P:\POSitiveForBusiness\Utilities\MSSQL\sqlncli_x64.msi'. If you get an error while installing, then run 'sqlnci.msi' instead.

Back to top



------------------------------
STEP 12: OPPORTUNISTIC LOCKING
------------------------------

Download and run 'REDRTEST.EXE' on each of the machines on your network as an Administrator. This checks your opportunistic locking settings in Windows and changes them to the settings that will allow POSitive to perform the best.

You can download this REDRTEST.EXE utility here:
Download: http://download.gopositive.com/redrtest

1. Right-click on REDRTEST.EXE and choose 'Run as administrator' and choose 'Yes' or 'OK' to the warning screen
2. Place a check next to the option 'Change Registry Settings if Necessary'
3. Click Test
4. Reboot if changes made

Back to top



------------------------------
STEP 13: LOCAL INTRANET ZONE
------------------------------

Add the network server to the Local Intranet Zone. In the Control Panel, under Internet Options > Security tab > Local intranet, click on 'Sites'.

a. Log into Windows and launch the Control Panel
b. Click 'Internet Options'
c. Switch to the 'Security' tab and click the 'Local Intranet' icon
e. Click the 'Sites' button
d. UN-check the top box 'Automatically detect intranet network'
f. Check the bottom 3 boxes and then press 'OK'
g. Press 'OK' again to complete the process

Optional Setting (but not recommended):
Set a Medium-Low security level on your Intranet, which is the default and defined separately from your general security settings... Or set a 'Custom level' under 'Security level for this zone', and in the 'Security Settings - Local Intranet Zone' window > Miscellaneous > change 'Launching applications and unsafe files' to 'Enable'.

Back to top



------------------------------
STEP 14: ADVANCED NETWORKING
------------------------------

For additional networking related recommendations see 'Item 8: Advanced Networking' in our Network Troubleshooting knowledge base article:
See: https://kb.gopositive.com/networktroubleshooting

Back to top



------------------------------
STEP 15: FINAL CONFIGURATION
------------------------------

Complete steps 2.c and 2.d above

 Back to top



------------------------------
STEP 16: WINDOWS AND MICROSOFT UPDATES
------------------------------

Finally, be sure to install and run Microsoft Update (Not just Windows Update) on each workstation. Make sure ALL updates, including Optional updates are installed (install hardware and driver updates at your discretion).

Windows 10:
- Windows Start Search "settings" and choose Settings - Trusted Microsoft Store App
- Choose Update & Security > Windows Update > Advanced Options
- Check the option 'Give me updates for other Microsoft products when I update Windows'
- Close the Settings screen

Instructions for OTHER Windows operating systems:
See: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/306525

Back to top



------------------------------
OTHER: Network Troubleshooting
See: https://kb.gopositive.com/networktroubleshooting
------------------------------

Back to top



Updated 5/14/2020