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How To Set Up Public Wi-Fi Hotspot/WISP with MikroTik Router and 3G/4G Modem

 

In these Tutorials, we will discuss:
1. Introduction to MikroTik Wi-Fi Hotspot
2. MikroTik Hotspot Gateway features
3. What is 3G Modem and its Usefulness?
4. What is User-Manager and its Usefulness in MikroTik Hotspot?

 

Introduction: 

MikroTik Wi-Fi Hotspot can only be defined as HotSpot Gateway, which provides authentication for clients before accessing public networks. Hotspot can only work reliably when IPv4 is used. Hotspot relies on Firewall NAT rules, which are currently not supported by IPv6.

MikroTik HotSpot Gateway features:

MikroTik Hotspot has unique features, but I will mention a few here in this tutorial

Different authentication methods for clients using local client databases on the router or remote RADIUS server;


user account in a local database on the router or on a remote RADIUS server


walled-garden system, access to some web pages without authorization


login page, status page and log out page modification, where you can put information about the company


automatic and transparent change of any IP address of the client to a valid address


HotSpot can inform DHCP clients that they are behind a captive portal (RFC7710)


SSL support for landing page/splash page 


e.t.c




What is 3G/4G Modem?

A modulator-demodulator, or simply a modem, is a hardware device that converts data from a digital format, intended for communication directly between devices with specialized wiring, into one suitable for a transmission medium, such as telephone lines or radio. It's used for internet connection, and it can also be used as a multi-purpose device to send SMS/MMS and used to make phone calls on a computer.

What is a User-Manager?

User manager (UM) is a management system that can be used in various setups. UM can be used for HotSpot, PPP, DHCP, wireless and RouterOS users. User Manager is a RADIUS server application. The first UM test package was introduced in RouterOS version 4. The User Manager package is supported on all RouterOS architectures, including x86 and Cloud Hosted Routers. 

 

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Benefits of this tutorial:

You will learn how to monitor multiple remote networks, where users are also required to be authenticated. This can be a straightforward task if all remote networks and the Authentication server have Static Public WAN IP address. However, the issue arises if the WAN IP address of the remote network is a dynamic IP address or if it is a private IP address, or if you are behind a NAT network from a 3G connection to telcos.

What you will learn:

You will also learn what VPNs are and how to use them to access your network from the outside world.


SSTP, PPTP, PPP, IP-SEC, and other types of VPNs will also be discussed in these tutorials.


Using MikroTik routers as clients or as an Access Point


Installation of Cloud Hosted Routers (CHR) with PPTP for VPN with User-Manager for Authentication Authorization and Accounting (AAA)


Dude installations for Network Monitoring, Centralized AAA service and client provisioning via remote services without the stress of keeping an elaborate physical NOC, or a dedicated Data Center.




Now let's get started.....

Typical or Common scenario


The Solutions

 


In the illustration above, you can see the typical or scenario of a Wi-Fi hotspot network, but someone can only archive this above scenario if your network or device has a static IP address but issue or a problem arises if the IP Address changes. The above illustration will be our setup template, and we will implement the use of dynamic IP addresses, even if your IP Address is behind NAT (which means not a static IP Address).

 

What you will learn in this tutorial:

How to Launch CHR on AWS Setup PPTP Server on CHR 


Create user/ppp secrets for each remote router with necessary routes


Setup Dude Server to monitor remote site infrastructure


Install User-Manager package and configure it


Create users (for Hotspot, PPPoe etc clients)


Setup PPTP-clients on remote routers 


Configure CHR as a radius server.

Setup PPTP Server in MikroTik  CHR 

Basic Steps:

Create or change a ppp profile 


Create user /ppp secret 


Attach a specific remote address for each user and show the route for their LAN


Enable the server and set the appropriate profile




Optional:

Create an empty bridge and attach a local address to it.




 

PPTP SERVER SETUP


 


 

Install and setup User-Manager:

Install the user-manager package if it is not already installed.


You may need to upgrade your RouterOS Software on CHR. 


Configure the user-manager for your users/clients and billing scheme


Add remote site routers to the user-manager with the IP address specified in their PPP secret




 


 

Install and setup dude server:

Install dude server


Configure Dude to accept remote connection


Connect with Dude from any client using the public Assigned IP address from AWS.


Add devices to dude using the PPTP assigned addresses and the remote LAN addresses




 


 

Setup Remote Site Router:

Setup Connection to internet on remote site router


Setup hotspot and PPPoE as required


Configure PPTP — client


Setup radius client to connect to server over PPTP link IP address


Configure Hotspot/PPPoE to use-radius. Set interim update.






 

Pptp - Clients connect:

 


 


 

Install Dude client locally:


 

 


 

Access the corporate file server from another remote site:

Add a route to the remote site router for the corporate LAN via the pptp tunnel


Also add a route to the corporate office router for the remote Site LAN via the pptp tunnel


If you do not have access to the remote site LAN, you can simply masquerade everything going out through the pptp-client interface of the remote site router, hence the route from the corporate router will not be required




 


 

If you have issues setting it up kindly drop  a comment on any issues you are facing or go to the forum and post your questions there.