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Hardware compatibility guide

Choose the office computer, network, driver phones, printers, scanners and GPS trackers that work with Dispatch.

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OwnerAdministrator
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Office server
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All devices
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Checked against Pop Street Dispatch 0.1.0

You will be able to pick the equipment for your Dispatch set-up: the office computer, the network, the phones drivers carry, printers, scanners and GPS trackers. Each item carries one of two labels. Tested means an automated test of ours covers the Dispatch screen involved, with no physical device in the test. Expected to work means the maker's own page describes the feature Dispatch relies on, and we have yet to run that item ourselves. Sizes marked "our guidance" are starting points from us. The makers publish no such figures.

Before you start #

  • Decide where the server runs. See "Setting up the office server".
  • Count the driver phones your plan includes.
  • List what you print today (tow tickets, invoices, labels) and who prints it.

Steps #

  1. Pick the office computer. Choose a Mac mini, a mini PC or an existing office PC that stays on during business hours. Check the "What to buy" table. Result: you have one machine to run dispatch-server.
  2. Pick a UPS. Choose a battery backup for the computer, the router and the switch. Result: a short power cut leaves dispatch running while the server shuts down cleanly.
  3. Give the computer a fixed address. In your router, reserve one address for the server computer, then start the server with --bind 0.0.0.0:8480 or that address. Result: phones and office computers find the server at the same address on port 8480.
  4. Choose how drivers reach the server from the road. Set up a VPN into your office network. Result: phones reach the server's address from anywhere while the server stays off the open internet.
  5. Pick the driver phones. Choose phones with a current Safari (iPhone) or Chrome (Android). Result: each driver opens the driver app in the browser.
  6. Add a mount and a charger for each phone. Result: the phone stays charged for the whole shift.
  7. Pick printers. Print Dispatch pages with the Print command of the browser or the Mac. Choose printers that appear in that print dialog. Result: a test page prints from the device a driver or dispatcher uses.
  8. Collect signatures on the screen. Drivers sign with a finger on the phone or tablet. Result: the signature is saved on the job.
  9. Pick a VIN scanner for the office computer. Choose a USB scanner that types like a keyboard. Result: scanned VINs fill the VIN box.
  10. Pick GPS trackers, if you use them. Choose a tracker that can send an OsmAnd or NMEA position, and plan a small relay that you run (see the technical details). Result: tracker positions reach Dispatch through the relay.

