Wireless hotspot with access points

Hi - I have installed a Mitrotik setup which backs off logging in to a web based authentication site. Basically the user clicks the ssid and is forwarded to splash page where upon they enter their details. The splash page is cloud based. This works really well on small stand alone setups, and I also have it working on a larger setup where the access points are MT boxes, connected either using capsman or Vlans.

But I have a requirement that means that I cannot access the existing access points. The Netgear Access points are currently connect to the network via DHCP, so I have allowed them to bypass by adding their MAC addresses into the RB450 I am using. This seems to work fine but occasionally a user does not seem to get onto the network.

It is as though they are not getting an IP address as they do not get the splashpage. I am struggling to diagnose this as the setup is live and the network manager has to turn off the hotspot to allow the failed user to continue to access the internet, which makes it difficult to support as I only find out about it after the event.

Does anyone know if adding access points into a MT hotspot and letting the access points connect using DHCP with bypass will cause issues?

If all the access points are on the same layer3 network then it’s probably not anything to do with whether the AP’s have DHCP. Even if they didn’t have any IP as long as they are bridges and connected to the network then they should work.

My guess is that the AP’s are crashing and need a reboot and it’s nothing to do with DHCP etc?