Design and Simulation of Hotspot Network Management on MikroTik RouterBOARD Using the Hierarchical Token Bucket Method

Abstract

The main problem identified through the NDLC (Network Development Life Cycle) approach is the inability of the existing router configuration to efficiently manage increasing internet traffic demand. This occurs because high traffic loads affect network access performance and reduce service quality in IP-based data communication. Based on these problems, there is an urgent need for research to improve Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) network quality at hotspots by designing and simulating Wi-Fi network management using the HTB (Hierarchical Token Bucket) method on MikroTik routers. This method was chosen to address scalability and complexity challenges arising from diverse internet access needs. Based on the design simulation results and QoS measurements, the bandwidth distribution to each user was obtained in accordance with the specified configuration, and the hotspot feature was successfully implemented. Analysis of QoS measurement results using the TIPHON standardization showed that the download load QoS in low-traffic conditions fell into the "Good" category, with an average value of 3.75. Then, when the network was in high-traffic conditions, it fell into the "Good" category, with an average value of 3.75. QoS results for video streaming load: when the network is in low-traffic conditions, QoS is categorized as "Good" with an average of 3.25; when the network is in high-traffic conditions, QoS is categorized as "Good" with an average of 3.25.