Sopraent + MikroTik Integration: How to Connect Your Router to Your ISP Billing System

For ISPs in Uganda running MikroTik infrastructure, the single most powerful upgrade you can make to your operation is connecting your routers directly to your billing system. When your MikroTik routers and Sopraent billing platform are integrated, subscriber management becomes fully automated — bandwidth control, service suspension, and reactivation all happen without your team touching Winbox or the router CLI.

In this guide, we walk through exactly how the Sopraent + MikroTik integration works, what you need to set it up, and how to configure it step by step. For background on ISP billing systems and what automation looks like in practice, see our guides on How ISP Billing Systems Work and How to Automate Subscriber Management with Sopraent. Register on Sopraent to get started.

How the Integration Works

Sopraent communicates with your MikroTik routers using the MikroTik RouterOS API — a built-in feature of RouterOS that allows external applications to read and write router configuration in real time. Through this API connection, Sopraent can:

• Create and manage subscriber IP bindings and address lists.
• Apply bandwidth speed limits (queues) based on each subscriber’s active plan.
• Block or redirect suspended subscribers’ traffic automatically when invoices go overdue.
• Restore full service the moment a payment is confirmed.
• Update bandwidth profiles instantly when a subscriber upgrades or downgrades their plan.

All of this runs in real time, with no manual Winbox sessions required. See Sopraent in action — register here.

What You Need Before You Start

Before integrating Sopraent with your MikroTik router, make sure you have the following ready:

• A Sopraent account — Register on Sopraent here if you haven’t already.
• A MikroTik router running RouterOS — Any RouterOS device works. Popular choices include the MikroTik hEX S RB760iGS Gigabit Router with SFP & PoE for distribution points and the MikroTik hEX RB750Gr3 5-Port Gigabit Router for subscriber aggregation.
• API access enabled on the router — The RouterOS API service must be active (default port 8728).
• A dedicated API user account on the router — Create a user with the appropriate permissions for Sopraent to use.
• Network connectivity between Sopraent and the router — Sopraent must be able to reach your router’s API port. This typically means your router has a reachable public or VPN IP.

Step-by-Step: Enabling the RouterOS API

Follow these steps on your MikroTik router to enable API access for Sopraent:

Step 1: Enable the API Service

In Winbox, go to IP > Services. Find the api service and make sure it is enabled. The default port is 8728. If you want encrypted API access, also enable api-ssl on port 8729.

Step 2: Create a Dedicated API User

Go to System > Users and create a new user for Sopraent. Assign it a strong password and set the group to full or a custom group with read/write permissions for queues, IP addresses, and firewall address lists. Never use your admin account credentials for the API integration.

Step 3: Restrict API Access by IP (Recommended)

In IP > Services > api, set the Available From field to Sopraent’s server IP address. This restricts API access to Sopraent only, improving your router’s security posture.

Step 4: Open the API Port on Your Firewall

If your router has a firewall rule blocking incoming connections on port 8728, add an exception for Sopraent’s IP. In IP > Firewall > Filter Rules, add an accept rule for TCP port 8728 from Sopraent’s source IP before your default drop rule.

Step-by-Step: Connecting Sopraent to Your Router

With the router prepared, log in to your Sopraent dashboard and follow these steps:

Step 1: Add Your Router in Sopraent

Navigate to the Routers or Network Devices section in Sopraent. Click Add Router and enter:

• Router name (e.g., “Kampala North Distribution”)
• Router IP address (public or VPN IP reachable by Sopraent)
• API port (default: 8728)
• API username and password (the dedicated user you created)

Save and test the connection. Sopraent will confirm whether it can reach and authenticate with your router.

Step 2: Configure Subscriber Bandwidth Control Method

Choose how Sopraent will control subscriber bandwidth on your router:

• Simple Queues: Sopraent creates a simple queue per subscriber with the plan’s upload/download speed limits. Best for smaller deployments.
• PCQ (Per Connection Queuing): More efficient for large subscriber counts on a single router.
• Address Lists + Firewall: Sopraent adds suspended subscribers to a firewall address list that blocks their traffic. Fast and reliable for service suspension.

Step 3: Map Subscriber Plans to Bandwidth Profiles

In Sopraent, create your internet plans (e.g., 5 Mbps / 2 Mbps, 10 Mbps / 5 Mbps, unlimited) and map each plan to a bandwidth profile on the router. When a subscriber is assigned a plan, Sopraent automatically configures the correct queue on your MikroTik router.

Step 4: Test with a Single Subscriber

Before rolling out to your full subscriber base, test the integration with one subscriber account. Verify that:

• The correct queue appears on the router when the subscriber is active.
• The queue is removed or modified when the plan changes.
• The subscriber’s IP is added to the suspension address list when their account is suspended.
• The address list entry is removed and the queue restored when payment is made.

Recommended Hardware for Sopraent Integration

For the best results, use RouterOS devices that support the full API feature set. Our top picks from the MikroTik Routers collection:

• MikroTik hEX S RB760iGS Gigabit Router with SFP & PoE — Best for distribution points; SFP uplink for fibre backhaul, PoE out for powering CPE devices.
• MikroTik hEX RB750Gr3 5-Port Gigabit Router — 5-port gigabit router ideal for subscriber aggregation nodes.
• MikroTik hAP RouterBOARD 5-Port WiFi Router with PoE — All-in-one CPE for subscriber premises with built-in Wi-Fi and PoE.
• MikroTik hAP lite RB941-2nD — Budget-friendly CPE for home subscribers on basic plans.
• MikroTik RouterBOARD Wireless Router — Flexible platform for outdoor wireless distribution with full RouterOS API support.

Pair your routers with reliable Cat6 cabling for a stable network backbone that supports full API communication without latency issues.

Common Integration Issues & Fixes

• Sopraent can’t reach the router: Check that the API port (8728) is open in your firewall and that Sopraent’s IP is whitelisted in IP > Services.
• Authentication failure: Verify the API username and password in Sopraent match the user created on the router. Ensure the user has sufficient permissions.
• Queues not being created: Confirm the router user has write permissions for the /queue simple path. Test manually via Winbox or the router terminal.
• Suspension not working: Check that the firewall address list rule is positioned correctly — before any accept rules for subscriber traffic.

For detailed troubleshooting, refer to your Sopraent dashboard documentation or contact Sopraent support.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)