Wired or wireless: what changes in daily use?
The difference lies in power, troubleshooting and the environment. A wired peripheral is often powered through its cable, while a wireless one has a battery to charge. A cable can be tested in thirty seconds by swapping it for another; a radio link is diagnosed by ruling out causes one at a time. Finally, the radio environment depends on the client’s building.
| Criterion | Wired | Wireless |
|---|---|---|
| Power | Often supplied through the cable | A battery to charge and eventually replace |
| Troubleshooting | Immediate test by swapping the cable | Ruling out radio causes one at a time |
| Dependencies | The cable and the port | Pairing, channel, walls, other networks |
| Recurring maintenance | Close to none | Charging, replacement, re-pairing |
Why is a cable the better fit at the counter?
At the counter, devices stay in place. A reader on its stand, a printer mounted under the till and a terminal bolted to the counter do not need to move, so freedom of movement serves no purpose there and the battery becomes one more part that wears out. The MG80 in the catalogue connects over serial, USB or Ethernet, and the SC310 scanner connects over USB.
A wired station also recovers its link as soon as power returns, with no one having to step in. Wireless peripherals sometimes need an employee to switch them back on, pair them again or put a device back on its base in the morning, just before opening.
When is wireless the right choice?
Wireless is the right choice when the transaction, the scan or the alert happens away from the station. That is the case for taking orders on the floor or on a patio, where the DG870GB tablet (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 4G LTE) is useful. It is also the case for stock counts and receiving, where the reader follows the employee down the aisles, and for staff paging. The JCG980 wireless scanner stores scanned codes in memory in inventory mode.
- The trips it saves add up to a measurable gain, in minutes per service.
- The device has a planned charging point that staff can reach during their work.
- The client knows before buying that the battery is a wear part to replace.
How is LRS paging different?
Paging sends an alert and carries no transaction data. The G4POS catalogue covers LRS (Long Range Systems) for three uses: staff paging, guest pagers handed to waiting customers, and call buttons placed on the floor. Choose the system based on the trips you want to save staff or customers.
What should you check on site before committing?
With wireless, the building matters as much as the hardware, and a floor plan is not enough to assess it. A one-hour visit can save a full day of rework. Write down what you observe on site: those notes will help if the client disputes the result later.
- Actual coverage where the device will be used, including the far corners of the room.
- Obstacles: solid walls, walk-in coolers, floors, elevator shafts, mezzanines.
- The networks already in place, including those of neighbouring businesses in a shopping centre.
- Where the charging points will be, and the end-of-shift routine that will keep the devices charged.
Before the installation: