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A MikroTik router has a built-in hotspot. On its own, it can show a login page and check usernames, but it cannot take a payment. Billing software adds that part: plans, a payment page, and letting a guest online the moment they pay. This guide shows how to turn a MikroTik into a paid hotspot with WifiPadi. Setup takes about 5 minutes once your account is ready.

How it works

  1. A guest joins your WiFi and the router shows your login page.
  2. The guest picks a plan and pays by card, bank transfer or mobile money.
  3. WifiPadi confirms the payment and tells the router to let that phone online.
  4. The router cuts the guest off when the plan’s time or data runs out.
You do not need a public IP address. The router connects out to WifiPadi through a secure tunnel, so it works behind Starlink, 4G and most home fibre.

What you need

  • A MikroTik on RouterOS 7.3 or newer. RouterOS 6 does not work.
  • An internet connection plugged into the MikroTik.
  • A WifiPadi account with at least one location and one plan.

Check your RouterOS version

In Winbox, open System → Resource and read Version. Use a factory-default router where you can. A router set up earlier for User Manager or Mikhmon may need a reset, because the setup replaces the hotspot configuration.

Set it up

1

Create your account and first plan

Create a WifiPadi account. It is free for 21 days, with no card needed. Then add a location and your plans.
2

Add the router in your dashboard

Go to Gateways → Add Router Gateway. Enter a name, choose the location, and select MikroTik RouterOS (v7+). Select Provision Gateway.
3

Paste the command into the router

Copy the command your dashboard shows. Open a terminal in Winbox, or connect by SSH, paste it and press Enter.The command sets up the secure tunnel, the RADIUS client and the hotspot. You do not change anything else in RouterOS by hand.
4

Wait for Online

Your dashboard shows each stage as the router finishes it. It takes 1 to 2 minutes to reach Online.
5

Test it with a phone

Join the WiFi on a phone. Your login page should open. Buy your cheapest plan and check that the phone gets online.
If anything stops partway, see Troubleshooting.

What you can sell

Access points behind the MikroTik

Plug each access point into a LAN port on the MikroTik. Set it to access point or bridge mode and turn off its own DHCP. The MikroTik stays in charge of the login page and plans, and guests stay online as they move between access points.

Frequently asked questions

No. Upgrade to RouterOS 7.3 or newer first. The table above shows how.
No. The router connects out to WifiPadi, so it works behind Starlink, 4G and most fibre connections.
The setup replaces the hotspot configuration. A router that ran another hotspot system, such as User Manager or Mikhmon, may need a reset first.
Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Cameroon and Uganda, with each country’s own payment methods, such as M-PESA in Kenya and mobile money in Ghana and Uganda.
Free for 21 days. Then one monthly price per location, with unlimited routers and guests. See the price for your country on wifipadi.com.