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Setting Up an Offline Network — Read This Before You Buy

Pic2Merch runs entirely on your own PC with no internet connection required — but customer devices still need a local WiFi network to reach it. This guide explains exactly what's involved, so you can check it's a good fit before spending any money.

Why this matters: Pic2Merch never needs the internet to take orders — everything runs locally on your PC. But your customers' tablets/phones and your kiosk PC still need to be on the same local WiFi network to talk to each other. If you already have WiFi at your shop or venue, you probably don't need to do anything at all — skip straight to the checklist below.

Two ways to set this up

Simplest — no extra hardware

Use your PC's own WiFi hotspot

If the PC running Pic2Merch has WiFi built in (most laptops do), Windows can turn it into its own WiFi hotspot with no router needed at all. Search "Mobile hotspot" in Windows Settings, turn it on, and give it a name and password. Customer devices connect to that directly.

Best for a single kiosk PC at a small stall or pop-up, where you don't want to carry extra gear.

More range / multiple devices

Use a cheap or old WiFi router

Any spare home router (even an old one you've replaced) or a cheap "travel router" works — it doesn't need an internet/modem connection at all, since Pic2Merch never needs one either. It just needs to broadcast its own local WiFi network.

  1. Plug the router in and turn it on. You can leave the internet/WAN port completely disconnected.
  2. Connect a laptop to it (WiFi or cable) and open its admin page in a browser — usually 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1 (check the sticker on the router itself if unsure).
  3. Set a WiFi network name (SSID) and password under the wireless settings.
  4. Connect your Pic2Merch PC to that network, then connect customer devices to the same network.

Best for markets, pop-ups, or anywhere with several tablets/phones ordering at once, or where you want better range than a laptop's built-in hotspot.

⚠ You don't need any networking experience beyond what's already involved in setting up a home WiFi router — if you've ever changed your home WiFi password, you already know everything this requires. Pic2Merch itself shows you the exact web address to use once the network is up, and can generate a scannable WiFi + order-page QR code for customers so nobody has to type anything.

Quick self-check before you buy

  • You're comfortable plugging in a router/PC and turning it on
  • You can open a WiFi network's settings and set a name/password (on a router, a phone hotspot, or Windows' own hotspot feature)
  • You have a PC or laptop that can stay switched on for the duration of your market/event/shift
  • You're happy following a written guide for a one-time setup — you won't need to repeat this each time unless you change hardware

If all of that sounds manageable, Pic2Merch will work for you. If none of it sounds familiar, it's worth asking someone to help with this one-time setup before buying — everything else about running Pic2Merch day-to-day is just clicking through the app itself.

Questions before you buy? Get in touch.