What does the main router do that the access points do not?

It decides who is allowed online, applies each customer's speed and device limit, protects the network with one set of rules and keeps a record of every connection. The access points only send out the Wi-Fi signal.

Can I use the access points I already own?

Usually yes. Most access points can work as plain access points behind the main router, which is the best use for them. Check that yours has an access point or bridge mode.

Can I use a router that is not MikroTik?

Not today. Gridix Billing is built for MikroTik routers. They are widely used by internet providers, they have the Wi-Fi login and home broadband login features we rely on, and we can set them up and repair them from the dashboard.

Is it safe to put all my customers behind one router?

Yes, when it is set up well, and it is easier to keep safe than many separate boxes. There is one set of protection rules, one place to apply updates and one record of who connected. Setup closes the router settings that do not need to be open to the internet, and the router is managed over a protected connection.

What happens if my main router fails?

Customers on that site lose their internet until it is replaced, as with any single main device. For an important site, keep a spare router ready. A replacement is set up the same way as the first, with one script, and the dashboard shows you straight away which router is offline.

How many access points can one router handle?

It depends on the router model and how many customers are online at your busiest hour, not only on the number of access points. Our hotspot guides suggest a router for a small, medium and large site. If you are not sure, tell us about your site and we will help you choose.

Do I have to set up the router myself?

No. You paste one script into the router and it sets up your Wi-Fi login page and everything else it needs. The dashboard then checks it and can repair any step that has gone wrong.

What do I need to start a Wi-Fi hotspot business?

A busy place, an internet line, a main router, some access points, backup power, a billing system and your paperwork. Our step-by-step guide takes you through each one in order.

What do I need to become an internet provider?

Your paperwork first, then a surveyed area, an internet supply, a strong main router, a way to reach homes (wireless or fibre), billing and a small team. Our step-by-step guide shows each step and how to work out how many customers you need to break even.

Rules differ by type of service and can change, so we cannot give legal advice. Ask BRELA about registering your business, the Tanzania Revenue Authority about tax, and the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) which licence your service needs, before you launch.

How much does it cost to start?

It depends on your place and your plans, so ask for quotes. You pay once for the router, access points, poles, cables and backup power. Every month you pay for internet supply, power, site costs, repairs, your agents and the Gridix Billing fee. Our guides show how to work out your own numbers.

Platform features

Everything a MikroTik-centric ISP runs on

Built around the workflows and payment rails operators in Tanzania actually use — hotspot vouchers in trading centres, PPPoE in residential estates, and often both from the same router.

Hotspot

Captive portal and vouchers

A login page that is yours

Add your logo and your own colour, and show the page in English or Swahili. Your customers see your business, not a software company.

Voucher batches and agents

Generate codes in batches, assign them to field agents, print or export them, and see which code was sold, by whom, and when it was redeemed.

Sponsor placements

Run advertising on the portal with measured impressions and clicks — counted, never estimated — so a sponsor slot can be sold on real figures.

Six themes for your login page

Pick the look that suits your brand: Marigold, Linen, Lagoon, Lumen, Lumen Dark or Monochrome. Add your logo and your own colour on top of any of them, and change your mind whenever you like. The themes look different, but every one does exactly the same job, so you never give up a feature to get a style.

Marigold
Warm and friendly
Linen
Calm and natural
Lagoon
Fresh and clear
Lumen
Clean and classic
Lumen Dark
Sleek, on a dark page
Monochrome
Bold black and white

Broadband

Home broadband customers, start to finish

Application to installation

New customers move through application, feasibility survey, approval, payment and account creation in that order — no account exists until the first payment is made.

Speeds set by package

Each package has its own speed. The router applies it when the customer connects, so you never set speeds by hand.

Plans that end on time

When a plan ends, the customer is disconnected by itself. When they pay again, they are back online by themselves.

Money

Collection, wallets and invoices

Mobile money on the login page

Customers pay with the wallet on their phone, through ClickPesa, AzamPay, ZenoPay or Selcom. Their plan starts the moment the payment arrives, with no manual step in between.

Your wallet and payouts

Your collections land in your own wallet. You see our share on every payment, and you can ask for a payout from the same screen.

Receipts and expenses

Customers get a receipt for what they paid. You get an expense list and reports that match the payments that were actually received.

Network

MikroTik routers, all in one place

One-script setup

One script sets up your router's Wi-Fi login page, safety settings and everything else, then tells you when it is ready.

Check and repair

Check a live router step by step, and fix any step that has gone wrong, without starting the router from scratch.

Alerts when something breaks

You get an alert when a router goes offline, refuses logins, is overloaded or restarts, so your customers are not the ones who tell you.

Operations

Customers, staff and messages

One record per customer

Connections, devices, payments, plan starts and messages all sit under the same customer, for hotspot and home broadband alike.

Messages you control

A list of customer and staff messages that you can switch on or off, with SMS delivery and a record of what was sent.

Packages, promotions and loyalty

Price rules, promo codes and a loyalty programme work on top of your packages and apply at the moment of purchase.

Trust

Safe, and kept separate

Your business kept separate

Each business has its own web address and its own data. One business can never see another's.

Staff roles and a record

Staff only get the access their role needs, and important actions, such as changing settings or viewing a password, are recorded.

A protected router connection

Your routers are reached over a private, protected connection, and setup closes the router settings that should not be open to the internet.

Integrations

What it connects to

The payment companies and mobile wallets used in Tanzania, and the kinds of Wi-Fi and internet your network already runs.

Routers

MikroTik routers

Wallets

M-Pesa
Mixx by Yas
Airtel Money
HaloPesa

Payment companies

ClickPesa
AzamPay
ZenoPay
Selcom

What you can sell

Hotspot login page
Home broadband (PPPoE)
Vouchers

Questions

Common questions about how it works

Why a main router, what you need to start, and what it costs.

For one small shop it can work, but it does not grow well. When every access point holds its own settings, a customer can be blocked or asked to pay again when they move, limits count the box instead of the customer, and every change means visiting every device. A main MikroTik router keeps all the rules in one place, so a customer is the same customer at every access point. Gridix Billing is built around that design.

See it against your own network

Connect one router on the Starter trial and run a real payment through it before you decide.

Start free trial See pricing