Compatible hardware
Any MikroTik router running RouterOS is supported. If you already own one, especially one that is already running a zone, it will most likely work as is. Ask us before you buy anything.
Plug in the router, WiNet does the rest
A MikroTik router, an internet connection, power. WiNet handles the configuration, the monitoring and the updates. You never type a single command line.
The hardware
What the router does for you
WiNet runs on MikroTik routers under RouterOS. They are rugged, easy to find in African markets, repairable, and able to carry a busy WiFi zone without a reboot every day.
Automatic onboarding
You add the router from the app: it discovers the device on the local network by itself and shows it to you, model included. You confirm, and WiNet installs the full configuration on it: captive portal, bundles and access control.
Secure tunnel
The router opens an encrypted tunnel to WiNet by itself. Nothing to open on your modem, no port exposed to the internet, and the router credentials are encrypted at rest. If the carrier throttles UDP — the usual story on shared connections (CGNAT) — or the router does not know WireGuard, the tunnel is established over TCP on port 443.
Online, offline, alerted
Every zone shows the state of its router, down to its load and memory read live. If it stops responding, you get a notification instead of hearing about it from an angry customer.
Remote operations
Create a bundle, reboot the unit, push the configuration again: it all happens from the app, without a trip to the site.
Several zones, one account
Add a second router, a fifth, a twentieth: each one becomes an independent zone with its own bundles and its own balance.
Expiry dates live on the router
The date a code stops working is written on the unit itself. The day your operator link goes down you stop selling, but no expired code becomes usable again during the outage.
Already running a zone ?
Then leave it in place. Plenty of managers already run WiFi that works: the router is installed, the signal carries, customers connect to it. Moving to WiNet does not mean starting over. It means connecting what you already have.
- You keep the hardware. Your MikroTik stays yours, and there is nothing to buy again while it does the job.
- You keep the network name. The SSID your customers know stays the same, so nobody has to hunt for a new network.
- You keep your install. Cabling, access points, antenna position: nothing to redo.
- You keep your numbers. The bundles already on the router are read back and adopted by the app, and past Mikhmon sales enter your history.
- You gain the selling side. A portal in your colours, bundles, Mobile Money collection and remote monitoring sit on top of what is already there.
Two routes, depending on the router
The router is already configured and in service. You register it in the app, it opens the tunnel to WiNet itself, and WiNet checks that its hotspot answers through that tunnel, never through a direct call from the internet. If the check passes, the zone switches to "online" and you run it like any other.
There is even a version that asks you for nothing up front: a universal connection script, run on the router, reads its own serial number and installs only the control layer. Your Wi-Fi settings and your hotspot are left untouched. From the router page you then decide whether WiNet should simply monitor it or configure it fully as a WiNet zone.
The router is new, still in its box. Here WiNet does the whole job: a single-use script, signed and valid for a short window, installs the Wi-Fi, the captive portal, the control account and the tunnel. You open no ports on your modem and you type no commands.
Check this before connecting a router that is already in service
It has to be a MikroTik running RouterOS, you need admin access to it, and its internet connection has to be up when you connect it. Have its serial number, the network name (SSID) and the WiFi key ready. The full procedure, including what does and does not change for customers already connected, is in the setup guide. If you already administer a hotspot, read Take over an existing hotspot.
Remote monitoring, plainly explained
Once onboarded, the router stays permanently in touch with WiNet through a secure tunnel that it opens itself. That link is what lets you do from your phone what used to mean going on site with a laptop.
You add an evening bundle at 7 pm for your bar: it is pushed to the router and shows up on the portal. A customer reports an outage: you ask for a remote reboot. You changed the zone logo: the configuration is pushed again.
The bundle list, for its part, is re-read from the device every time you open it: what the app shows is what the router holds, ticket stock included — no "import" button, no gesture to learn.
And when a router stops answering, whether from a power cut, an unplugged cable or an operator failure, the zone switches to "offline" and you are notified. So you always know whether your point of sale is open.
The tunnel is there to control the router, not to police traffic. The rules that decide who gets through and for how long, meaning access control, speed limits and the expiry of each code, live on the router. That is why losing your internet link costs you sales but never breaks the durations you already sold.
- Create or edit a bundle and watch it land on the portal.
- Reboot the router without leaving your counter.
- Push the configuration again after a theme or price change.
- Check the state of every zone before you open the shop.
- Read the router's resources live — load, memory, sessions — without plugging in a laptop.
- Get an alert the moment a zone drops offline.
Rather hand it over ?
Open a field visit on the zone: a technician vetted by WiNet comes out to install or repair, and files a written report for you. See how it works.
Three things to check before you order your hardware
A stable internet connection on site: fibre, ADSL or 4G on a plan sized for the number of customers you expect. The WiFi you resell will never be better than the line feeding it. Reliable power: an outage shuts down the router, and the sales with it, so even a small UPS saves a lot of lost evenings. Enough WiFi coverage: depending on floor area and walls, an extra access point may be needed for the signal to reach your customers.
Hardware checklist
What to gather on site before bringing a zone into service. Nothing exotic, all of it is sold off the shelf.
| Item | Required ? | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| MikroTik router | Essential | Running RouterOS, in working order, with its original power supply. |
| Internet connection | Essential | An active line on site, with bandwidth matched to the crowd you expect. |
| Mains power | Essential | A socket available at all times; a UPS is recommended where power cuts out. |
| Network cable | Essential | One cable between the operator modem and the router's input port. |
| WiFi access point | Depends on the space | Useful if the signal has to cover several rooms, floors or a terrace. |
| A connected phone | Essential | Yours, to open the app and onboard the router. |
| WiNet technician | Optional | If you would rather leave the setup or a repair to a vetted professional, through a field visit. |
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The WiNet app is not published on Google Play yet, and the iPhone version is in the works. Message us on WhatsApp ([email protected]) and we will tell you the day it goes live. In the meantime, the app already works in your browser.
Works in the browser · No payment inside the app · You collect, you cash out.