What to buy #

AreaLowest we expect to workRecommendedLabel
Office computer, MacMac mini with Apple silicon (2020 or later), macOS 14 or newer for the Mac appCurrent Mac mini (M6, 16 GB or more)Expected to work
Office computer, WindowsWindows 11 25H2; 4 cores, 8 GB RAM, SSD (our guidance)Windows 11 26H2; a mini PC with 8 cores, 16 GB RAM and a 512 GB SSD, such as the Beelink SER8 (our guidance for the sizes)Expected to work
Office computer, LinuxUbuntu 24.04 LTSUbuntu 26.04 LTSExpected to work
Disk256 GB SSD (our guidance)512 GB SSD plus a second disk for nightly backups (our guidance)Expected to work
UPS900 W / 1500 VAAPC Back-UPS Pro BX1500M or CyberPower CP1500AVRLCD3Expected to work
NetworkWired Ethernet from the server to the routerWired Ethernet and a router with a built-in WireGuard or OpenVPN serverExpected to work
Driver phone, iPhoneiOS 16.4A current iPhone on the latest iOSExpected to work
Driver phone, AndroidChrome 108A current Android phone, or a rugged model such as the Samsung Galaxy XCover7 ProExpected to work
Mount and chargerA secure car mount and a car chargerRAM Mounts holder with a hardwired 10 to 30 V chargerExpected to work
Receipt printerOne that appears in the print dialog of your deviceStar TSP143III or Epson TM-T20IIIExpected to work
A4 or letter printerWi-Fi or wired printer with AirPrint or MopriaBrother HL-L2350DW or HP LaserJet Pro M404dnExpected to work
SignaturePhone or tablet screenPhone or tablet screenTested
VIN scannerUSB scanner in keyboard (HID) modeHoneywell Voyager 1200g or Zebra DS2208Expected to work
GPS from the driver's phoneA phone with the driver app openA phone on a charger in a mountExpected to work
GPS trackerOne that sends OsmAnd or NMEA through a relay you runA tracker listed under OsmAnd in Traccar's protocol listExpected to work
Taximeter, dashcamNone neededNone connected todaySee the technical details
Technical details: office server
  • Dispatch runs as dispatch-server with a SQLite database in a data folder. A small office with a handful of dispatchers needs modest CPU. We have recorded no load figures, so the sizes in the table are our guidance. Watch /health and move to a larger machine when screens slow down.
  • Mac: Apple lists the Mac mini with Apple silicon, 2020 and later, as compatible with macOS 27. Intel Mac minis sit outside that list. The Dispatch Mac app needs macOS 14 or newer. Current Mac minis use the M6 chip (16 to 32 GB) or M5 Pro (24 GB or more), with 2.5 GbE as standard.
  • Windows: Microsoft lists end of servicing for Windows 11 Home and Pro as 14 Oct 2026 for 24H2 (past), 13 Oct 2027 for 25H2, 15 Mar 2028 for 26H1 and 10 Oct 2028 for 26H2. Choose 26H2 for the longest support, and treat 25H2 as the floor.
  • Ubuntu: Canonical lists standard security maintenance to May 2031 for 26.04 LTS, to May 2029 for 24.04 LTS and to May 2027 for 22.04 LTS.
  • Mini PCs: Beelink lists the SER8 with Windows 11 Pro, 8 cores, DDR5 and dual M.2 slots. Beelink lists Ubuntu as an option on the SER9 Pro. The Minisforum MS-01 has two 10 GbE and two 2.5 GbE ports. For Linux on a mini PC, check the maker's page for your exact model.
  • UPS: both models are 1500 VA / 900 W with a stepped approximation of a sine wave. APC lists a typical transfer time of 8 ms. CyberPower lists a line-interactive design with 12 minutes of runtime at half load and 3 minutes at full load. Plug in only the server, router and switch so the runtime lasts for a clean shutdown.
  • Back up the data folder every night to a second disk and turn on FileVault or BitLocker. See "Backups and restore".
Technical details: network
  • Use a wired connection from the server to the router. Phones and office computers can use Wi-Fi.
  • Reserve a fixed address for the server in the router's DHCP settings. The server's default bind address is 127.0.0.1:8480, which accepts connections from the same computer only. Start it with --bind 0.0.0.0:8480 or the reserved address. See "Setting up the office server".
  • Version 0.1.0 of the server listens for plain HTTP on port 8480. For access from outside the office, choose a VPN so the server stays on the office network.
  • Router makers document these VPN options. UniFi gateways run a WireGuard server (default UDP port 51820; the upstream router forwards that port when the gateway sits behind another router). Synology's VPN Server package offers OpenVPN, L2TP/IPsec and PPTP; choose OpenVPN or L2TP/IPsec, and treat PPTP as a legacy option. TP-Link's Omada VPN client guide lists IPsec, SSL, OpenVPN and WireGuard.
  • Port forwarding straight to port 8480 puts plain HTTP on the internet. Place a gateway that adds TLS in front of the server before you choose it.
  • Rate limits count per address, so a gateway in front of the server shares those limits among everyone behind it. See "API rate limits".
Technical details: phones and tablets
  • The driver app is a web app that opens in Safari or Chrome and sends the phone's position with the browser's location feature. See "Live positions, tracking consent and gaps".
  • The driver app collects positions while the page is open and in front. Keep the app open on the screen during a shift. When the page goes to the background, it sends the positions it holds.
  • Apple documents Home Screen web apps with web push from iOS and iPadOS 16.4. Google documents installing a web app from the Chrome menu without a service worker from Chrome 108. We have recorded the oldest versions that run every driver screen for neither system, so the table lists these two versions as the lowest we expect to work. We found no maker statement about location in an installed web app, so phone positions carry the label Expected to work. Automated tests of the driver app use a mock location source.
