Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

--- technical:mikrotik-hotspot [2025/05/12 19:09] – [Getting started] system
+++ technical:mikrotik-hotspot [2025/05/13 15:01] (current) – system
@@ Line 11: / Line 11: @@
 With this scenario we assume you have:
-  * A recent installation of RADIUSdesk which includes Dynamic RADIUS Clients support.
+  * A recent installation of RADIUSdesk.
       * We will use our **cloud.radiusdesk.com** demo server which has an IP Address of **164.160.89.129** in this document.
       * Our cloud.radiusdesk.com demo server has a site wide RADIUS shared secret of **testing123**.
@@ Line 20: / Line 20: @@
 ==== Getting started ====
-  * To reset the RouterBOARD 751U simply hold the reset button in during start-up until the ACT LED starts flashing. Now release the reset button.
+  * To reset the RouterBOARD 751U simply hold the **reset** button in during start-up until the **ACT** LED starts flashing. Now release the **reset** button.
   * You should now be able to connect on any of the Ethernet ports 2-5. (Port 1 needs to connect to the Internet).
   * If you connect with a machine which has DHCP enabled; you will get a 192.168.88.x IP Address while the RouterBOARD 751U can be reached through 192.168.88.1.
-  * The default username is admin with no password.
+  * The default username is **admin** with **no password**.
   * Newer versions of ROS insist you set a password.
   * If you never had password on the device specify the old password as blank text and specify the new value and confirm it to set the password on the device.
@@ Line 32: / Line 32: @@
 We will take the following configuration approach. This approach very common on the 751U.
   * Ethernet port 1 (Marked PoE) will be used to connect the 751U to the Internet. (Typically a LTE router's Ethernet port)
-  * Ethernet port 1 will be configured to be a DCHP Client.
+  * Ethernet port 1 will be configured to be a **DCHP Client**.
   * Ethernet ports 2-5 will be used as a Ethernet switch which runs a DHCP Server and NAT traffic between Ethernet port 1 and Ethernet ports 2-5.
   * The WiFi interface will be used to run the Captive Portal (Hotspot) on.
@@ Line 58: / Line 58: @@
 ==== Set the Mikrotik's identity ====
-  * We will use a geographic naming convention and assume that this Mikrotik is the first one deployed in the city of Johannesburg, Gauteng province, South Africa.
+  * We will use a geographic naming convention and assume that this Mikrotik is the first one deployed in the city of Johannesburg in the Gauteng province of South Africa.
   * The systems identity will thus be **za-gp-jhb-001**.
   * Connect to the Mikrotik's web interface and select **System → Identity**.
   * Specify the Identity as **za-gp-jhb-001** and click **Apply**.
+<panel type="primary">
+{{:technical:mikrotik:mt_hs_identity.png?nolink|}}
+</panel>
 -------
 ==== Confirm Ethernet-1's status ====
-  * Connect to the Mikrotik's web interface and select IP → DHCP Client.
+  * Connect to the Mikrotik's web interface and select **IP → DHCP Client**.
-  * The ether1-gateway interface should be listed along with it's DHCP supplied IP Address.
+  * The **ether1-gateway** interface should be listed along with it's DHCP supplied IP Address.
 <panel type="primary">
+{{:technical:mikrotik:dhcp_client.png?nolink|}}
 </panel>
   * If this is not listed or the interface does not have an IP Address assigned to it; ensure that it is fixed before continuing.
@@ Line 77: / Line 80: @@
 ==== Remove wlan1 from bridge-local ====
-  * Connect to the Mikrotik's web interface and select Bridge.
+  * Connect to the Mikrotik's web interface and select **Bridge**.
-  * Select the Ports sub-tab to see the list of ports and to which bridge they are assigned.
+  * Select the **Ports** sub-tab to see the list of ports and to which bridge they are assigned.
-  * By default ether2-master, wlan1, ether3, ether4 and ether5 will be members of the bridge named bridge.
+  * By default **ether2-master**, **wlan1**, **ether3**, **ether4** and **ether5** will be members of the bridge named **bridge**.
-  * Remove wlan1 from the list of ports.
+  * Remove **wlan1** from the list of ports.
 <panel type="primary">
+{{:technical:mikrotik:bridge.png|}}
 </panel>
-  * To remove the interface click on the - button. The D button will simply disable it.
+  * To remove the interface click on the **-** button. The **D** button will simply disable it.
 <panel type="primary">
+{{:technical:mikrotik:bridge-no-wlan.png|}}
 </panel>
@@ Line 93: / Line 96: @@
 ==== Add a RADIUS server ====
   * Mikrotik allows you to define zero or more RADIUS servers. The Mikrotik will in turn become a client to these pre-defined servers.
-  * Connect to the Mikrotik's web interface and select Radius
+  * Connect to the Mikrotik's web interface and select **Radius**
-  * Click the Add new button to add a RADIUS server.
+  * Click the **Add new** button to add a RADIUS server.
-    * Select the Hotspot service.
+    * Select the **Hotspot** service.
     * Specify the IP Address of the RADIUSdesk server running FreeRADIUS. (We use 164.160.89.129)
     * Specify the shared secret. (We use testing123)
     * Since our server is somewhere out on the Internet, we increase the timeout to 5000ms.
-    * Leave Accounting Backup unchecked.
+    * Leave **Accounting Backup** unchecked.
+    * Set **Require Message Auth** to **Yes for request resp**.
+<panel type="primary">
+{{:technical:mikrotik:radius.png|}}
+</panel>
+  * Next we will set-up the hotspot
+--------
+==== Configure a Hotspot running on the wlan1 WiFi interface ====
+=== Add a Hotspot using the setup wizard ===
+  * Connect to the Mikrotik's web interface and select **IP → Hotspot**.
