Getting set up
From a new account to your first online payment, in six steps.
1.Create your account
Register for the 7-day free trial. Choose your country so the currency and timezone are set for you (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda are supported).
2.Connect your MikroTik
On the router, enable the API service and create a login for Sentinel. Then open MikroTik → Add router and enter the router's address, port 8728 and that login. The login is stored encrypted.
/ip service enable api /user add name=billing group=full password=<a strong password>
3.Create your plans
Open Packages → New plan. For PPPoE plans, set the MikroTik profile to the exact name of a PPP profile that already exists on your router (for example 10mbps); the router enforces the speed. Hotspot plans are used for vouchers.
4.Add customers and subscriptions
Customers → Add customer, then Subscriptions → New: pick the customer, plan, router, and a PPPoE username and password. When you add a customer, Sentinel shows a one-time password for the customer portal; give it to them, or set one yourself.
5.Switch on online payments
Settings → Payments: choose the gateways you have an account with. Each one shows a notification URL to paste into that provider's dashboard so it can tell Sentinel when a customer has paid. Customers only see methods that work for your currency.
6.Switch on reminders
Settings → SMS gateways: connect Africa's Talking, Twilio or Infobip. Reminders before the due date, overdue notices and suspensions then run automatically each day. Set your grace period under Settings → Billing.
Which payment gateway?
| Gateway | Where | Currencies | Methods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pesapal | Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda | KES, UGX, TZS, RWF, USD | Cards and mobile money |
| Flutterwave | Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda | Most currencies | Cards and mobile money |
| ClickPesa | Tanzania | TZS, USD | M-Pesa, Tigo Pesa, Airtel Money, HaloPesa, cards |
| M-Pesa (Daraja) | Kenya | KES | Prompt on the customer's phone |
| Paystack | Kenya (also Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa) | KES, USD, NGN, GHS, ZAR | Cards, bank, USSD (not TZS or UGX) |
You open the account with each provider yourself; payments go straight to you.
Common questions
A customer can't see any way to pay online.
Online methods are shown only if you have switched on a gateway that can take your currency. Check Settings → Payments. For example, Paystack cannot take Tanzanian shillings and M-Pesa (Daraja) is Kenyan shillings only.
A customer paid but the invoice still shows unpaid.
Sentinel confirms each online payment with the provider before crediting it, and re-checks pending payments every few minutes, so a short delay is normal. If it stays pending, check that the notification URL is saved in the provider's dashboard.
How does suspension work?
Once an invoice is overdue by your grace period, the customer's login on your router is disabled and any live session is dropped. When the invoice is paid it is switched back on. Both happen from the daily billing run.
Can customers buy hotspot access themselves?
Yes, with M-Pesa. The voucher code is created and shown only after the payment is confirmed. You can also generate voucher batches under Vouchers and sell them at the counter.
Can I use RADIUS instead of the router connection?
Yes, as an option for PPPoE. It needs your router to be able to reach the server, and it uses PAP, so check your customers' devices first. Your provider can set it up.
Still stuck?
Contact whoever provides your Sentinel service, or raise a support ticket from your dashboard.
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