Payroll impact: Device issues discovered before payroll cutoff can be fixed with manual attendance entry. Issues discovered after payroll is finalised require a correction run. Always check device health at least 3 days before payroll cutoff.

Common issues and fixes

Device shows Offline in Octal HR High
  • Check network: Ping the device IP from the agent PC — if no response, the device is physically unreachable. Check Ethernet cable and switch port.
  • Verify IP address: Device may have been assigned a new IP by DHCP. Log into the device locally and confirm its IP under Network Settings. Update in Octal HR → Devices.
  • Restart device: Power cycle the biometric device. Most ZKTeco/Anviz devices recover after a reboot.
  • Firewall rules: Ensure port 4370 (ZKTeco) or the device's configured port is open on the local firewall between the agent PC and device subnet.
  • Agent PC offline: For LAN mode, confirm the Octal HR Device Agent service is running on the agent PC (Windows Services → OctalHR Device Agent → Running).
Punches not syncing to Octal HR High
  • Check last sync time: In Octal HR → Devices, see the "Last Sync" timestamp. If stale, click Pull Now to trigger a manual sync.
  • Clock mismatches: If device time drifted, Octal HR may reject punches with timestamps far in the past or future. Sync device time to NTP.
  • Device log full: Some devices stop recording new punches when their internal memory is full — see the "Device memory full" issue below.
  • ADMS URL wrong (Cloud Push): Verify the ADMS server URL and port in the device's network settings exactly match the value shown in Octal HR → Settings → Devices → ADMS Config.
Punches mapped to wrong employee Medium
  • User ID mismatch: The device user ID and Octal HR employee ID must match exactly. Check under Attendance → Devices → [Device] → User List. Re-map if they differ.
  • Duplicate user IDs: If a former employee's ID was reused on the device without deleting the old user first, punches can be misattributed. Delete the old device user and re-enrol the current employee.
  • Incorrect attendance: Use Manual Attendance Entry to correct any mis-mapped records already in the system before payroll is run.
Punch times are off by hours (time zone mismatch) High
  • Device time zone: Verify the device clock is set to the correct local time zone. Many devices default to UTC. Configure this via Device → Network → NTP / Time Zone and ensure it matches your Octal HR time zone settings.
  • Octal HR tenant time zone: Confirm your tenant is configured with the correct time zone under Settings → Company Profile → Time Zone. This setting should match your organization's primary operating location or the corresponding site location.
  • Retroactive fix: If existing records have wrong times, use Manual Attendance Entry with correct times. Octal HR stores an override note in the audit trail.
Employee fingerprint not recognized Medium
  • Re-enrol the finger: Clean the fingerprint sensor (microfibre cloth). Ask the employee to re-scan the same finger 3× on the device to improve template quality.
  • Enrol multiple fingers: Enrol the dominant hand index finger AND thumb — if one fails (cuts, dry skin), the other is available.
  • Dry or cut skin: Common in winter or for manual workers. Temporarily switch the employee to a PIN/card reader while the issue resolves.
  • Sensor dirty/damaged: Clean the sensor glass. If scratched, the sensor may need replacement.
Duplicate punches appearing Low
  • Normal behaviour: Multiple check-in punches per day are common (employee tapped twice). Octal HR uses the first punch as check-in and last punch as check-out by default. Intermediate punches are stored but ignored in calculations.
  • Change punch processing mode: Under Devices → Settings, set Punch mode to In/Out alternating if employees should explicitly punch IN then OUT (common for factories with lunch breaks).
Device memory full — punches not being recorded High
  • Most ZKTeco devices store 100,000–200,000 punch records. After syncing data to Octal HR, clear the device log: Device Menu → Data Management → Delete Attendance Data.
  • Octal HR syncs and stores all historical punches — clearing the device is safe once confirmed synced.
  • Set up auto-clear: Under Octal HR → Devices → [Device] → Auto-Clear, enable monthly auto-purge after sync confirmation.

When to contact Octal HR support

Escalate to Octal HR support if:

  • Device brand/model is not on the supported list and you need a compatibility check
  • Sync is failing despite correct IP, port, and agent running
  • Large batches of historical punches are missing after a device reset
  • Cloud Push (ADMS) is not registering punches despite correct URL configuration

Provide support with: device brand, model, firmware version, connection mode, and a screenshot of the Octal HR device error log (Attendance → Devices → [Device] → Error Log).

Tip: Enable Daily Device Health Alerts under Attendance → Settings → Notifications to get an email if any device goes offline for more than 4 hours. This gives HR early warning before attendance data gaps accumulate.