From download to your first sale

1. Enable the API on your router

MikrotikAdmin talks to RouterOS over its API. In Winbox, open IP → Services and make sure api is enabled on port 8728. If your router is exposed to the internet, restrict that service to your own address — the app’s security review will flag it if you do not.

2. Connect

Open the app and enter the router’s address, username and password. It detects RouterOS 6 or 7 on connect and uses the correct paths for that generation for the rest of the session.

3. Run the hotspot wizard

Open Hotspot Admin. The Guided panel offers a full hotspot setup that creates the bridge, address pool, DHCP server, NAT rule, DNS, user profile and hotspot server in the right order.

Read the warning about the interface you choose. If you select the interface your own computer is connected through, the hotspot will capture your machine and you will need to log in before you can carry on. The wizard tells you when this is about to happen — do not skip that screen.

4. Create a user profile

A profile defines what a voucher is worth: how long it lasts, how fast it is, and how many devices may share it. Create one profile per product you intend to sell — for example a day pass and a week pass.

5. Generate and print vouchers

In Make Tickets, choose the profile, how many codes you want and the code format. The batch is tagged so you can find it again. Then open Print Tickets, choose your paper layout and print.

6. Track what you sell

Manage Tickets shows each batch, which codes have been used, and what the batch was worth. Disable a code there if it goes astray.

Common problems

“Interface configuration already exists”

Something is already configured on that interface — usually the default configuration that ships on a new router. The wizard detects existing setups by name and by interface and will offer to work around them.

The login page does not appear

Almost always DNS. Hotspot clients must be handed a DNS server they can actually reach before they authenticate — that means the router itself, not a public resolver. The wizard configures this correctly; if you set the hotspot up by hand, check IP → DHCP Server → Networks.

User Manager is missing on RouterOS 7

On RouterOS 7, User Manager is a separate package that is not installed by default. Download the matching user-manager package for your architecture from MikroTik, upload it to the router and reboot. The app detects this and tells you rather than failing with an API error.

I locked myself out

Connect to the router by MAC address in Winbox, which works even when IP routing does not. If you have scheduled backups from the System Admin tab, restore the most recent one.