PPPoE Setup

Configure PPPoE subscriber authentication and management.

How PPPoE Works in Qserve

When a subscriber dials in with their PPPoE username and password, your MikroTik router sends an authentication request to Qserve's RADIUS server. Qserve checks whether the subscriber has an active package, applies the correct bandwidth policy, and either approves or rejects the connection.

On payment or manual activation, Qserve instantly pushes the subscriber credentials to MikroTik — so there is no manual PPPoE user management needed on the router itself.

Prerequisites

• Router connected and showing Online in Qserve (see MikroTik Integration)
• At least one IP Pool created in Qserve (see IP Pools)
• At least one Plan created with service type PPPoE

Step 1 — Create an IP Pool for PPPoE

IP Pools define the IP address range assigned to PPPoE subscribers on your router.

1. Go to IP Pools in the left menu → New IP Pool.
2. Enter a name (e.g., pppoe-pool-01), start IP, end IP, and subnet mask.
3. Select the site this pool belongs to.
4. Save. Qserve will sync the pool to your MikroTik router automatically.

Step 2 — Create a PPPoE Plan

1. Go to Plans → New Plan.
2. Set service type to PPPoE.
3. Set download and upload speeds (e.g., 10 Mbps / 5 Mbps).
4. Set price and duration (e.g., KES 1,500 / 30 days).
5. Select the IP Pool to use for this plan.
6. Save the plan.

Step 3 — Add a PPPoE Subscriber

1. Go to Customers → New Subscriber.
2. Fill in name, phone, and email.
3. Under Connection Type, choose PPPoE.
4. Enter a PPPoE Username (e.g., john.doe) and a PPPoE Password.
5. Assign a PPPoE plan.
6. Click Save & Activate.

Qserve immediately creates the PPPoE user on the MikroTik router with the correct speed profile. The subscriber can connect right away.

Subscriber Connection Details

Give the subscriber the following to configure on their router or device:

Package Expiry and Disconnection

When a subscriber's package expires, Qserve sends a CoA (Change of Authorization) Disconnect-Request to the MikroTik router, which terminates the PPPoE session. The subscriber sees their connection drop and is prompted to renew.

After payment (via M-Pesa or manual entry), Qserve re-enables the profile and the subscriber can reconnect immediately without any manual action from you.

Changing a Subscriber's Speed

To change a subscriber's plan or speed, open their profile in Qserve, change the assigned package, and click Apply. Qserve sends a CoA session update to the router, applying the new bandwidth limits to the active PPPoE session without disconnecting the subscriber.