2D Code Scanner

Barcode scanner FAQ

Setup, scanning, and what to check when the scanner cannot reach the PC.

Getting started

What does 2D Code Scanner do?

It sends barcodes from an Android scanner to a Windows or macOS companion (Linux is experimental) on the same local network. The companion types each code into whichever field is focused on the PC, like a keyboard wedge.

Does it work like a keyboard wedge?

Yes. The companion types each barcode into whichever field is focused on the PC, the same way a keyboard wedge would. You can add Enter or Tab after each scan.

Can I use this instead of a USB barcode scanner?

Yes. A Zebra device or your phone takes the place of a separate USB scanner. The companion types the code into the focused field on Windows, macOS, or experimental Linux.

What do I need to install?

Both sides. Install the desktop companion on the PC, and one Android app: Zebra, Camera, HoneywellComing soon, UrovoComing soon, NewlandComing soon, DatalogicComing soon, or UniversalComing soon. The scanner needs companion 1.1.0 or newer.

Zebra app or Camera app?

Use the app that matches the device. Zebra and UrovoComing soon use DataWedge. HoneywellComing soon uses Data Collection. NewlandComing soon uses NLScan. DatalogicComing soon uses Intent Wedge. Camera uses the phone camera.

UniversalComing soon uses the vendor imager when that scanner is installed, and the camera otherwise.

Bluetooth is not used.

Do I need an account or a subscription?

No. There is no cloud account and no subscription. Barcodes stay on the scanner and the PC. The link is encrypted on your network with AES-256-GCM.

Pairing

How do I pair the scanner with the PC?
  1. Open the companion. If the window is hidden, it may still be in the tray.
  2. Keep the scanner and the PC on the same local network.
  3. On a Zebra device, aim at the QR and press the hardware trigger. On the Camera app, tap Scan.
  4. The scanner should show Connected.

If the PC has more than one network adapter, open companion Settings → Connection Wizard (or the home Connection Wizard link). The wizard recommends a LAN address, covers the firewall, and lists scanners that appear when you open Connections on the device. You can also set Network manually to the address the scanner can reach before you scan the QR.

Do I have to pair again every time?

No. The pairing is saved under Connections on the scanner (tap the connection line on the home screen). The companion keeps the same pairing token when you quit and open it again, so the scanner reconnects on its own.

If the PC’s address changes on the same network, the companion announces the new address and the saved connection updates. Scan the QR again only when the PC moved to a different network, or after you regenerate the QR.

Can I use more than one PC?

Yes. Scan each companion’s QR to save it. You can name a connection, switch the active one, or delete it from Connections.

What does Regenerate QR do?

It creates a new pairing token and disconnects every scanner. Each device has to scan the new QR before it can connect again. Use it when you want to invalidate old pairings, not when the IP address merely changed.

The scanner says the companion is too old

Install companion 1.1.0 or newer from Downloads, or use Check for updates in companion Settings. Older companions are rejected and will not reconnect until the PC app is updated.

Scanning

The code shows on the device, but nothing is typed on the PC

Click into a text field first. The companion types into the focused window.

In companion Settings, leave Type into focused window turned on. On the scanner, Resend last scan sends the last code again once the link is up.

Matching items in an open validation or counting session stay on the device on purpose. They are not typed into the PC. See Inventory sessions.

If the status is not Connected, the scan is queued and sent after the link returns. Start with Network troubleshooting if it never connects.

How do I send Enter or Tab after each scan?

On the scanner, open Settings and set After each scan to Enter, Tab, or None. Enter is the default.

Which barcodes are supported?

Code 128, Code 39, Code 93, EAN-8, EAN-13, UPC-A, UPC-E, Interleaved 2 of 5, GS1 DataBar, QR Code, Data Matrix, PDF417, Aztec, MaxiCode, MicroPDF417, and Micro QR Code.

On a Zebra device, a symbology also has to be enabled in DataWedge. The Camera app reads what the on-device scanner can decode from the camera image.

The Zebra trigger does nothing

The first launch creates a DataWedge profile named 2DCodeScanner (barcode input, intent output to this app, keystroke output off). Confirm that profile exists and is associated with this app.

This app needs a Zebra device with DataWedge. Other Android brands and the Camera app do not use that profile.

