MikroTik hotspot data limit, time limit and speed limit per user
Last updated: 2 October 2026
Selling internet by the gigabyte, by the hour or by the week all comes down to four limits per user: how much data, how much time, how fast and until when. This guide explains how each limit works on MikroTik and how to set them once in a package instead of per user.
The four limits
| Limit | What the customer sees | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Data | "10 GB" - the login stops when it is used | Prepaid bundles |
| Time online | "5 hours" of connected time | Cafés, guest Wi-Fi |
| Validity | "7 days" from the day it is activated | Weekly and monthly plans |
| Speed | "5 Mbps" down and up | Every plan |
A package can combine them: for example 10 GB at 10 Mbps, valid for 7 days. Whichever limit is reached first ends the package.
Limits on the router alone
A MikroTik hotspot user has its own uptime and byte limits, and a profile sets the speed. Two things are missing: a limit by calendar date, and counters that survive across routers. Operators usually fill the gap with scripts and schedulers, which need care after every RouterOS upgrade.
Limits as a package
With RadiusNest you describe the limits once, in a package, and every user or voucher on that package gets them:
- Create your account. Start the free trial; no payment details are asked for.
- Add the router. Give it a name and choose RouterOS v7 or v6.
- Paste one command. The dashboard shows a single command made for that router. Paste it into the router's terminal (Winbox → New Terminal). It sets up the secure link to RadiusNest and switches hotspot and PPPoE logins to RADIUS.
- Make a package. Name, speed, data limit, time limit, how many days it is valid, and your price.
- Add users or print vouchers. They can log in at once, and each limit is enforced by itself.
The router enforces the speed and stops the session when a limit is reached; the service keeps the counters, so data used on one router counts on all of them.
Useful extras
- One device per login: set how many devices may share a login at the same time.
- Lock to a device: tie a login to one device's MAC address.
- Customers see their own balance: data and days left on their own page or in your Telegram bot, so they stop calling to ask.
- "WhatsApp only": a customer can narrow their own line to messaging to make a small bundle last.
Start the free trial See pricing
Questions and answers
Can I set a data limit and a time limit on the same user?
Yes. A package can carry data, time, validity and speed together. The package ends when the first of them is reached.
Does the data counter reset every day?
No. The quota belongs to the package period: it is counted from activation until the package ends or is renewed.
How does the customer know how much data is left?
On their own account page, or in your Telegram bot if you set one up. Both show data left and days left.
Can I change the speed of one customer?
Move them to a package with the speed you want. The new speed applies from their next session.
Do the limits work for PPPoE as well as hotspot?
Yes. Packages work the same way for both services.