WifiMan User Guide

Part 1: For Dashboard Users

As a dashboard user you have access to a portal where you can monitor sales, manage routers, generate vouchers, and withdraw earnings.

1. Logging In

1. Navigate to the WifiMan login page.
2. Enter your Username and Password.
3. Click Login to access your dashboard.

2. Dashboard Overview

Once logged in, the dashboard gives you a quick snapshot of your business:

• Current Balance: Your available funds that can be withdrawn.
• Active Vouchers: Total number of unused or currently active vouchers.
• Today's Earnings: Total deposits received today.
• Monthly Online Earnings: Total deposits received for the current month.
• Recent Transactions: A detailed log of deposits, withdrawals, fees, and debt payments.

3. Withdrawing Funds

You can withdraw earnings directly to your Mobile Money account (MTN or Airtel).

1. In the Current Balance section, enter the amount you wish to withdraw (Minimum 20,000 UGX).
2. Click Withdraw.
3. Your withdrawal will be processed instantly, and an SMS notification will be sent.

4. Quick Actions Menu

Use the Quick Actions buttons on your dashboard to navigate quickly:

• Payments: View all payment history and detailed transaction logs.
• Router Manager: Access your MikroTik router management interface.
• App: Download the native WifiMan Android mobile application.

5. Mobile-First Bottom Navigation

For an optimized experience on smartphones, WifiMan features a persistent bottom navigation bar:

• Router Manager: Lightning-fast access to Home (Back to Dashboard), Active (Sessions), Users, and Generate (Vouchers).

6. WifiMan Android Mobile App (Native APK)

Manage your entire hotspot network directly from your phone. WifiMan includes a native Android companion application designed specifically for hotspot operators, resellers, and field technicians.

6. Captive Portal Customization & Multimedia Advertising Engine

Monetize your captive portal and elevate your brand identity with customizable themes, live pricing displays, and multimedia advertising formats.

Flexible Ad Placements

• Above Plans (above_plans): Positions the advert prominently at the top of the packages section.
• Inside Plans (inside_plans): Embeds the advert directly inside the collapsible package list for maximum viewer engagement.
• Below Plans (below_plans): Displays the advert immediately underneath the pricing cards and above the Mobile Money checkout.

7. Cloud WireGuard VPN & Auto-Setup Script

Connect any MikroTik RouterOS device (hAP lite, hAP ac2/ac3, L009, RB750, CCR) to the WifiMan cloud cluster—even when behind Carrier-Grade NAT (CGNAT), 4G/5G mobile modems, or dynamic IP connections.

What the Auto-Setup Script Configures

• Admin Account Provisioning: Safely creates your custom admin username and strong password, disabling the default insecure admin user.
• LAN Bridge & Port Enrollment: Dynamically detects all physical ethernet and wireless ports (ether2, ether3, wlan1, wifi1) and adds them to your hotspot bridge while preserving ether1 for WAN.
• WireGuard Interface (wg1): Configures interface keys, cloud endpoint (41.223.55.82:51820), and sets persistent-keepalive=25s to keep NAT firewalls open continuously.
• FreeRADIUS Client: Points the hotspot server to the WifiMan FreeRADIUS server (10.7.0.1) and enables RFC 3576 / RFC 3799 incoming disconnect requests on UDP port 3799.
• Hardened Firewall: Creates stateful firewall filter rules (protecting router input from WAN while permitting ICMP, LAN traffic, and WireGuard UDP ports) and sets up NAT masquerade.
• Walled Garden Pre-population: Whitelists payment gateway APIs (MTN, Airtel, PegPay), the entertainment portal (movies.ug), and the central cloud portal (wifimanug.com) so users can pay without prior internet access.
• Self-Healing Watchdog: Configures RouterOS /tool netwatch to test ping reachability to 10.7.0.1 every 3 minutes. If the connection fails, it automatically cycles the WireGuard tunnel.
• Automated Portal Asset Fetch: Automatically fetches and extracts the responsive captive portal template files directly into router storage (hotspot/ or flash/hotspot/).

