Quick check: Is this a Toast outage?
Before troubleshooting your equipment, open the Toast status page and check for an active incident. If a Toast service disruption is in progress, do not unplug, restart, or reset any of your equipment. Service will return automatically when the outage is resolved, and restarting equipment during an outage can cause printing issues and stranded payments.
Overview steps
This is the quickest fix that resolves the most common scenario — a loose cable or a Wi-Fi setting in the wrong state.
Required: physical access to the affected device, the Toast router, and any printers, switches, or access points in the cable path. No Toast Web permissions are needed.
Confirm every Ethernet cable is firmly seated at both ends, including cables that run between printers, switches, access points, and the router.
On a hardwired device (Toast Flex terminal or KDS device), swipe down from the top of the screen and confirm Wi-Fi is disabled. These devices should not use Wi-Fi.
On a Toast Go® 2 handheld, swipe down from the top of the screen and confirm Wi-Fi is enabled and connected to your secured Toast network.
Read the status light on the Pronto or Meraki router to determine if it is receiving internet.
Confirm the cable between your internet service provider (ISP) modem and the WAN 1 or Internet port on the Toast router is fully seated and clicks into place.
If the ISP modem itself shows no internet light, contact your ISP. An internet connection in Toast cannot be re-established until your ISP is back online.
If your devices are still offline after these checks, use the .
Decision tree by banner
Read the yellow banner at the top of the affected device's screen. The exact wording tells you which branch to follow.
Banner you see
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What it means
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Branch to follow
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No internet connection. You can keep taking orders and payments, but this device needs to reconnect to be fully operational.
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Most or all devices have lost internet. The router or ISP is the most likely cause.
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No network connection.
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A single device or a small group of devices has lost connection to your local network. The router itself is most likely fine.
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Toast service disruption.
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Toast is experiencing an outage.
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Check the Toast status page; do not restart equipment.
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Oops, something happened when trying to contact Toast. Please try again.
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Temporary connectivity issue.
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Wait 30 seconds and retry; if it persists, follow "No internet connection".
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"No internet connection" — most or all devices offline
This banner usually means the connection between your network and your ISP is broken, or the Toast router has lost signal. Work through these checks in order.
If Ethernet cables are unplugged or printers and switches are off:
Plug any unplugged Ethernet cables back in.
Confirm printers and network switches are plugged in and powered on.
Do not unplug any Ethernet cables that are currently connected.
If Wi-Fi is in the wrong state on a device:
On a Toast Flex terminal or KDS device, swipe down from the top of the screen and confirm Wi-Fi is disabled. These hardwired devices should not use Wi-Fi.
On a Toast Go® handheld, swipe down from the top of the screen and confirm Wi-Fi is enabled and connected to your secured Toast network. The network is typically named "[Your restaurant]_SECURE" or "[Your restaurant]_TOAST".
For step-by-step device-side checks, see Verify Your Internet Connection.
If the Toast router or Meraki router lights indicate offline:
Locate the status light on the front of your Toast or Meraki router. Toast routers are branded "Cisco," "Pronto (Toast Router)," or "Meraki".
Pronto - The status light for the Pronto router is the second light from the left. A solid green light means the router has internet. A yellow or red light means it does not.
Meraki router (or Cisco)- The Meraki router only has one status light on the front. A white light means the router has internet. An orange or red light means it does not.
Trace the cable from the WAN 1 or Internet port on the Toast router back to your ISP modem. Confirm that the cable is fully seated at both ends and clicks into place.
If the ISP modem itself shows no internet light:
Contact your ISP. Ask whether there is a service outage in your area, and whether the modem needs to be reset on their side. An internet connection in Toast cannot be re-established until your ISP is back online.
You should now see a solid green light on the Toast router or white light on the Meraki router and the yellow banner should clear from your devices. If the issue persists, see "Before you contact Customer Care" below.
"No network connection" — one device or a group of devices offline
This banner usually means the device or a piece of equipment in its cable path has lost connection to your router. The internet itself is likely fine — other devices in your restaurant are still online.
Start with one device:
On a Toast Flex terminal or KDS device, swipe down from the top of the screen, confirm airplane mode is off, and confirm Wi-Fi is disabled.
On a Toast Go® handheld, confirm Wi-Fi is enabled and connected to your Toast network.
Confirm the Ethernet cable is fully seated in the device.
Trace the cable path:
Trace the Ethernet cable away from the device. Look for damage — significant bends, crushes, or torn jacketing — and replace any cable in poor condition.
Confirm the cable is fully seated at every junction along the path.
When you reach the next piece of equipment (printer, network switch, access point, or router), confirm it is plugged in and powered on.
Check intermediate equipment:
Network switches: Confirm the power LED is on and the indicator lights for connected ports are lit.
Toast access points: Check the handhelds in all areas of the location to see if access points are broadcasting across all stations.
