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    Hardware Guide

    Best MikroTik Routers for PPPoE

    Every model that matters, matched to subscriber count, uplink and budget — plus what actually limits capacity, so you buy once instead of twice.

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    ✓ Built for RouterOS 7✓ No RADIUS server needed✓ Auto suspend & restore✓ M-Pesa billing

    New to PPPoE?

    Start with the plain-English explainer, then come back and pick hardware.

    Read it

    Find your starting point

    Pick the tier that matches the subscriber count you expect within a year, not the one you have today.

    Starter

    Your First Estate

    Under 60 subscribers · Prove the model

    See routers
    Growth

    A Real Subscriber Base

    60–150 subscribers · Time to rack it properly

    See routers
    Pro

    Multiple Sites

    150–500 subscribers · Quad-core territory

    See routers
    Enterprise

    Carrier-Grade Core

    500+ subscribers · Your own backbone

    See routers
    Starter Tier

    Your First Estate

    Under 60 subscribers · Prove the model

    Cheapest Way to Start

    RB951Ui-2HnD

    Starter

    MikroTik RB951Ui-2HnD

    50

    Typical Subscribers

    Operating SystemRouterOS
    RAM128 MB
    Storage128 MB
    Ethernet Ports5 ports (100 Mbps)
    ArchitectureMIPSBE, 1 core @ 600 MHz
    Enough to prove the model with your first estate
    USB port for a 4G backup link when your uplink drops
    Widely available in Kenya with strong community support
    100 Mbps ports cap your whole network — you will outgrow this quickly if customers buy real speed

    hEX S (RB760iGS)

    Starter

    MikroTik hEX S RB760iGS

    60

    Typical Subscribers

    Operating SystemRouterOS
    RAM256 MB
    Storage16 MB (Flash)
    Ethernet Ports5 Gigabit ports + 1 fibre port
    ArchitectureMMIPS, 2 cores @ 880 MHz
    Gigabit ports and an SFP cage — a proper fibre uplink from day one
    Far better value than the RB951 for PPPoE specifically
    Small, silent and cheap to run at a tower site
    Only 16 MB of storage — not enough room for large logs or extra packages
    Growth Tier

    A Real Subscriber Base

    60–150 subscribers · Time to rack it properly

    RB2011

    Growth

    MikroTik RB2011UiAS-2HnD

    100

    Typical Subscribers

    Operating SystemRouterOS
    RAM128 MB
    Storage128 MB
    Ethernet Ports10 ports (5 at 100 Mbps, 5 Gigabit) + 1 fibre port
    ArchitectureMIPSBE, 1 core @ 600 MHz
    10 ports suit a small distribution rack feeding several switches
    LCD screen for quick checks without opening a laptop
    SFP port for fibre uplink
    Single-core MIPS CPU — the weakest processor at this subscriber count, watch it under load

    L009UiGS

    Growth

    MikroTik L009UiGS-2HaxD-IN

    100

    Typical Subscribers

    Operating SystemRouterOS
    RAM512 MB
    Storage128 MB (NAND)
    Ethernet Ports8 Gigabit ports + 1 fast fibre port (2.5G)
    ArchitectureARM (32-bit), 2 cores @ 800 MHz
    2.5G SFP uplink — room to grow past a gigabit line
    Dual-core ARM handles per-subscriber queues far better than MIPS
    RouterOS 7 native
    RouterOS 7 only — older ROS 6 configurations need review before migrating

    RB3011UiAS-RM

    Growth

    MikroTik RB3011UiAS-RM

    150

    Typical Subscribers

    Operating SystemRouterOS
    RAM1 GB
    Storage128 MB (NAND)
    Ethernet Ports10 Gigabit ports + 1 fibre port
    ArchitectureARM (32-bit), 2 cores @ 1.4 GHz
    1 GB RAM — comfortable headroom for connection tracking at this size
    Rack-mount, so it lives properly in a cabinet rather than on a shelf
    USB 3.0 for storage or a backup modem
    Only two cores — plan an upgrade before you pass roughly 150 active subscribers
    Pro Tier

    Multiple Sites

    150–500 subscribers · Quad-core territory

    Best Value for PPPoE

    RB4011

    Pro

    MikroTik RB4011iGS+RM

    200

    Typical Subscribers

    Operating SystemRouterOS
    RAM1 GB
    Storage512 MB (NAND)
    Ethernet Ports10 Gigabit ports + 1 fast fibre port (10G)
    ArchitectureARM (32-bit), 4 cores @ 533–1400 MHz
    Quad-core ARM spreads PPPoE sessions across cores properly
    SFP+ 10G uplink port
    The point most Kenyan ISPs settle on once billing is automated
    No built-in Wi-Fi — this is a core router, not a customer device
    Recommended Upgrade

