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Just the demo look of the UI to be made better later
Inspiration
Managing hotspot WiFi in small communities, estates, and businesses is often chaotic—manual vouchers, inconsistent payments, insecure access, and low visibility into user activity. I wanted to create a modern, affordable platform that gives hotspot owners the same level of control that big ISPs have, but in a simple and accessible way. AirLink Portal was inspired by real-world struggles faced by local WiFi providers who need automation, security, and better tools to scale.
What it does
AirLink Portal is a lightweight hotspot management system that handles user authentication, session tracking, speed limits, payments, and analytics. It connects to a MikroTik router and automates user access, bandwidth control, voucher generation, and payment verification. The platform gives admins real-time insights into usage, revenue, and device activity through a clean web dashboard.
How we built it
Backend: PHP + MySQL for authentication, sessions, and router integration
Frontend: HTML, CSS, Bootstrap, JavaScript
Server: Apache2 environment for hosting
Router API: MikroTik API for bandwidth limits, device control, and login sessions
Tools: VS Code, Git, and Linux-based development
Design: Simple responsive UI focusing on clarity and usability
Everything is modular, allowing features like payments, analytics, and voucher systems to plug in smoothly.
Challenges we ran into
Connecting reliably to the MikroTik API and handling timeouts
Designing a fast login flow that works with multiple device types
Ensuring accurate session tracking and avoiding double counting
Keeping the UI lightweight while still providing real-time insights
Testing across different network environments and bandwidth plans
Accomplishments that we're proud of
Achieved stable router communication with real-time session updates
Built a clean dashboard that works on phones, laptops, and tablets
Integrated payment logic for automated access control
Created a flexible voucher system that supports multiple pricing models
Designed the platform to be scalable for more routers and locations
What we learned
How to communicate efficiently with network devices using APIs
The importance of optimizing SQL queries for real-time dashboards
How to balance simplicity and power in UI/UX design for admins
That hotspot businesses need affordable software to grow sustainably
How small usability tweaks greatly improve the operator workflow
What's next for AirLink Portal
A mobile admin app for faster control.
AI-powered usage prediction and automated bandwidth allocation.
More payment integrations (PayPal, Stripe, etc.).
Cloud hosting + multi-router support.
Activity logs, notifications, and automated backups.
A marketplace for selling hotspot vouchers online.
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