Device Hub Overview

The ShipStream Device Hub enables two-way communication between Data Border and the printers and scales in your warehouse. When Data Border generates a shipping label containing customer PII, Device Hub delivers it directly to the correct printer without your WMS ever handling the unredacted label file.

How Device Hub Fits In

graph LR
    WMS[Your WMS] -->|Placeholders| ADB[Data Border]
    ADB -->|Fetch PII| Amazon[Amazon SP-API]
    ADB -->|Generate Label| Carrier[Carrier API]
    ADB -->|Print Job| DH[Device Hub]
    DH -->|Print| Printer[Warehouse Printer]

    subgraph "Inside the Data Border"
        ADB
        Labels[(Secure Labels)]
    end

    subgraph "Your Warehouse"
        DH
        Printer
    end

Loading diagram...

Your WMS sends label requests with placeholders. Data Border resolves the PII, generates the label, and sends the print job to Device Hub. The label file never leaves the secure boundary until it reaches the printer.

Components

The Device Hub system consists of three parts:

Component	Description
Device Hub	The central web-based management dashboard. Access it from the ShipStream WMS under System > Device Hub, or through the Data Border portal.
Device App	A Windows GUI application installed on individual workstations. Runs in the foreground and can be minimized to the system tray.
Device Service	A Windows background service. Runs even when no user is logged in, ideal for shared or headless machines.

You install either the Device App or the Device Service (not both) on each computer that has printers or scales connected.

Device App vs Device Service

Choose the right client for your environment:

	Device App	Device Service
Runs when	User who installed it is logged in	Always, even with no user logged in
Install privileges	Standard user	Administrator required
Multi-user	Each user installs separately	One install serves all users
App type	Foreground GUI, minimizes to tray	Invisible Windows background service
Device management	Local UI or Device Hub	Device Hub only
Consumer devices	Works well with all devices	Some consumer drivers may have issues with background printing
Best for	Single-user workstations	Shared computers, headless servers

If your printers are on a network, you may only need one computer running Device App or Device Service to manage all network printers.

Downloads

Download the latest installers from the ShipStream Device Hub:

Download Installers

Get the latest Device App and Device Service installers for Windows.

You can also download installers from within the Device Hub by clicking New Computer. Installers can be copied over a network or USB drive and reused across multiple machines.

Quick Start

Download the Device App or Device Service from devices.shipstream.io/downloads
Install on a computer connected to your printers or scales
Register by entering the 4-digit PIN in the Device Hub dashboard
Add devices (printers and scales) through the Device Hub or Device App UI
Start printing secure labels from Data Border

For detailed installation instructions, see Installation & Setup.

Learn More

Installation & Setup - Step-by-step installation and device configuration
Troubleshooting - Common issues and solutions
Secure Printing - How Data Border sends print jobs to Device Hub
ShipStream Device Hub Knowledge Base - Full documentation with screenshots