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A gateway is the router at your location. Your customers connect to the gateway for WiFi. WifiPadi supports two gateway types: our pre-flashed Nano Pi, and your own MikroTik router. This procedure takes about 5 minutes.
Complete Set up your account before you start. You need at least one location and one WiFi plan.

Which router should I use?

Either one can run with access points behind it. Plug each access point into a LAN port on the gateway, set it to access point or bridge mode, and turn off its own DHCP. The gateway stays in charge of sign-in and plans.
Check a MikroTik’s version before you buy or install. In Winbox, open System → Resource and read Version. A router showing 6.x has to be upgraded first (see below). New MikroTik routers ship with RouterOS 7.
For a new MikroTik, use a sealed, factory-default unit. A router with an old configuration from another system, such as a User Manager or Mikhmon setup, may need a reset first, because the WifiPadi setup changes the hotspot configuration.
1

Connect the Nano Pi to the internet

Plug the port labeled WAN / Internet into your existing router or modem. Power on the Nano Pi. Wait 1 minute for it to start.
2

Connect to the Nano Pi

The Nano Pi ships ready to use. You do not install anything on the device itself.Connect a laptop to one of the other ports on the Nano Pi with an Ethernet cable. Open a terminal on the laptop and enter this command:
At the password prompt, press Enter. The Nano Pi has no password.
If your laptop already uses a 192.168.1.x address on another network, disconnect from that network first.
3

Add the gateway in your dashboard

In a browser, go to Gateways → Add Router Gateway. Enter a Router Name, for example Reception. Select the Venue location for this gateway. Under Hardware / Firmware Type, select OpenWrt (NanoPi R2S / R4S, x86 or generic router). Select Provision Gateway.
The Provision New Gateway form with a router name, a venue location and the hardware type filled in
4

Run the install command

Your dashboard shows a one-line install command and a Copy command button. Copy the command. Paste it into the SSH session from step 2. Press Enter.The command sets up the connection to WifiPadi and configures the captive portal.
The Onboarding card for the Reception router, with the install stages ticked off up to Configuring captive portal and a fresh install command with a Copy command button
5

Confirm the gateway is online

In your dashboard, watch the gateway status move through 5 stages:
  1. Installing packages
  2. Configuring captive portal
  3. Installing portal agent
  4. Registering
  5. Online
This takes 1 to 2 minutes. When the status shows Online, the gateway is ready. You can disconnect your laptop.
The Front Desk gateway page with a green Online badge beside its name

Troubleshooting

The router has internet and still cannot run the command? Check its version in System → Resource. RouterOS 6 is too old and fails this way. Upgrade first: on System → Packages → Check For Updates, install the latest 6.49 release, then switch the channel to stable and install version 7. Finish with System → RouterBOARD → Upgrade and a reboot. Take a backup first (Files → Backup). Then copy a fresh command from your dashboard and run it again.
The router is on an older RouterOS 7 release. Upgrade through System → Packages, then run the command again.
On RouterOS 7.17 and newer, a router can ask for one safety confirmation. Unplug its power, plug it back in, wait for it to start, then paste the same command again. If the countdown on screen runs out, paste it again as well.
Open the gateway page. The Install log lists every request the router made while installing, newest first. The top line is the last step it reached. If the install failed, open What the router reported to see the error and the router’s recent log, and send it to support.
The gateway needs a working internet connection on its WAN port to download packages. Check that the WAN cable connects to a working modem or router. Then run the install command again.
Check that your laptop does not already use a 192.168.1.x address from another network. Check that your laptop connects to a non-WAN port on the Nano Pi.
Run the install command again. It is safe to run more than once. If the gateway still does not come online, contact support and give your gateway name.