Your first subscriber.
One clear step at a time.

Step 01 · SkyBase + Winbox

Connect your router

SkyBase needs a way to talk to your router. Subscriber login uses RADIUS; router monitoring uses the RouterOS API. Both connections need to work.

1. In Winbox, open IP → Services. Check the API service and port agreed for your installation. Use API-SSL when your SkyBase installation requires TLS. Allow access from the SkyBase server or management VPN.
2. Open System → Users and prepare a dedicated management account with the permissions your installation needs. Keep its username and password ready.
3. In SkyBase, open Routers → Add New Router. Enter Router Name, select Mikrotik, and enter the reachable IP Address, API Port, API Username, and API Password. Match the SSH Port if SSH is used.
4. Leave Enable Monitoring and Enable Provisioning enabled for this setup, then choose Save Router. NetFlow can wait until after the first subscriber works.

Ready to move on: the router is saved and SkyBase can reach it. If it stays Offline, check the management address, service port, account permissions, and firewall before continuing.

Step 02 · SkyBase

Add the person using the service

The customer record holds their contact and billing details. Their subscription will hold the internet service and login.

1. Open Customers → New Customer. Choose Individual or Business and fill in the fields marked with an asterisk (*).
2. Enter their email, mobile number, and service address. Set the correct country and choose Prepaid or Postpaid to match your billing arrangement.
3. Portal Password is optional. It is for the customer portal and is separate from the internet login you will create later.
4. Organizations are optional for a simple first setup. If you use organization billing, the primary organization can supply the plan and billing defaults.
5. Choose Create Customer & Add Subscription. If the subscription form opens, come back here to prepare the plan and addresses before completing it.

Ready to move on: The customer is saved and available in the subscription’s Customer list. Their status must be Active for RADIUS authentication.

Step 03 · SkyBase

Decide what internet service you sell

A plan defines the speed, data allowance, and price. You can reuse the same plan for more customers.

1. Open Plans → Create Plan. Give it a clear Plan Name, such as Home 20 Mbps, and a unique Internal Name, such as home_20.
2. Set Service Type to Hotspot and keep Status set to Active.
3. For a simple setup, use Basic rate limit. Enter Download Speed and Upload Speed, checking the selected speed unit.
4. Choose Unlimited Data or enter a Data Limit. Review Data Cap Action so you know what happens when the allowance runs out.
5. Set the price, currency, Billing Cycle, and Grace Period. Review any Setup Fee, then choose Save Plan.

Ready to move on: Your active plan appears in the Service Plan list. The subscription inherits its billing cycle.

Step 04 · SkyBase

Choose who assigns the IP address

Every connected device needs an IP address. Pick one way to manage it and carry that choice into the subscription.

To create a SkyBase IPAM pool

1. Open IP Address Management → Manage Pools → Create Pool. Enter a Pool Name and choose Dynamic (DHCP/PPPoE) or Mixed (Both).
2. Under Device Assignment, select your router. Use All current and future devices only if the same pool should be available to all your routers.
3. Enter the Network Address, CIDR Prefix, Gateway IP, and DNS. Example: 10.20.0.0, /24, and 10.20.0.1.
4. Reserve any addresses already used by infrastructure. Review the pool preview and assignment settings, then choose Create Pool.

Ready to move on: for System Managed, the active pool has available addresses and is assigned to your router. Creating an IPAM pool does not configure interfaces, routing, or DHCP on the MikroTik.

Step 05 · Winbox / RouterOS

Prepare Hotspot on the MikroTik

Use the Winbox steps below. The terminal examples are an alternative for people comfortable with RouterOS. Replace every value in CAPITALS with the details for your installation before running a command.

First, point the router to RADIUS

In Winbox, open RADIUS → +. Select hotspot, enter your RADIUS server Address and Secret, and use the registered Src. Address if your installation requires it. Standard UDP ports are 1812 for authentication and 1813 for accounting; use your administrator’s values if different.

/radius add service=hotspot address=RADIUS_SERVER_IP \
    secret="YOUR_RADIUS_SECRET" src-address=REGISTERED_ROUTER_IP

If a matching RADIUS entry already exists, edit it instead of adding another one. The server must recognize this router as a client of your SkyBase workspace. Saving the router in SkyBase alone does not confirm that registration.

Create the Wi-Fi login service

1. In IP → Hotspot → Hotspot Setup, choose the customer-facing interface or bridge. Keep your internet uplink outside that customer bridge.
2. Follow the wizard with your customer subnet, gateway, DHCP address range, DNS, and login hostname. Use an appropriate certificate for HTTPS login. Match these settings to your network.
3. Open IP → Hotspot → Server Profiles, edit the profile used by your Hotspot, then open its RADIUS tab. Enable Use RADIUS, accounting, and interim updates for usage reporting.
4. For a first login test, use a new username that does not already exist under IP → Hotspot → Users. A local user can take precedence over RADIUS.

/ip hotspot setup
/ip hotspot profile set [find name="YOUR_HOTSPOT_PROFILE"] \
    use-radius=yes radius-accounting=yes radius-interim-update=5m

Ready to move on: a phone joining the customer network receives an address and can reach the Hotspot login page. The SkyBase internet login is created in the next step.

Keep your working internet route, DNS, and required NAT/firewall rules in place. This guide configures subscriber access; it does not replace your router’s uplink setup.

RouterOS reference: RADIUS, PPP AAA, PPPoE, and Hotspot. Menu wording can vary with your Winbox version.

Step 06 · SkyBase

Bring it together in a subscription

You now have a customer, a plan, and a router. A subscription joins them and creates the customer’s internet login.

1. Open Subscriptions → Create Subscription. Select your Customer and enter a Name you will recognize.
2. Set Subscription Type to Hotspot, select your Service Plan, and choose the Router / NAS you just prepared.
3. Under Connection Type, choose PPP for this username/password RADIUS walkthrough. Enter a unique PPP Username and a strong PPP Password.
4. Choose Router Managed under IP Management. Your Hotspot DHCP pool assigns the device address.
5. Review Line Items and the total. The Billing Cycle comes from the plan. Check Billing Enabled and Auto Suspension Enabled so they match the service you intend to provide.
6. Keep Initial Status set to Active if you want to connect now. Check the dates and choose Create Subscription. Pending Activation is for services you will activate later.

Ready to move on: the saved subscription shows the correct customer, plan, router, and Active status. Provisioning may finish in the background; Active alone does not prove the customer is online.

Step 07 · One real connection

Connect and check it works

1. Join the customer Wi-Fi from a test phone or laptop. Open the captive portal and enter the subscription’s PPP Username and PPP Password.
2. In Winbox, open IP → Hotspot → Active. Your username should appear with a client address.
3. Open a website from the test device and run a speed test. Compare the result with the plan, allowing for Wi-Fi quality and available uplink capacity.
4. Return to the subscription in SkyBase. Check its connection status and session/authentication information. With accounting and interim updates enabled, usage should start appearing after traffic and an update interval.

Stuck? Start with what you see.

Still need help? Contact the SkyBase team with the step you reached and the error message.