PPPoE is the most common way fixed wireless and fibre ISPs in Kenya connect homes. Each customer gets a username and password, and the network only lets them online while their plan is active. A PPPoE billing system decides when that is.
The parts of PPPoE billing
- Accounts. Every customer has a PPPoE username, password, plan and expiry date.
- Plans. Each plan sets a speed and a price for a period.
- RADIUS. When a customer connects, the router asks RADIUS whether the login is valid and which speed and IP to apply.
- Payments. When a customer pays, the plan is renewed and the next login is accepted.
Why RADIUS matters
Without RADIUS, PPPoE secrets are created on each router by hand. Every plan change and every new router means more manual work, and a failed router can take its accounts with it. With RADIUS in the billing system, accounts live in one place and work on every router.
Dynamic and static IPs
Most home customers get a dynamic IP from a pool. Businesses may need a static private or public IP. In Purple Router, IP pools are created and managed for you, and you can give, change or revoke a static IP from the dashboard without touching the customer's router.
When a plan expires
This is the moment most billing systems handle badly. In Purple Router, an expired customer who is still connected to your network is sent to a payment page automatically, and the SMS payment link opens even with no data. One M-Pesa prompt and they are back online in seconds.
Stopping shared logins
Device limits and MAC binding tie each account to the customer's own devices, so one login cannot quietly serve several homes.
Want to see a billing system built for Kenyan ISPs? See how Purple Router works.