MikroTik PPPoE vs Hotspot:
which one should you actually use?
Both authenticate subscribers through RADIUS. They solve different problems, and most WISPs that grow past a certain size end up running both — for different parts of the same network.
The short answer: PPPoE for fixed, billed installations — a dish and an indoor unit at someone's house, paying monthly. Hotspot for walk-up, voucher-based access — no installation, no dedicated hardware at the subscriber's end, just a login page. Here's the reasoning, side by side.
Side-by-side
| PPPoE | Hotspot | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Fixed subscribers with installed equipment (dish, indoor router) | Walk-up access — cafés, hotels, prepaid card sales |
| How the client connects | Dials in with a username/password configured on their router or PPPoE client software | Joins Wi-Fi normally, redirected to a browser login page |
| Setup on client side | Requires PPPoE client config — a one-time technical step | Zero configuration — works on any phone or laptop out of the box |
| Typical billing model | Recurring monthly subscription | Prepaid vouchers/cards, time or data-based |
| RADIUS service type | service=ppp | service=hotspot |
| Session persistence | Stays connected until the router/link drops | Often re-prompts after a set time or when the device reconnects |
| Typical failure point | MTU/MRU mismatch, CGNAT reachability | DNS resolution for the login page, HTTPS interception limits |
When to use PPPoE
If a technician is physically installing a dish or indoor unit at a fixed address and the subscriber is paying a recurring bill, PPPoE is the right model almost every time. It ties a session to a real, billed account with no ambiguity, and the connection stays up continuously rather than needing repeated logins.
When to use Hotspot
Anywhere access needs to work for a device you've never seen before, with zero setup — a customer buying a one-day card at a shop, a guest at a location you manage. Nobody is installing PPPoE client software on a stranger's phone for a coffee shop.
Why many WISPs end up running both
A common pattern: PPPoE for the core residential/business subscriber base on fixed installations, and a Hotspot access point at a physical location (an office, a shop front, a public area) for walk-up prepaid access — both authenticating against the same RADIUS server, just with different service types. One RADIUS platform, two access models, depending on who's connecting and how.
Both generators on this site produce scripts that register against the same RADIUS server — you can run the PPPoE config on your main router and the Hotspot config on a separate access point pointed at the same RADIUS IP and secret.