How do I connect a NETUM scanner to POS Version 2?
This document is about NETUM scanners only. If you are not sure which type you have, check the brand name printed on the scanner itself. If yours is a Socket Mobile scanner, nothing on this page will work for it — Socket scanners pair through the Socket Mobile Companion app instead, and are covered in How do I set up my scanner?
The NETUM scanner connects straight to the Prado POS 2 app over Bluetooth — there is no companion app to install.
Each scanner belongs to one iPad. If your store has two registers, you will need a scanner for each; two iPads cannot share one.
Before you start: charge the scanner fully. The first charge matters most, and after that the battery lasts a long time. Use a proper wall plug — the USB ports on old Square bases do not supply enough power.
Step 1 — Check whether the scanner is connected to the iPad
This sounds backwards, but it is the step that saves the most time.
Go to the iPad's Settings → Bluetooth and look at My Devices.
- If you see "NT barcode scanner" listed there — tap the blue ⓘ beside it, then tap Forget This Device. The scanner is currently acting as a keyboard, and while it is connected to the iPad this way, the POS app cannot see it and the next step will not take.
- If it is not listed — nothing to do, carry on.
Step 2 — Put the scanner in Bluetooth BLE mode
Do this even on a brand new scanner.
- On any phone or computer, open NETUM's barcode page: https://doc2.netum.net/NT-1228BL/en/bluetooth
- Turn the scanner on.
- Scan the barcode labeled Bluetooth BLE. There are three barcodes on that page and only this one works — not Bluetooth HID (which is listed first) and not Bluetooth SPP.
Now check it worked: go back to the iPad's Settings → Bluetooth. The scanner should not appear in the list at all. That absence is exactly what you want — a scanner in the right mode talks to the app, not to the iPad.
Step 3 — Pair the scanner to this iPad
- Open the Prado POS 2 app and go to Settings.
- Stay on the General tab and scroll down to Scanner Settings.
- Below the Socket Mobile section you will see NETUM Scanner. It should say No NETUM scanner paired.
- Tap Pair NETUM Scanner. The app will show Searching for a NETUM scanner…
- Now press the scanner's trigger over and over, without stopping, for about 30 seconds. This is the step people miss. The scanner falls asleep very quickly to save battery, and while it is asleep the iPad cannot see it. Pressing the trigger keeps it awake long enough to be found.
- Keep going well past the point it feels silly. It often takes two or three attempts — if the first try does not catch, tap Cancel, tap Pair NETUM Scanner again, and repeat.
If your store has a second scanner, keep it away from the iPad while you are pairing, so you do not accidentally pair the wrong one.
Step 4 — Confirm it is working
Once it pairs, the NETUM Scanner section will show NT scanner LE and ✓ Bound to this terminal.
Scan any barcode. The number should appear under Last Scanned Value just above, in the Scanner Test box.
That is it — the scanner is now tied to this iPad, and it will reconnect on its own when it wakes from sleep or after the app is closed and reopened.
Which name means what
The name the scanner shows tells you immediately whether it is in the right mode.
| Where you see it | Name | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| In POS 2, under NETUM Scanner | NT scanner LE | Correct. This is the mode the app needs. |
| In the iPad's Bluetooth settings | NT barcode scanner | Wrong mode. Go back to Step 1. |
What the status means
| What you see | What it means |
|---|---|
| ● Connected (green) | The scanner is awake and talking to this iPad. |
| ● Sleeping — will reconnect | Normal. The scanner has dozed off to save battery and will wake when you press the trigger. Nothing to fix. |
Charging and battery
The NETUM has no charging light. Nothing lights up while it charges, so a scanner that is charging looks exactly the same as one that is not. If you are used to the Socket Mobile scanners this is the big difference — those have a battery light, and the NETUM does not. Do not judge it by the lights.
- Charge it from a wall outlet, not from a USB port in an old Square base. Those do not put out enough power to charge it.
- From completely dead, allow 2 to 3 hours. An hour is not long enough to tell whether anything is happening.
- The blue light is Bluetooth, not power. It flashes when the scanner is ready to pair and stays solid once it is connected.
- A low battery beeps, it does not light up. Two beeps when you scan means the battery is getting low but the scanner still works. Five beeps means it needs charging before you use it.
To check the battery level: open the NETUM settings page on any phone and scan the barcode labeled Battery Information. This is the NETUM’s version of the battery percentage you would see in the Socket Mobile app. The scanner needs enough charge to scan in the first place, so it will tell you whether a working scanner is running low, but it will not help with one that is completely dead.
If it has been on a wall outlet for three hours and still will not turn on, email support@getprado.com. At that point there is nothing further to check on the scanner itself.
If it is not working
The scanner beeps when I scan, but nothing happens in the app
The beep means the scanner is reading the barcode perfectly well — it just is not connected to this iPad yet. Work through Steps 1 to 3.
It says "Searching for a NETUM scanner…" and never finds it
- Is the scanner listed in the iPad's Settings → Bluetooth? If it is, that is your answer — it is in keyboard mode. Do Step 1, then Step 2.
- Is the scanner charged and switched on?
- Are you pressing the trigger continuously while it searches? A few presses usually is not enough.
- Is this scanner already paired to your other register? A scanner only works with the iPad it is paired to. The second iPad will search forever and never find it — that is working as intended, not a fault. Each register needs its own scanner.
I scanned the BLE barcode but nothing changed
The most likely reason is that the scanner was still connected to the iPad when you scanned it. Do Step 1 first to forget it, then scan the Bluetooth BLE barcode again. Also double-check you scanned the BLE one — Bluetooth HID sits above it on the page and is easy to hit by mistake.
The scanner drops out partway through a shift
If the scanner disconnects during the day and does not come back on its own, logging out of Prado and logging back in will restore it. We know about this one and are still working out why the automatic reconnect does not always catch it — it is not something you have done wrong. If it happens to you, it would help us a lot to know roughly how often, and whether pressing the scanner's trigger alone ever brings it back without the logout.
I do not see a NETUM Scanner section in Settings at all
Your app needs updating. Close the Prado POS 2 app completely and reopen it, then go to Settings — if an Update Available message appears, tap OK and let the app reload.
The scanner will not turn on, and there is no sign it is charging
There is no charging light on the NETUM, so there is nothing to look for — see Charging and battery above. Check that it is on a wall outlet rather than a USB port in a Square base, and give it two to three hours from flat before treating it as broken.
Moving a scanner to a different iPad
A scanner stays with its iPad until you release it.
- On the iPad that currently has it, go to Settings → General → Scanner Settings → NETUM Scanner.
- Tap Un-pair, then confirm.
- On the other iPad, follow Step 3 above.
Need more help? Send us an email at support@getprado.com and we will be happy to assist you!