    RB5009UG+S+IN

    Pro

    MikroTik RB5009UG+S+IN

    200

    Typical Subscribers

    Operating SystemRouterOS
    RAM1 GB
    Storage1 GB (NAND)
    Ethernet Ports7 Gigabit ports + 1 fast port (2.5G) + 1 fast fibre port (10G)
    ArchitectureARM64, 4 cores @ 350–1400 MHz
    ARM64 Cortex-A72 — noticeably faster than the RB4011 for the same money
    2.5G WAN plus a 10G SFP+ cage, so the uplink is never the ceiling
    1 GB of storage leaves room for logging and packages
    RouterOS 7 native — review older ROS 6 scripts before you migrate
    Enterprise Tier

    Carrier-Grade Core

    500+ subscribers · Your own backbone

    CCR1009

    Enterprise

    MikroTik CCR1009-7G-1C-1S+

    500

    Typical Subscribers

    Operating SystemRouterOS
    RAM2 GB
    Storage128 MB (NAND)
    Ethernet Ports7 Gigabit ports + 1 combo port + 1 fibre port
    ArchitectureTILE, 9 cores @ 1.2 GHz
    Nine cores built for routing — PPPoE termination stops being the bottleneck
    Handles hundreds of simultaneous sessions with queues applied
    BGP, OSPF and MPLS ready when you take your own IP space
    Wasted money under about 200 subscribers — buy an RB5009 instead
    Carrier Grade

    CCR2004

    Enterprise

    MikroTik CCR2004-1G-12S+2XS

    1000

    Typical Subscribers

    Operating SystemRouterOS
    RAM4 GB
    Storage128 MB (NAND)
    Ethernet Ports1 Gigabit port + 12 fast fibre ports (10G) + 2 ultra-fast fibre ports (25G)
    ArchitectureARM64, 4 cores @ 1.7 GHz
    Twelve 10G fibre ports — aggregate every distribution site into one core
    25G uplinks leave headroom for years of growth
    4 GB RAM for large routing tables and heavy session counts
    Needs an experienced engineer — misconfigured, it will not outperform an RB5009
    Read this first

    What actually limits capacity

    Subscriber counts on spec sheets are averages. Three things decide what your router really holds.

    CPU, not RAM

    Every PPPoE session is encapsulated and de-encapsulated packet by packet. That work is CPU-bound, and it is why a quad-core RB5009 beats a single-core RB2011 long before memory runs out.

    Speed limits per customer

    Each subscriber's package is enforced by a queue. A hundred customers means a hundred queues running at once — more processing on top of the routing itself.

    Actual throughput, not headcount

    Two hundred subscribers on 5 Mbps packages are far lighter than two hundred on 30 Mbps. Size for the traffic you expect at peak, not for the number of names on your list.

    Treat these numbers as guidance

    The subscriber figures above assume modest packages and normal home usage. They are a planning starting point, not a guarantee. Watch your router's CPU under real load and upgrade when it sits high at peak — not when you hit a number on a page.

    Common questions

    How many PPPoE subscribers can a MikroTik really handle?
    The figures on this page are practical guidance, not hard limits. The honest answer is that it depends on your packages: the same router that comfortably serves 200 customers on 5 Mbps will struggle with 200 on 30 Mbps. Size for peak throughput and leave headroom.
    Is a PPPoE router different from a hotspot router?
    Same devices, different demands. PPPoE terminates a session and enforces a queue for every subscriber, so it leans harder on the CPU. If you are choosing one router to do both, buy one tier above what a hotspot-only guide would suggest.
    Do I need RADIUS for PPPoE?
    Not with Jasiyo. Your MikroTik's built-in PPPoE server handles authentication, and Jasiyo creates and manages the accounts on it directly. A separate RADIUS server is another machine to run and another thing to break.
    RB4011 or RB5009 for PPPoE?
    The RB5009. It is a newer ARM64 platform, meaningfully faster per core, has a 2.5G WAN port for when your uplink grows, and costs about the same. Choose the RB4011 only if you need its extra copper ports.
    What router does the customer need at their house?
    Any router that can act as a PPPoE client, which is almost all of them. It holds the username and password you issue, dials your network, and shares the connection over Wi-Fi inside the home. It does not need to be a MikroTik.
    Can I run PPPoE and hotspot on the same router?
    Yes, and many ISPs do — PPPoE for the estates, hotspot at a nearby shopping centre. Jasiyo manages both from one dashboard. Just size the hardware for the combined load rather than for either one alone.

    Bought the router. Now automate the billing.

    Jasiyo creates every PPPoE account on your MikroTik, applies the speed, collects the M-Pesa, and suspends and restores customers without you touching the router.

    Start 7-day free trialSee pricing

    KSh 25 per customer · min KSh 1,000/mo · Free self-setup · Cancel anytime