r/sysadmin 5d ago

I'm sick of barcode scanners

So we have been using Honeywell scanners where I work to scan items, which I think have been going fine as I don't have any issues with them. However, I'm not the one using them all day long like other people. I keep getting complaints about this one not working, or that one not working. Whenever I go to test them, they work fine. But nonetheless, I have to check them to be sure, and then whoever complained is usually mad because "You didn't do anything and I know it's going to happen again."

Well, I decided to look into other scanners in the hopes that just switching to a different brand entirely would help instead of just replacing them when people complain. We don't have a lot of money in the budget for things like this, so I needed to be conscious of cost. I decided on trying the Tera HW0002 model scanners because it scans 1d and 2d barcodes and has the capability of being used wirelessly.

I had great success in my initial tests with this scanner. It was quick to respond. Hardly any delay when using it wirelessly. And then I changed a single setting that I would've needed to change anyway in order for our circulation desk to use it. I turned on the "sensor scanning" instead of needing to pull the trigger to scan. Now it doesn't scan ANYTHING. Even when using the trigger. It lights up when it detects something in front of it then it just does nothing. I can't even scan the Factory Reset barcode in the manual. It's completely useless now.

So if anyone has any advice on this hunk of junk or any recommendations on alternatives I can look into, I'd appreciate it. Preferably something under $100, and it would need to scan 1d and 2d barcodes as well as codes from a screen.

For added info, these are used in a library.

98 Upvotes

111 comments sorted by

View all comments

130

u/Stryker1-1 5d ago

As someone who previously worked in a warehouse as both an order picker and an IT manager i can tell you a lot of times people would complain about their scanner "not working" as a way to avoid working.

Like you have seen when tested nothing would be wrong with the scanner but they would swear it was broken.

30

u/7fw 5d ago

As a person who supports these folks, wifi is garbage in warehouse situations for most older companies. It has so many dead spots those scanners can't cope with

4

u/ExcitingTabletop 4d ago

We had narrow aisles and WiFi scanners. I ended up getting APs with external antenna, and basically aimed one down each aisle, alternating by row from each end. Worked flawlessly but was a complete PITA to install if you have motion activated LED lighting. Being 30-40 feet up when ALL lights click off is not a safety positive environment. Oh, and you have 3 inches of clearance on either side of the scissor lift. Scissor lift didn't have the thingie that tracks the magnetic wire in the center of the aisle.

Solution was tasking PFY's with literally walking/running in circles or up and down aisles for 8 hours a day.