8. Router Manager

The Router Manager lets you configure and monitor your MikroTik routers:

• View Routers: See all your added routers along with their live online/offline status and tunnel IP.
• Add Router: Connect a new router by providing the Name, IP Address (or WireGuard VPN IP), Username, and Password.
• Manage Routers: Edit connection details, download configuration files, or remove routers no longer in use.

Router Details Interface

When you click on a specific router, you'll see a detailed management dashboard with multiple tabs:

Generate (Voucher Generation)

• Create Vouchers in Bulk: Generate multiple vouchers at once by specifying Quantity, Username Length, and Character Type (Numbers, Lowercase, Uppercase, or Mixed).
• Voucher Settings: Assign a Profile, Data Limit, Time Limit, and an optional Prefix or Batch Comment for easy tracking.
• Stock Widget: See stock levels per profile at a glance — green (OK), amber (low), red (out of stock).
• Last Batch: View the most recently generated batch. Print, Export to CSV, Add Time, or Delete the entire batch in one click.

Sold Vouchers & Total Usage Telemetry

Track all commercial voucher activations with complete revenue, usage metrics, and live data telemetry across your router.

• Advanced Date & State Filtering: Filter sold vouchers by preset date ranges (Today, Yesterday, 7d, 30d) or by state (Shop sale, Online mobile money sale, Expired).
• Global Voucher Search: Instantly look up any voucher code, customer phone number, or batch comment across all historical dates.
• Bulk Management: Select multiple sold vouchers to extend validity time or safely delete records in bulk.
• CSV Export: Download comprehensive transaction logs with usage data and timestamps for external accounting.

Payments

• Deposit Logs: Review detailed logs of all deposit payments associated with this router.
• Search: Search for specific transactions by phone number, voucher code, or transaction ID.
• Pagination: Navigate through large payment histories with built-in pagination controls.

Active Sessions

• Live Monitoring: Watch active internet sessions on your hotspot in real-time via Server-Sent Events (SSE).
• Bandwidth Usage: Monitor total Download/Upload traffic and identify Top Bandwidth Users.
• Session Control: Forcefully disconnect any active session if needed.
• Sort & Search: Filter sessions by user, IP, MAC, or sort by expiry, usage, or profile.

Users

• Manage Vouchers: View and manage all user accounts (vouchers) on the router.
• Add Single User: Manually create a single voucher/user with custom limits, server, and profile.
• Filter by Batch: Filter users by comment/batch label to view specific batches.
• Bulk Actions: Select multiple users to Delete, Add Time, Print, or Export to CSV.
• Inline Editing: Click edit on any user to modify their profile, time limit, or data limit in place.
• Pagination: Navigate large user lists with configurable page sizes (10–500).

Reports

• Revenue Analytics: View revenue reports filtered by custom date ranges (Today, Yesterday, 7d, 14d, 30d, 90d).
• Visual Charts: Analyze performance through four chart types:
  • Daily Revenue — line chart of revenue over time
  • Revenue by Profile — pie chart showing which packages earn the most
  • Sales by Channel — bar chart comparing shop vs. online sales
  • Peak Hours — bar chart showing your busiest times of day
• Profile Filter: Click any profile segment to drill down into that specific profile's data.

Customer Lookup

• Phone Search: Enter a mobile number to view a customer's complete deposit and purchase history.
• CSV Export: Export all customer phone numbers to CSV for marketing or accounting.

Profiles

• Package Management: Create and modify user profiles that act as your internet packages.
• Profile Settings: Define Rate Limits (Speed), Shared Users, Validity (hours), and Price for each profile.
• Edit & Delete: Modify existing profiles inline or remove profiles you no longer need.

Hotspot Servers, Automated On/Off Scheduler & Anti-Tethering

Manage hotspot server instances, configure automated curfews and opening schedules, synchronize the router hardware clock, and block tethering sharing.

