Hey there,
After many hours of working with MikroTIk hotspot and having user gripes.. Primarily ANDROID devices… Noticed that it is all within the configuration aspect. This is undocumented items..
At first i ONLY had:
hotspot server Login configured with “Http Chap, cookie”.
This caused issues authenticating tablets/phones - they wouldnt stay.
then did:
“http chap, mac cookie, cookie”.
This resolved some issues, but then had subset of android phones/tablets that failed to connect (samsung…)
then:
“http chap, http pap, mac cookie, cookie”. (Why need http pap. - android?)
This appears to of resolved the issues any allow any/all devices connect and authenticate to the Captive portal…
Also some confusion with the idle-timeout and keepalive-timeout… This is for a campground. Idle-timeout I can keep low, and users can re-connect without having to re-authenticate (annoying and they get very upset..)
I have to set the ‘keepalive-timeout’ to very high, such as a few days - as campers be onsite for a few days or month. That way, they can leave site or be idle-timeout and it’ll re-connect them without having to re-enter their authentication credentials. DHCP lease is also set low 2hrs, which is fine.
Also noticed some older (1yr+) cheap android phones (rural area, campground, elder people). The captive portal WILL NOT pop-up. Client super fustrated and wants to rip out all the MT equipment and return to a regular Linksys router that said guest wifi ‘worked’
Apparently a campground 10+ miles away had a hotspot implemented (not me, or mikrotik) and they tore it down within a year do to user auth/complaints.