The Camera app will not scan

Grant the camera permission when Android asks, then tap Scan. Notification permission is also required so the scanner can keep running in the background.

Inventory sessions

What is a validation session?

A checklist of expected barcodes. Create it on the scanner, or on the companion under Tools → Validation, then send it to the scanner. Matching scans tick items off. They are not typed into the PC.

When every item is checked, the session is finished. Reset / undo on the device clears the checkmarks so you can scan the list again. Return to building clears the checkmarks and lets you add or remove codes.

What is a counting session?

A quantity tally. Create it on the scanner (Sessions → Counting) or on the companion (Tools → Counting), then open it on the device and scan. Quantities sync back to the companion. The companion can copy the tally as TSV.

Why did a scan stay on the device during a session?

While a validation or counting detail screen is open, scans belong to that session. Leave the session to type ordinary barcodes into the focused PC field.

Network troubleshooting

The scanner and the companion talk only on your local network. They do not use the internet, Bluetooth, or a cloud relay. A phone that can browse the web can still fail to reach the PC when guest Wi‑Fi, client isolation, a VPN, or the firewall blocks device-to-device traffic.

Check these in order

  1. The companion is actually running

    Closing the window hides it to the tray when Close to tray is on. That still accepts scanners. Quit on the tray icon exits.

  2. Both devices are on the same local network

    The scanner uses Wi‑Fi. The PC can be on that same Wi‑Fi or on Ethernet into the same LAN. Guest networks, public hotspots, and access points with client isolation keep devices from seeing each other even when both have internet.

  3. The QR uses an address the scanner can reach

    Companion Settings → Network lists the PC’s LAN addresses. Pick the office Wi‑Fi or Ethernet address (often 192.168… or 10…). Skip VPN, virtual-machine, and hypervisor adapters. Or use Connection Wizard — recommended adapters are labeled, and your scanner should appear in the list when Connections is open or the welcome flow is on its connection step. Scan the QR again after you change this.

  4. The firewall allows the companion

    Allow inbound TCP and UDP 17832 (or the port you set under Settings → Port). TCP carries the connection. UDP on that same port is how a saved scanner learns a new PC address after DHCP changes it, and how the companion sees the scanner in Connection Wizard.

  5. Scan the current QR

    Do this after you change the network, the port, or the PC’s LAN. You do not need a new QR just because the IP changed on the same network.

If it still fails

  • Status stays on Connecting or Not connected

    • Turn off VPNs on the phone and the PC, then scan the QR again. A VPN often hides the PC’s LAN address.
    • Leave guest Wi‑Fi. Use a private LAN where phones and PCs can reach each other.
    • To test the apps without the office network, join the PC to the scanner phone’s hotspot (or put both on a small travel router) and scan the QR there.
    • On Windows, allow the companion on Private networks. A network marked Public often blocks incoming connections from other devices.
    • On macOS, allow local network access if the system asks. On Linux, allow that same port for TCP and UDP.

  • It worked before, then the PC address changed

    • Leave the pairing token alone. Regenerate QR forces every scanner to pair again.
    • With that UDP port allowed, the companion announces its new address and the saved connection updates. If the port is blocked, scan the current QR once.
    • A different network (office vs home, or a new VLAN) needs a fresh scan of the QR.

  • The link drops when the screen turns off

    • The scanner pauses the Wi‑Fi link while the display is off. The notification says the link is paused.
    • Turn on Keep screen on in the scanner Settings, or wake the screen to reconnect.
    • Grant notification permission if Android asks. Without it the scanner service cannot stay running.

  • Scans stay on the device

    • If status is not Connected, the scan is queued and flushed after reconnect. It is not lost.
    • If a validation or counting screen is open, the scan is stored in that session instead of being typed.
    • If status is Connected on the home screen, click a PC text field and confirm Type into focused window is on.

  • You changed the port

    • The port is in the QR. Apply it in companion Settings, then scan the new QR.
    • Allow that port for both TCP and UDP. A scanner that already saved this companion learns the new port from the announce. A scanner that has never saved it still beacons on 17832, so pair that first one by scanning the QR.
    • Another program already bound to the port will keep the companion from listening. Pick a free port above 1024.

Still stuck? Email office@updruck.com with the companion version (PC Settings), the Android app version (scanner Settings), the address selected under Network, and whether the phone is on guest Wi‑Fi or a VPN.