+  * Click the **Hotspot Setup** button. (Do not use the **Add New** option this time)
+  * Select the **Hotspot Interface** as **wlan1** and click **next**.
+  * Specify the **Local address of Network** as **10.5.50.1/24**
+  * Ensure **Masquerade Network** is selected.
+  * Click **Next** to continue.
+  * Keep the default value of **Address Pool of Network** (10.5.50.2-10.5.50.254).
+  * Click **Next** to continue.
+  * Specify **Select certificate** as **none** since we will not use https initially.
+  * Click **Next** to continue.
+  * Keep the default value for **IP Address of SMTP Server** (0.0.0.0).
+  * Click **Next** to continue.
+  * Keep the default value for **DNS Servers**. This will be the value assigned by the DHCP server to the Ethernet-1 interface.
+  * Click **Next** to continue.
+  * Keep the default value for **DNS Name** (empty).
+  * Click **Next** to continue.
+  * Supply a local admin user for the hotspot with a password.
+  * Click **Next** to continue.
+  * This should bring you to the end of the wizard and leave you with an entry in the list of available configured hotspots.
+=== Understanding the Hotspot configuration ===
+  * The **Hotspot Setup** wizard did the following behind the scenes. You are welcome to confirm in order to understand the Mikrotik better.
+    * Created a DHCP server pool called **dhcp1** running in interface **wlan1**
+      * Confirm by viewing **IP → DHCP Server**.
+      * **Networks** sub-tab will contain a ;;;Hotspot network with the 10.5.50 range.
+     *Created a hotspot server profile called **hsprof1**.
+      * Confirm by viewing **IP → Hotspot**.
+      * **Server Profiles** sub-tab will contain the **hsprof1** entry.
+=== Modify the created Server Profile ===
+  * We need to tel the **hsprof1** Server Profile to make sure it use RADIUS.
+  * Connect to the Mikrotik's web interface and select **IP → Hotspot**.
+  * Select **IP → Hotspot**. Select the **Server Profiles** sub-tab and select **hsprof1**
+  * Make sure **Use RADIUS** is selected.
+  * Make sure **Interim Update** has a sane value e.g. 00:10:00 for every 10 minutes.
+  * Click **Apply** to save this value.
+  * You can optionally enable MAC authentication and the format of the MAC address. Select **XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX** to work with RADIUSdesk.
+Your Mikrotik Hotspot is now configured. Next we will prepare RADIUSdesk.
+----------------
+===== Prepare RADIUSdesk =====
+==== Our Setup ====
+  * The setup described here makes use of a VPS server that runs RADIUSdesk somewhere in the cloud. (We use cloud.radiusdesk.com)
+  * RADIUSdesk makes it super easy to add a RADIUS client to the FreeRADIUS server.
+  * Simply take care of the following items when you are pointing a RADIUS client to the RADIUSdesk server:
+    * Public IP Address of the RADIUSdesk server.
+    * Ensure the site wide shared secret is correct. (Check this with the person who configured the RADIUSdesk server)
+    * Ensure there is a unique identifier the RADIUS client can identify itself with to the server. (We did this by setting the Identity of the Mikrotik router.)
+  * After you took care of that simply reboot the Mikrotik router while it has an active Internet connection.
+  * It should then be reported under **New Arrivals - RADIUS**.
+  * The **New Arrivals - RADIUS** tab is closed by default.
+  * To launch it, click the **New Arrivals** button in the **RADIUS Clients** applet.
-=== Launch Applet ===
 <panel type="primary">
-{{:technical:pp_profiles:pp_profiles_launch.png|}}
+{{:technical:mikrotik:new_arrivals.png|}}
 </panel>
+----------
+==== On-boarding a new arrival ====
+  * After the Mikrotik appeared under the **New Arrivals - RADIUS** tab we can change it to a RADIUS Client.
+<panel type="primary">
+{{:technical:mikrotik:onboarding_1.png|}}
+</panel>
+  * Select the new arrival you want to change and click on the **Attach** button.
+  * This will bring pop up a window where you can provide some detail.
+  * Give it a name:
+<panel type="primary">
+{{:technical:mikrotik:onboarding_2.png|}}
+</panel>
+  * The **Monitor** and **Maps** sub-tabs you can leave as default.
+  * The Enhancements tab has some handy enhancements. You are also advised to enable auto close - We give it a value of one hour (3600 seconds)
+<panel type="primary">
+{{:technical:mikrotik:onboarding_3.png|}}
+</panel>
+  * Finally select the realms that can use this RADIUS Client.
+<panel type="primary">
+{{:technical:mikrotik:onboarding_4.png|}}
+</panel>
+  * After you click the **Next** button this item will be moved to the list of RADIUS Clients. You will see this item indicates that it never contacted the RADIUSdesk server.
+  * Simply reboot the Mikrotik to confirm that contact is now established.
+  *  This brings us to the end of this section.
+-----------
+==== Testing it out ====
+  * Reboot the Mikrotik
+  * Connect to the WiFi Access point which the wlan1 interface advertises and confirm the following
+    * You get an IP Address in the 10.5.50.x range
+    * The DHCP server assigns you a DNS server's address for name resolution.
+    * As soon as you try to visit a website on the Internet you are redirected to the Mikrotik login page.
+    * Try to connect with a valid user defined in RADIUSdesk and confirm that the authentication works as intended.
+  * If things do not work correct; run a debug trace on FreeRADIUS and restart the Mikrotik router.
+  * Confirm that the Mikrotik router does send an Accounting-On packet to the RADIUS server by looking at the debug output of the FreeRADIUS server.
+-------------
+==== What next ====
+Although your system is up and running now you may want to do the following advanced configurations
+  * Introduce central managed Dynamic Login Pages for Mikrotik.
+The Advanced setup page will cover these topics.