Point your MikroTik RouterOS hotspot at CaptiFi's external splash page to capture guest emails, automate Google reviews and run marketing on autopilot. Or skip the config entirely with our free plug-and-play device.
Setting up CaptiFi on MikroTik follows the same external-splash flow as every other vendor we support. There are three jobs:
| Step 1 | Enable the RouterOS hotspot on the interface that serves your guests. |
|---|---|
| Step 2 | Point the hotspot login at the CaptiFi external splash URL. |
| Step 3 | Add the CaptiFi domains to the hotspot walled garden so the splash page loads before sign-in. |
In WinBox or WebFig, open IP → Hotspot and run the hotspot setup on the interface your guests connect to (for example the bridge that carries your guest WiFi). RouterOS will create the hotspot server, an IP pool and a DHCP scope for that interface.
| Hotspot interface | The bridge or interface serving guest WiFi |
|---|---|
| Address pool | Keep the default RouterOS suggests for the hotspot |
| Login method | HTTP / HTTPS redirect to an external server |
RouterOS supports redirecting unauthenticated guests to an external login page. Set the hotspot login page to redirect to your CaptiFi splash URL so guests see your branded portal instead of the default RouterOS login.
| External login | Redirect unauthenticated users to your CaptiFi splash URL |
|---|---|
| Splash page URL | Use the exact URL shown in your CaptiFi dashboard for this location |
The hotspot blocks everything until a guest signs in, so the splash page itself needs an exemption. Under IP → Hotspot → Walled Garden, add each of these domains:
Connect a phone to your guest WiFi. You should be redirected to your branded CaptiFi splash page. Enter a test email, complete the login, and confirm you reach the internet.
Verify the capture in your CaptiFi dashboard under Site Guest Logs.
You do not have to buy anything new, and you do not have to learn RouterOS. There are two paths and both are included with your plan.
| Use your existing MikroTik kit | If you are comfortable in RouterOS and already run a MikroTik router, follow the steps above. CaptiFi sits in front as the external splash. No extra hardware. |
|---|---|
| Use our free plug-and-play device | RouterOS is powerful but fiddly. If you would rather not touch WinBox, we post you a pre-configured CaptiFi device. Plug it into your existing network by Ethernet, it pulls its config from the cloud, and a guest SSID appears in about two minutes. No hotspot config, no walled garden, no static IP. |
Yes. CaptiFi runs as an external splash page behind the RouterOS hotspot. You enable the hotspot, redirect unauthenticated guests to the CaptiFi URL, and add our domains to the walled garden. If you would rather skip RouterOS entirely, use our free plug-and-play device.
Yes, and most venues take it. Our free plug-and-play device needs no RouterOS configuration at all: plug it into your network by Ethernet and a branded guest SSID appears in about two minutes.
Almost always the walled garden is missing a CaptiFi domain, so the router blocks the splash page before the guest can sign in. Confirm all four domains are added under IP, Hotspot, Walled Garden, and test on a device that has not cached a previous portal.
No. CaptiFi only handles the sign-in splash page. Once a guest is authenticated, their traffic is routed by RouterOS as normal. Throughput is unaffected.
Yes. You attach the hotspot to your existing guest interface rather than rebuilding the network. Your routing, firewall and other interfaces stay as they are.
Yes. CaptiFi captures guest details with clear consent and keeps a full audit trail, so the email capture on your MikroTik hotspot stays UK GDPR and PECR compliant.
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