MikroTik Hotspot Architecture

Deploying managed WiFi networks requires understanding both networking and business requirements. Here's my approach to scalable hotspot systems.

Architecture Overview

[Users] → [Access Points] → [MikroTik Router]
                                    ↓
                            [RADIUS Server]
                                    ↓
                            [PostgreSQL]
                                    ↓
                            [Billing System]

Key Components

1. MikroTik Hotspot

Handles captive portal, user sessions, and bandwidth management.

/ip hotspot profile
add name=hotel hotspot-address=10.0.0.1 \
    login-by=http-chap \
    radius-accounting=yes

2. FreeRADIUS

Centralizes authentication across multiple locations.

3. Custom Portal

Branded login pages with voucher, social, or payment options.

Scaling Considerations

• Use RouterOS User Manager for small deployments
• Move to FreeRADIUS + PostgreSQL for multi-site
• Implement API for programmatic voucher generation
• Add CoA (Change of Authorization) for real-time control

Monitoring

• Track active sessions and bandwidth usage
• Alert on authentication failures
• Monitor RADIUS response times

This architecture has scaled to 10,000+ concurrent users across multiple venues.