First, who we are: Yuxinan is a multi-site networking product made by Siwenlide, and we are a stakeholder in this article. Precisely because we are a stakeholder, we’ll put the sentence most likely to make you waste money right at the top: when two stores need their POS systems connected, in half of all cases you don’t need networking at all — take 30 seconds to figure out which type of POS system you have, then decide what to buy.
1. Don’t buy equipment based on the “standard answers” you find online
If you search online for “how do I connect the POS systems of two stores,” you will most likely come across advice like this: build a cloud database, move to a private cloud, deploy data synchronization software, or lease a dedicated line. None of these options is exactly wrong, but they are prescriptions written for companies with an IT department — applying them to a two-store business is like buying a bus to drop off and pick up your child: it moves, but the cost is absurd and nobody knows how to drive it.
The real question was never “how to network them” but “where does the data live.” Think that through, and the answer presents itself.
2. There are only two types of POS systems — tell which one you have in 30 seconds
| How to tell | Cloud SaaS POS | On-premises server POS |
|---|---|---|
| How you reach the admin console | You log in with a URL in a browser, or install an app | You access an internal address starting with 192.168, or you have to connect to the “host” machine in the store |
| One question for your vendor | “Can we still take payments if the internet goes down?” Answer: No (or you can only park the order) | Answer: Yes; once the connection is back, the data syncs up on its own |
| Where the data lives | In the vendor’s cloud | On that server/host in your store |
| What it takes to connect the two stores | Nothing at all — each store logs in with its own account, and the data syncs by design | You need to connect the branch store’s network to that server at headquarters — this is where networking comes in |
Stores opened in recent years, and POS systems supplied by chain brands, are in most cases the cloud SaaS type; if the system has been in use for more than five years and there is a small always-on host sitting in a cabinet in the store, it is almost certainly the on-premises type.
3. If you use cloud SaaS POS: there is no networking problem
The data already lives in the vendor’s cloud, so both stores simply log into the same account, and inventory, memberships, and transactions sync in real time. The only thing you really need to worry about is the stability of the broadband in your stores — a dropped connection means you stop taking payments. So the right investment for this kind of store isn’t networking, it’s: choose a stable broadband plan, keep a 4G/5G emergency link at the checkout counter (a router with a SIM card or a phone hotspot both work), and confirm with your vendor whether you can park orders while the connection is down.
4. If you use on-premises server POS: how the branch reaches that machine at headquarters
The server sits at headquarters (or the flagship store), and the branch’s POS terminals need real-time access to its database — this is the classic multi-site networking scenario. There are three approaches, with very different costs:
- Port forwarding: expose the server port to the public internet. This requires headquarters to have a public IP (broadband providers barely hand those out anymore), and once the port is exposed, internet-wide scanners come knocking every day — most POS system compromises happen exactly this way. Not recommended.
- Traditional dial-up VPN: at least one side needs a public IP to act as the server, and someone knowledgeable has to configure and maintain it — and be able to fix it when it breaks.
- Next-generation P2P networking (the path Yuxinan takes): plug ordinary broadband into both sides — no public IP, no port forwarding, no changes to router configuration — and the branch’s POS terminal accesses that server as if it were sitting on headquarters’ LAN. We covered the principles in the previous article; the details are in Do you need a public IP for multi-site networking.
The math is simple, too: a package that includes the hardware and works as soon as you plug it in at the store carries a published price of RMB 980/year for five stores; the free version includes an allowance of 2 endpoints (the allowance covers hardware), which is exactly enough for “headquarters + one branch” to get the link up and verified. The detailed pricing boundaries are in what the free version can do and where it stops, and the full cost breakdown for 30 stores is in the chain store networking cost breakdown.
5. Checkout can’t stop: whatever type of POS you use, this one applies
- Confirm offline resilience: ask your vendor, “Can we still take payments offline, and will the data sync automatically once we’re back?” — a POS system whose vendor can’t answer that will teach you a lesson at the dinner rush sooner or later;
- Broadband backup: keep a 4G/5G emergency link at the checkout counter — it costs a few dozen yuan a month, and the first time your connection drops during the dinner rush it pays back a year’s worth;
- Networking has a fallback too: when the P2P direct connection can’t get through, traffic automatically goes over a cloud relay. Functionality doesn’t stop; only the relay bandwidth follows your plan — and POS traffic is small packets, so even 2 Mbps of relay bandwidth is plenty.
6. How to get started
The first step isn’t buying equipment — it’s going back to the table in section 2 and spending 30 seconds to determine which type of POS you have. If it’s the cloud type, put your money into broadband backup. If it’s the on-premises type, start with the Yuxinan free version (RMB 0 forever, activated as soon as you register) to get “headquarters + one branch” working — once the branch’s POS terminal can open the admin console on the headquarters server, the link is proven, and then you can talk about adding more stores.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Our POS software was installed by the vendor, and no matter how I ask, they don’t seem to understand. What should I do?
A: Just ask them one thing: “Can we still take payments if the internet goes down?” If yes, it’s the on-premises type and you need networking; if no, it’s the cloud type and you don’t. That’s one question any vendor can answer.
Q: For on-premises server POS, what are the requirements for the machine at headquarters?
A: It just needs to stay powered on and have a stable broadband connection. The real pitfall to avoid is putting the server somewhere “anyone can walk by and kick the power cord” — no matter how stable your networking is, if the machine gets shut down, the whole store stops taking payments.
Q: After networking, can the branch also use printers and surveillance cameras over the same link?
A: Yes. Once the whole network is interconnected, the branch and headquarters are one LAN: POS terminals accessing the server, headquarters pulling up branch camera feeds, printing receipts across stores — all of it runs over the same channel, with no separate solution needed.
Q: If we switch to cloud POS later, will the networking have been a waste?
A: No. Unified camera viewing, remote access to the in-store NAS, and centralized management of multiple store networks have nothing to do with the POS system — the networking link serves those needs just as well.
Prices for the Yuxinan free and paid versions are those published on its official website as of October 2026; the offline resilience of POS systems is as described by each vendor.