  • Rugged options with makers' specifications: Samsung Galaxy XCover7 Pro (MIL-STD-810H, IP68, removable battery), Zebra TC53 (IP68 and IP65, multiple 1.8 m drops to concrete, built-in scan engine) and Ulefone Armor 26 Ultra (IP68 and IP69K, 15,600 mAh battery).
  • RAM Mounts lists Qi wireless holders at 10 W and 15 W, an X-Grip holder with an adhesive dash mount and a hardwired 10 to 30 V charger. Check the wattage on each product page.
  • Location use drains a battery faster, so choose a mount with a charger.
Technical details: printers
  • A print layout of its own is planned for Dispatch. Today printing uses the Print command of the browser or the Mac, which shows your computer's or phone's printer list. The printer needs to appear in that list on that device.
  • Network A4 or letter printers (laser or inkjet): the printer and the device sit on the same network. Brother lists AirPrint and Mopria for the HL-L2350DW, and HP lists AirPrint and Mopria for the LaserJet Pro M404dn (wired Ethernet). iPhones print to AirPrint printers and Android phones print to Mopria printers.
  • Network thermal receipt printers: Epson lists Ethernet on the TM-T20III. Star lists LAN among the TSP143III's connections, with Bluetooth on a separate model suffix (the Bluetooth listing names TSP143IIIBi2), so confirm the exact model for each connection. We found no AirPrint, Mopria or IPP listing for these models. The makers describe their own SDKs and utilities, so a computer with the maker's driver installed is the expected route. Print a test page before you buy a quantity.
  • Bluetooth thermal printers: Star lists Bluetooth for iOS, Android and Windows. A Bluetooth printer prints from a phone when the phone's print dialog lists it. Print a test page from a driver's phone before you equip the fleet.
  • A print layout for narrow receipt paper is planned.
Technical details: signatures
  • On a job card, the driver chooses "Get signature", draws on the screen with a finger or stylus, and chooses "Save signature". The signer's name is optional and starts filled from the job's contact. The stored file sits under the account's files folder, and the job's files route serves it.
  • A signature pad accessory is unnecessary.
  • An automated test covers the two buttons with a stand-in image. Draw a signature on your own phone before the first job.
Technical details: GPS trackers
  • Dispatch decodes two public formats today. POST /gps/nmea takes JSON with a sentence (an NMEA RMC sentence). POST /gps/osmand takes JSON with a query that holds lat and lon and an optional speed in knots. Both need a signed-in caller and return the decoded position.
  • These two routes decode and return a position. Storing a position happens through POST /fleet/positions with a device_id, an asset_id or person_id, and fixes, with a source of http_tracker or hardware, and only during a shift or trip. See "Live positions, tracking consent and gaps".
  • A tracker therefore needs a small relay that you run. The relay receives the tracker's own message (for an OsmAnd tracker, an HTTP GET with the position in the query), signs in to Dispatch, and posts the fixes. Traccar's OsmAnd protocol page lists the Wikey Tracker 3.0 under that protocol. All tracker rows carry the label Expected to work.
  • Makers publish other protocols. Teltonika FMB920 trackers send Codec 8 to a server, and their serial port can output NMEA. Queclink GV300 trackers send over TCP, UDP and SMS. We found no OsmAnd output setting for either model. Built-in listeners for Teltonika, Queclink, Concox/GT06, Meitrack, Coban and others are planned.
  • The driver's phone is the position source that the product's own automated tests cover (tracker.test.ts, with a mock location source).
Technical details: scanners
  • The vehicle form has a VIN box and a Decode button. Decode becomes available once the box holds enough characters for a VIN. A USB scanner in keyboard (HID) mode types the code into the box as if it were typed by hand. Honeywell lists USB HID keyboard mode for the Voyager 1200g, and Zebra lists USB Keyboard HID as the DS2208's default.
  • Most scanners add an Enter key after a code, and Enter submits the vehicle form. Set the scanner to send no Enter, or scan the VIN last, after the other fields hold their values.
  • Scanning a VIN with the phone camera is planned. Today the camera attaches photos, and the VIN is typed.
Technical details: taximeters and dashcams
  • Taximeters: a meter mode with hardware connectors is planned for the driver app. We found no taximeter maker's interface document yet, so no model is listed.
  • Dashcams: connecting a dashcam is planned for a later release. Garmin's manual describes control through a phone app and a memory card, and Viofo's page describes a Wi-Fi app with a built-in GPS logger. Both makers state no API. Keep video on the camera's own card and app.

If something goes wrong #

  • Phones fail to connect: the server is bound to 127.0.0.1, the phone is on another network, or a firewall closes port 8480. See "Setting up the office server".
  • The server's address changed after a reboot: reserve a fixed address for the computer in the router.
  • A printer is missing from the print dialog: put the printer and the device on the same network, or pair the Bluetooth printer in the device's settings, then print a test page.
  • A tracker's position is rejected: a position is stored only during a shift or trip. Start the trip or put the driver on shift, then send it again.
  • A scan saves the vehicle early: set the scanner to send no Enter after the code, and click the VIN box before you scan.