Is there a non-shit way to connect to public wifi that needs login

[popcorn]

Whenever I connect to some shite public wifi (like Starbucks or Heathrow or something), I spend ages trying to trigger the website that lets you agree to the terms and conditions and connect.

Is there some proper way to do this?

I can find no reliable way of making this happen. Sometimes it pops up straight away. Sometimes it don't. Sometimes I think trying to go to the company site (eg starbucks.com) does it, but that might be confirmation bias.

On my laptop, I've found opening different browsers seems to do the trick (Firefox has a dedicated feature for it I think). But it's my iPhone I'd really like to sort it out for.

[Zetetic]

http://httpforever.com/ might work

[New Jack]

^ good shout!

I can only think of either the wifi points being shite - happens, obvs, though you'd be mighty unlucky for every single wifi point to do this - or it's an iPhone issue (clear the cache and that)

On my android, I tend to pick up even passing buses with wifi, and I think the actual point data starts to get sent  / received is what triggers the login. And it's only in a browser, it's not like Spotify is going to sort it for you.

Google suggests it may simply be iOS with a ballache workaround:
https://mashtips.com/solve-wifi-login-page-not-loading-issue-ios/

I've been using httpforever.com for ease of use though. I recommend it, as it circumvents the whole login page bollocks!

[popcorn]

Cor, httpforever sounds good. Might even nip out to my local Family Mart to try it out.

[Dex Sawash]

http://httpforever.com/ might work

Does that do something different than going to any other site in a new tab?
Is it just better because not HTTPS?

[popcorn]

Just tried httpforever in Starbucks on my laptop. Did fuck all. It opens that site but to go anywhere else I still have to log into the Starbucks thing. Am I missing something?

[Zetetic]

Hmm. That's odd. What sites do trigger the Starbucks portal?

Is it just better [for this problem] because not HTTPS?

Yes.

Clearly there should be a standard way for a hotspot to advertise the need to access a portal before wider use. (Using DHCP or something?) The current arrangement is exceptionally stupid.

[Mister Six]

The Pixel 2 loads a login page through the wifi app. Do all Android phones not do this?

[Dex Sawash]

The Pixel 2 loads a login page through the wifi app. Do all Android phones not do this?

I think my Samsung does if you choose a wifi from the wifi menu in settings. I have automatic wifi finder off so dunno if it pops when you wander in range of a new wifi network.

[New Jack]

The Pixel 2 loads a login page through the wifi app. Do all Android phones not do this?

Nope, but I'm running a custom image on my Oneplus 5

[Zetetic]

Edit: I think all of them try to, don't they?

The Pixel 2 loads a login page through the wifi app. Do all Android phones not do this?

They try to. It uses the same approach as going to http://httpforever.com or http://detectportal.firefox.com/success.txt - it tries to access a website over HTTP and detects if it's intercepted or not.

(Android and Chrome use or http://clients3.google.com/generate_204 or http://connectivitycheck.gstatic.com/generate_204 .)

[popcorn]

Sorry for not replying to this before, I completely forgot about it and am shit.

Going to httpsforever.com triggers the login portal (or at least it did on the occasion I just tried it now) - so that's useful! but I 'm a bit confused - is that what it's supposed to do, or is it supposed to let you bypass the login thing entirely?

[Zetetic]

It's supposed to reliably trigger the login portal, yes. (And to do so in a way which doesn't involve ignoring lots of security warnings etc.)

[popcorn]

It's supposed to reliably trigger the login portal, yes. (And to do so in a way which doesn't involve ignoring lots of security warnings etc.)

In which case, great, that's exactly what I needed and it seems to work a treat. Or at least it did on this occasion. Cheers, bigears!