GameTime / PisoWiFi Controller
A field-oriented PisoWiFi system designed around a local controller, router, access point, coin acceptor, captive portal, and operator dashboard rather than requiring every customer interaction to depend on a cloud service.
Role
Product Designer, Systems Architect, Full-Stack Developer, Network Systems Developer
Platform
Local Controller + Network
Status
Live Beta
Year
2026
Field-tested system with private deployment details
The portfolio focuses on architecture, workflows, and engineering decisions without exposing network credentials, customer records, or private deployment configuration.
Overview
GameTime / PisoWiFi is a local controller for coin-operated internet access. It connects the customer-facing captive portal and paid-time lifecycle with the network equipment and operator controls needed to run a small PisoWiFi installation.
The design emphasizes local control and predictable behavior: customers can start paid access, operators can manage active sessions, and the system can recover from normal reconnect conditions without making the cloud the only place where the network can operate.
Problem
A PisoWiFi installation needs to translate physical coin payments into reliable network access while keeping customer sessions, timers, router rules, and operator controls synchronized.
- Convert coin insertions into paid sessions
- Control internet access based on remaining time
- Provide a simple captive portal experience
- Pause and resume customer sessions
- Recover sessions after reconnects
- Support permanent/admin device access
- Integrate router and access-point networking
- Keep the controller usable during normal internet outages
- Support practical field deployment and troubleshooting
Solution
The controller sits close to the network edge and coordinates the paid-session state with router and access-point behavior. This keeps latency-sensitive access decisions local while allowing the operator interface and reporting layer to remain web-based.
The architecture is designed around real deployment constraints, including MikroTik routing, VLAN-ready networking, Orange Pi hardware, coin acceptors, captive portal behavior, reconnect handling, and the realities of maintaining a small unattended internet kiosk.
Core workflow
The system connects physical payment, customer identity, paid time, and network access into one session lifecycle.
- 1
Customer connects
The device reaches the captive portal through the local network.
- 2
Insert coins
The coin acceptor records the purchased access time.
- 3
Create session
The controller establishes the customer's paid session and timer.
- 4
Allow access
Network rules permit internet access for the active session.
- 5
Monitor time
The portal and controller track remaining paid time.
- 6
Pause or resume
Operators can control sessions when the deployment requires it.
- 7
Recover
Session identity and state are designed to survive normal reconnect conditions.
- 8
Expire
Access is removed when the paid session ends.
- 9
Admin control
Permanent or administrative access can be handled separately from paid sessions.
System areas
The platform separates customer access, local network control, and operator management.
Customer access
The customer-facing flow for purchasing and using internet time.
- Captive portal
- Coin sessions
- Remaining time
- Session status
- Pause / resume
Network controller
Local infrastructure that turns session state into actual network access.
- MikroTik integration
- Access point
- LAN
- VLAN-ready topology
- Access rules
- Session recovery
Operator controls
Management capabilities for monitoring and maintaining the installation.
- Active sessions
- Customer control
- Admin access
- Device state
- Troubleshooting
- Deployment configuration
My role
I designed the controller workflow, session model, operator experience, network integration approach, recovery behavior, and deployment model, with AI-assisted implementation and real hardware testing.
Architecture
Technology stack
Technical challenges
Physical payment to network access
Designed the lifecycle that converts a physical coin insertion into a timed digital access session.
Local-first reliability
Kept the controller close to the network edge so core access behavior does not depend on a remote cloud round trip.
Router integration
Designed the system around practical MikroTik and access-point deployments with VLAN-ready network segmentation.
Session recovery
Handled reconnect and identity behavior so a temporary network change does not unnecessarily destroy paid access.
Real hardware constraints
Tested the architecture against Orange Pi hardware, coin acceptors, routers, access points, and actual field networking conditions.
Quality assurance
Build integrity
Functional validation
UI and live validation
Results
Qualitative workflow outcomes
Local-first
Core access decisions remain close to the network edge.
Coin → session
Physical payment is translated into timed internet access.
Router + AP
Designed for practical small-network deployments.
Field tested
Validated against real hardware and network conditions.
What this project demonstrates
GameTime / PisoWiFi demonstrates the ability to bridge software, networking, and physical hardware into a practical unattended service system, with reliability and field behavior treated as core product requirements.
- Put access-critical logic close to the network edge
- Treat physical payment devices as part of the software architecture
- Design reconnect behavior before deploying unattended systems
- Test against actual router, AP, VLAN, and hardware conditions rather than only simulated environments
More work is being documented.