Automated Hotspot On/Off Scheduler

Automate your hotspot operating hours (night curfew and morning opening) without manual intervention:

• Flexible Frequency Modes:
  • Every Day (Daily): Runs every day. Turns OFF at night (e.g. 23:00) and turns ON in the morning (e.g. 06:00).
  • Specific Date: Runs on a single selected calendar date with a single-execution rule (interval=0s). Once the date passes, the background daemon automatically retires the schedule.
  • Date Range: Applies curfew hours daily only between a designated Start Date and End Date.
• Overnight Midnight Crossing: Fully supports curfew windows that span midnight (e.g. 23:00 to 06:00). For specific-date curfews, the morning turn-on event automatically targets start_date + 1 day on RouterOS.
• Target Server Selection: Apply the schedule globally to All Hotspot Servers or restrict it to a specific server instance (e.g., student hostel or lounge).
• Active Session Eviction: When "Disconnect active users immediately when turning off" is checked, the router forcefully terminates all active customer sessions at curfew time to prevent unauthorized browsing.
• Visual State Badges: Matching hotspot server cards display an inline blue badge ( Sched 06:00 - 23:00) indicating an active curfew rule.
• Lifecycle Management:
  • Active — Schedule is actively running on router hardware timers.
  • Paused — Timers are paused on the router, temporarily keeping hotspot servers open 24/7 without deleting your settings.
  • Off — No schedule configured. Hotspot operates 24/7.
• Self-Healing Background Cron: The background service (cron_enforce_expiry.php) periodically verifies that live router hotspot state matches the schedule and self-heals after unexpected router reboots or power outages.

Anti-Tethering Engine

Prevent customers from redistributing their hotspot voucher connection to unauthorized devices:

• TTL-Based Detection: Injects RouterOS firewall mangle rules (change-ttl) into the postrouting chain to prevent devices from sharing their connection via mobile hotspot or USB tethering.
• 1-Click Enable / Disable: Turn tethering protection on or off instantly without manually writing mangle rules.
• Safe Rule Teardown: The Remove Rules button completely unregisters all anti-tethering firewall entries from the router.

Hosts & DHCP

• Connected Hosts: View all devices currently connected to the hotspot, including their MAC, IP, and authorization status.
• IP Bindings: Create bypass or block rules for specific MAC addresses to control permanent network access.
• DHCP Leases: View all DHCP leases with filtering by status (Bound, Waiting, Static, Dynamic).
• Lease Actions: Make leases static, update comments, or delete leases directly from the interface.

Device Monitor

• Netwatch Integration: Add access points and network devices to Netwatch for uptime monitoring.
• Status Dashboard: See at a glance how many devices are Up vs. Down.
• Device Management: Add new devices with Name, IP, and optional MAC (for static DHCP). Edit or remove devices as needed.

Interfaces & Bridge Management

Monitor and configure network interfaces (Ethernet, Wireless, Bridge, VLAN, and WireGuard) directly through the web console without requiring WinBox or SSH.

• Live Interface Grid: View all interfaces with real-time status indicators: Running, Down, and Disabled.
• Live Traffic Telemetry: View active RX/TX throughput, cumulative byte counters, link speeds (e.g. 100M/1G Full Duplex), and MTU sizing.
• Bridge Port Management: Dynamically attach physical ports or wireless interfaces to the local hotspot bridge (e.g. hs-bridge) or detach ports for dedicated WAN usage.
• DHCP Client Control: Toggle DHCP clients on any physical interface with one click to quickly acquire upstream WAN IPs from modems or fiber ONTs.
• Safety Protection: Built-in safeguards check whether an interface is actively assigned to Multi-WAN load balancing or the WireGuard cloud tunnel before allowing it to be disabled.

Multi-WAN Load Balancing & Failover

Combine multiple internet connections (e.g. Primary Fiber + 4G LTE Backup or dual wireless links) to achieve aggregated throughput and automatic zero-downtime failover.

4-Step Multi-WAN Setup Wizard

1. Step 1: Select WAN Interfaces: Select two or more WAN interfaces. The wizard automatically detects interfaces with active DHCP clients and gateway routes.
2. Step 2: Gateway Configuration: Review detected gateway IPs or define static gateways. Configure failover ping intervals and metric distances.
3. Step 3: NAT Masquerade: Automatically establishes outbound srcnat masquerade rules for each chosen WAN interface.
4. Step 4: Mangle & Routing Deployment: Generates and applies routing marks, connection tracking marks, and routing rules with atomic verification.

