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Re: How is public WiFi meant to work?

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On 2019-04-20, Sylvia Else <sylvia@email.invalid> wrote:
> In the days of yore, one chose a public WiFi node, and then when one 
> entered a URL into a browser, the WiFi node served up a page that 
> redirected one to a terms-acceptance page. One clicked on that. Job done.
>
> These days, the URL one enters is likely to be for the https protocol. 
> The WiFi node cannot redirect that, and nor can it pretend to be the 
> target page.
>
> So, in today's world, just how is this meant to work?
>
> I seem to have no end of trouble with it, at times resorting to entering 
> the URL of a page of my own that is not https based.
>
> Sylvia.

I have trouble with this captive portal tech as well, and I know of at
least one hotel where my Linux laptop simply doesn't connect ... no
reason why.

My biggest problem is my machine connects to the captive portal, but
doesn't take me to the portal webpage where I have to accept terms/sign
away rights, etc.  Recognizing that, I open a browser and go to a page
like 2.2.2.2 which forces the process to advance.

Oh by the way this happens on Win7 as welll/work computer.

I wish there were an alternative to captive portals, but the hotel
chains seem to have found them the best solution.

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Thread

How is public WiFi meant to work? Sylvia Else <sylvia@email.invalid> - 2019-04-20 12:50 +1000
  Re: How is public WiFi meant to work? Rich <rich@example.invalid> - 2019-04-20 05:02 +0000
    Re: How is public WiFi meant to work? Mike Spencer <mds@bogus.nodomain.nowhere> - 2019-04-20 03:11 -0300
    Re: How is public WiFi meant to work? Sylvia Else <sylvia@email.invalid> - 2019-04-20 16:54 +1000
  Re: How is public WiFi meant to work? Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2019-04-20 10:38 +0300
  Re: How is public WiFi meant to work? RS Wood <rsw@therandymon.com> - 2019-04-20 09:02 +0000
    Re: How is public WiFi meant to work? Rich <rich@example.invalid> - 2019-04-20 14:44 +0000
      Re: How is public WiFi meant to work? RS Wood <rsw@therandymon.com> - 2019-04-21 19:56 -0400
  Re: How is public WiFi meant to work? not@telling.you.invalid (Computer Nerd Kev) - 2019-04-21 00:12 +0000

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