Updated
Add Your First Router
Connect a MikroTik router to DataRadius — no public IP, no port forwarding, no SSH keys.
What the setup command does
DataRadius generates a setup command tailored to your router. When you paste it into your router's terminal, it configures everything the platform needs to manage subscribers and enforce billing: an encrypted VPN tunnel, DNS overrides, the hotspot or PPPoE server, walled garden entries, and QoS rules. No manual firewall rules, no port forwarding, no SSH keys.
The command is idempotent — running it again after a firmware upgrade updates the configuration without duplicating entries.
Requirements
Before adding a router, confirm you have:
- MikroTik hardware running RouterOS 6.49+ or 7.x.
- An internet connection. Fiber, cellular (4G/5G), Starlink, or any other uplink. No public IP needed.
- Terminal access. Winbox Terminal, SSH, or WebFig — any method that lets you paste a command.
Adding the router
- In the DataRadius dashboard, navigate to Routers → Add Router.
- Enter a name for the router.
- Select the services: Hotspot, PPPoE, or Both.
- Choose the interface the hotspot or PPPoE server should run on.
- Click Generate Command.
DataRadius displays a setup command. Copy it.
Running the command
Open your router's terminal (Winbox Terminal, SSH, or WebFig) and paste the command displayed in the dashboard. The setup command is unique to your router.
The setup script automatically:
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Establishes a secure VPN tunnel between your router and DataRadius. The tunnel is outbound-only, so no public IP or port forwarding is required.
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Configures DNS so that the captive portal resolves correctly, even if upstream DNS is slow or unreliable.
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Sets up the hotspot or PPPoE server on your selected interface. If a server already exists, the script updates it rather than replacing it.
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Adds walled garden entries so subscribers can reach the payment page before having full internet access.
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Applies traffic prioritisation so payments complete reliably even when the WAN link is congested.
Within 60 seconds, the router appears as Online in the dashboard.
Verifying the connection
After running the setup command, check the DataRadius dashboard — the router card shows a green status indicator and the last-seen timestamp. If the router shows as offline after 3 minutes, see Troubleshooting below.
How the connection works
DataRadius connects to your router through an encrypted VPN tunnel that your router initiates outbound. DataRadius never needs to reach your router directly — the tunnel is always router-initiated. This is why no public IP or port forwarding is required.
The tunnel carries billing, authentication, monitoring, and management traffic. Subscriber internet traffic is unaffected — it flows directly through your WAN uplink as normal.
Managing routers
After adding a router, the dashboard shows:
- Status — online/offline with last-seen timestamp.
- Connected subscribers — active hotspot and PPPoE sessions.
- Firmware version — detected via the API, with upgrade advisories.
- Services — which billing services (Hotspot, PPPoE) are enabled.
You can add more routers at any time. Each router gets its own tunnel and monitoring. Billing plans you create in the dashboard sync across all connected routers automatically — change a speed limit once and it updates everywhere.
Troubleshooting
Router shows as offline
- Confirm your router has internet access.
- Check that the VPN interface created by the setup script is enabled.
- If the tunnel was previously working, re-run the setup command from the dashboard — it is safe to run repeatedly.
Tunnel not establishing
The most common cause is an upstream firewall blocking the outbound VPN connection. Also confirm that your router's clock is approximately correct — encrypted tunnels are sensitive to large time skews.
Setup command fails
If the setup command returns an error, verify DNS resolution and internet access on the router. On RouterOS 6.x, ensure you are running version 6.49 or later. Upgrade if needed.