PPPoE Broadband Management

Deliver dedicated point-to-point broadband connections to residential and business clients with automated bandwidth control and session management.

• Flexible Remote Address Mode: When creating or editing a PPPoE profile, choose between selecting an existing IP pool from the dropdown or clicking Type custom to specify a custom static remote IP or subnet.
• Single Session Enforcement: Toggle Only One session restriction to prevent multiple devices from sharing the same PPPoE credentials simultaneously.
• 1-Click Profile & RADIUS Sync: Keep profiles synchronized across MikroTik RouterOS and the central FreeRADIUS billing server with atomic sync actions.
• Client Renewal & Expiry: Manage customer subscriptions with instant time additions and renewal tracking directly from the dashboard.

Real-Time Logs

• System Logs: View the live internal logs of the MikroTik router for advanced troubleshooting.
• Filter Events: Identify login failures, PPPoE connection drops, hotspot authorization issues, or system errors instantly.

Reboot & System Resources

• Resource Dashboard: Real-time hardware health inspection showing CPU model, core count, CPU utilization percentage, free RAM, storage disk utilization, RouterOS architecture, and total uptime.
• Safe Remote Reboot: Remotely restart your MikroTik router from anywhere in the world. Requires typing REBOOT into the confirmation dialog to prevent accidental clicks.

Part 2: For WiFi Customers

If you're a customer trying to connect to a WiFi network, follow these steps to purchase internet access securely.

1. Connecting to the Network

1. Turn on WiFi on your device and select the hotspot network name (SSID).
2. A "Sign in to network" prompt should appear automatically. If it doesn't, open any browser and navigate to any web address (e.g. google.com or wifi.login). You will be redirected to the captive portal welcome page.

2. Purchasing a Package

1. On the welcome page, select your preferred internet package (e.g. 1 Hour, Daily Unlimited, Weekly, Monthly).
2. Enter your Mobile Money Number (MTN or Airtel, formatted as 07XXXXXXXX).
3. Click the Secure Payment button.

3. Confirming Payment

1. Check your phone screen for the Mobile Money prompt.
2. Enter your Mobile Money PIN to authorize the payment.
3. Once approved, the portal automatically authenticates your device MAC address. You're online within 3–5 seconds!

4. Free WiFi Trial

New to the hotspot? Customers can test the connection speed completely free of charge before purchasing a voucher.

• 1-Click Activation: Tap the Free Trial badge on the captive portal welcome screen.
• Automatic Provisioning: The system automatically creates a temporary trial voucher (T-[MAC]) on the router and logs you in immediately.
• Cooldown Protection: To prevent abuse, each device is allowed 1 free trial every 24 hours. An automated countdown tells returning users when their next trial becomes available.

5. QR Voucher Scanning & Auto-Login

6. Free Entertainment Portal (movies.ug)

WifiMan features an integrated entertainment walled-garden bypass. Hotspot clients can stream and browse movies completely free without purchasing data.

• Click the Free Movies badge on the portal or navigate to movies.ug.
• The domain is whitelisted in the router's walled garden, allowing access even before logging in or making a payment.
• Watch movie trailers, local Ugandan films, and trending series without consuming your paid voucher time.

7. Multimedia Advertisements & Special Offers

Hotspot portals can display promotional video trailers, radio jingles, banner offers, or announcements alongside package options.

• Video Clips: High-definition video ads play inline smoothly. Tap the Tap to Unmute button to hear sound.
• Audio Messages: Tap the circular play button to listen to featured audio announcements or music with animated equalizer feedback.
• Special Promotions: Tap any promotional banner or call-to-action button (e.g. "Buy Plan", "Learn More", "Order Now") to explore featured services.
• All promotional media is whitelisted to play without consuming your voucher data.

8. Customer Support

Need assistance or experiencing connectivity issues? Hotspot owners display their direct phone number at the bottom of the portal page. Tap the number to call the help desk directly.