Printers: Confirm the printer is powered on and shows a status light.
If you reach the router and have not found a problem:
The router is probably not the cause. If it were, every device would be offline. Retrace the path back toward the affected device looking for the problem you missed.
If only one terminal still has no IP address after these checks:
See Single Terminal With No Network Connection for the cable-trace and DHCP guidance specific to that scenario.
You should now see the yellow banner clear from the affected device.
"Toast service disruption" or "Oops, something happened when trying to contact Toast"
Check the Toast status page to confirm and to subscribe to status updates for Toast service disruptions. Often these are not caused by the Toast servers. Especially when its only one location experiencing Toast Service Disruption.
While the Toast service is disrupted:
Continue taking orders and payments. Background card processing is enabled by default on most accounts and your payments will be captured automatically when service returns.
For the full list of do's and don'ts during an outage, see Use Toast in Offline Mode.
Self-managed networks
If your restaurant operates on a self-managed network rather than a Toast-managed network, Toast Customer Care can help with basic device-side checks but cannot resolve issues with your network equipment.
Confirm all Ethernet cables are seated at both ends.
If the issue persists, contact your internet service provider or the person who manages your network.
For more, see Get Help With Self-Managed Network.
After your network is back online
If your network connection has returned but your Toast devices are still showing the yellow Offline Mode banner, the device may need to reconnect to the Toast cloud.
To reconnect a device:
On the device, confirm there is a network connection by checking the network settings and confirming there is an IP address.
Select the Toast POS icon from the home screen to reopen it.
Log in and enter your POS access code.
You should now see the regular POS home screen with no yellow banner.
For the full post-outage checklist (handling open checks, shift reviews, online orders, and loyalty), see Recover and Get Back Online After an Outage or Disruption.
FAQ
One of my POS devices says "no network connection" but the others are fine. What do I do?
Only one device offline almost always points to a problem in that device's cable path, not the router. Trace the Ethernet cable from the device back toward the router and check each junction (printer, network switch, access point) for damage, loose connections, or unpowered equipment. For step-by-step guidance, see Single Terminal With No Network Connection.
My router is back online but my devices still show the Offline Mode banner. Why?
Your devices need to reconnect to the Toast cloud after network connectivity returns. Close the Toast app on each affected device and reopen it (see "After your network is back online" above). If payments still show as Processing after three to five days, contact Customer Care.
Can I restart my router?
Yes, you can always try to reboot your router.
My Toast Go® 2 handheld is offline but my Toast Flex terminal is fine. What's wrong?
Toast Go® 2 handhelds use Wi-Fi and must be connected to your secured Toast network. The network is typically named "[Your restaurant]_Secured" or "[Your restaurant]_TOAST". Swipe down from the top of the screen and confirm Wi-Fi is enabled and connected to the correct network. Hardwired Toast Flex terminals and KDS devices use Ethernet and should have Wi-Fi disabled, so the same diagnosis does not apply. If a Toast Go® is offline and a wired device is online, consider the wireless network could be offline. Please call Toast Customer Care for support.
My internet is working everywhere else but Toast says "no internet connection." Why?
The Toast router may not be receiving signal from the ISP modem even though other devices on your network are working. The cable between modem and Toast router can be loose. Check the cable from the internet modem to the WAN 1 or Internet port on the Toast router. If that cable is fully seated and the router still shows an offline status light, contact your internet provider.
My Toast router is broken — how do I order a replacement?
Contact Toast Customer Care to confirm your router is actually broken. Once it is confirmed that the Toast router is not operational, the Care agent can create an upsell for a new router or the router can be ordered from the Toast Shop.[Information missing: requires input on whether customers can self-serve a router replacement order through the Toast Shop, or if Customer Care is always required as the first step.]
I keep losing connection during peak hours. What should I check?
Repeated drops at peak hours often point to a bandwidth issue rather than a hardware failure. See the "Troubleshoot Internet Connectivity Issues" section of Verify Your Internet Connection for guidance on checking signal strength, disabling streaming apps, and contacting your ISP about a faster plan.
Before you contact Customer Care
Have the following ready before contacting Toast Customer Care. This information lets Customer Care diagnose the issue quickly.
The exact text of the yellow banner on your screen — for example, "no internet connection," "no network connection," "Toast service disruption," or "Oops, something happened when trying to contact Toast."
Whether the issue affects all devices or only some. If only some, list which ones (Toast Flex terminal, KDS device, Toast Go® 2 handheld).
Router branding (Cisco, Pronto, or Meraki) and the color of the status light on the front of the router.
Whether the cable from the ISP modem to the Toast router has been disturbed recently.
A list of the steps you have already tried.
A photo or screenshot of the banner and of the router lights, if you can capture one.
To contact Customer Care, use the chat button in Toast Web, or call us at (617) 682-0225.
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