Note: While we do provide technical support and step by step guidance, Beambox self-install guides are generally written for IT consultants and those who are familiar with managing their own networks.
Using this step by step guide, you will quickly be able to create or edit an existing MikroTik wireless network with your Beambox WiFi login.
Prerequisites
Before getting started, here's a checklist of the things you will need.
Active MikroTik hardware to configure and test
Access to configure MikroTik through either WinBox or CLI
Familiarity with your network topology and MikroTik management
Your login URL, which can be found on your Beambox dashboard
Installing Beambox on your MikroTik networks using WinBox
To get started, connect to your MikroTik management section using WinBox. Use your router IP and login details to connect.
Create a new virtual interface
Wireless > WiFi Interfaces > New Virtual Interface
In the 'General' tab, make the following changes.
Name - beambox_wlan
In the 'Wireless' tab, make the following changes.
Mode - ap bridge
SSID - Your network name
Save the changes by clicking 'OK'.
Create a new bridge
Bridge > Bridge > New
In the 'General' tab, make the following changes.
Name - bridge-beambox
Save the changes by clicking 'OK'.
Next, head to the Bridge > Ports > Add New tab.
In the 'General' tab, make the following changes
Interface - beambox_wlan
Bridge - bridge-beambox
Save the changes by clicking 'OK'.
Setup the IP address for your bridge
IP > Addresses > New
Make the following changes.
Address - 10.5.0.1/22
Network - 10.5.0.0
Interface - bridge-beambox
Save the changes by clicking 'OK'.
Add an IP pool
IP > Pool > New
Make the following changes.
Name - pool-beambox
Addresses - 10.5.0.2-10.5.3.254
Next pool - none
Save the changes by clicking 'OK'.
Create a new DHCP server
IP > DHCP Server > Networks > New
Make the following changes.
Address - 10.5.0.0/22
Gateway - 10.5.0.1
DNS Servers - 10.5.0.1
Save the changes by clicking 'OK'.
Next, head to the IP > DHCP Server > DHCP > New tab.
In the 'Generic' tab, make the following changes.
Name - server1
Interface - bridge-beambox
Address Pool - pool-beambox
Check your DNS settings
IP > DNS
Ensure that there are no conflicting DNS settings, as this could prevent the captive portal from working as expected.
Configure RADIUS
RADIUS > New
In the 'General' tab, make the following changes.
Service - hotspot
Address - 64.227.44.68
Protocol - udp
Secret - 66987723
Authentication Port - 1812
Accounting Port - 1813
Timeout - 300
Save the changes by clicking 'OK'.
Create the Hotspot Profile
IP > Hotspot > Server Profiles > New
In the 'General' tab, make the following changes.
*if using a Mikrotik routerboard 951ui-2hn there is no "flash" directory*
Name - beambox-profile
DNS Name - beambox.beambox
HTML Directory - flash/hotspot or hotspot(depending on model)
In the 'Login' tab, make the following changes.
Login By - HTTP PAP
In the 'RADIUS' tab, make the following changes.
Use RADIUS - ✓
Accounting - ✓
Save the changes by clicking 'OK'.
Create the Hotspot Server
IP > Hotspot > Servers > New
Make the following changes.
Name - server-beambox
Interface - bridge-beambox
Address Pool - pool-beambox
Profile - beambox-profile
Save the changes by clicking 'OK'.
Add your login page IPs to the walled garden
IP > Hotspot > Walled Garden > New
Make the following changes.
Dst. Host - The domain (See below)
Save the changes by clicking 'OK'.
This step must be repeated for the following domains, you will need to create a walled garden entry for each. This will enable guests to access the login page before they are authorised.
Required domains
yourhotspot.net
beambox.com
*.amazonaws.com
Facebook domains
facebook.com
*.facebook.com
*.fbcdn.net
facebook.net
*.facebook.net
*.akamaihd.net
Twitter domains
twitter.com
api.twitter.com
*.twimg.com
*.akamaihd.net
Replace the default login.html file
Files > File List
On your Beambox dashboard, view the self-install details for your MikroTik location and click the 'Download login.html' button.
Now, drag the downloaded login.html file to the MikroTik 'flash/hotspot' folder. The final path should be 'flash/hotspot/login.html'.
Certain models of Mikrotik have no flash directory. If in your file directory there is no "flash" replace the login file in "hotspot" and copy and remove the original file in this directory". The final path will be hotspot/login.html
Create a new NAT rule
IP > Firewall > NAT > New
In this example, ether1 is a WAN interface. In the 'General' tab, make the following changes.
Chain - scrnat
Out. Interface - ether1
In the 'Action' tab, make the following changes.
Action - masquerade
Save the changes by clicking 'OK'.
Create a new DHCP client
IP > DHCP > New
In the 'DHCP' tab, make the following changes.
Interface - ether1
Use Peer DNS - ✓
Use Peer NTP - ✓
Add Default Rout - yes
Save the changes by clicking 'OK'.
Troubleshooting
Stuck in a loop when connecting to the network
If you are getting stuck in a loop during the captive portal authentication, this is typically an issue with older versions of MikroTik which are not compatible with our integration.
To fix this problem, ensure that your device firmware is up to date.
Other issues
We aren't currently aware of any other configuration incompatibilities with Beambox and MikroTik. If you face any issues, we recommend replicating the exact set up described above and then observe any changes.
Get in touch with our team if need help diagnosing your network.