Problems that occur when using public WiFi Internet and how to solve them 

What is a public WiFi Internet hotspot and where is it used

Some of the locations where public WiFi Internet hotspots can be found are as follows.

• Hotels, motels, and resorts.
• Campgrounds, RV parks, and caravan parks.
• Marinas.
• Ships, and ferries.
• Airports
• Condominium associations.
• Communities.
• Mobile events, concerts, and street markets.
• Trade shows.

The public WiFi Internet hotspot has three parts; these are shown on the next diagram.

• A connection to the Internet, this can be a fiber connection of a satellite connection such as the Starlink service. The satellite service permits the public WiFi Internet hotspot service to be located anywhere.
• A controller such as a Guest Internet product. The controller shows a login page to the person connecting to the service and also has various methods to allow a person to connect to the Internet. The controller also imposes rules for access so that one Internet service4 can be shared with many people. The controller also has several methods to prevent abuse of the Internet service; abuse may result in the ISP disconnecting the service.
• A wireless access point that provides the WiFi connection. People connect to the WiFi with mobile devices to access the Internet service. One wireless access point covers a relatively small area, however a wireless distribution network can be designed and built, which will provide a WiFi connection over a larger area for mobile devices and fixed wireless access (FWA) for home connections.

Public WiFi Internet has two very important differences from the WiFi Internet that people use at their home or business. 

• There is no Internet access after connecting to the WiFi; instead a login page is displayed. Some device operating software refuses to connect to the WiFi when the WiFi does not provide a connection to the Internet.
• The WiFi connection is not encrypted. Some devices refuse to connect to a non-encrypted WiFi when configured for high security, as an unencrypted WiFi is a security risk. Unencrypted WiFi permits a hacker to see the information that is being exchanged.

Often the device has a firewall that is designed to protect the user from malicious risks. A Windows laptop has a firewall called Windows Defender that will often prevent the laptop connecting to a public WiFi service.

The login page blocks access to the Internet

The purpose of having a login page is to control access to the Internet service. It might be necessary for the user to request an access code. Access codes are provided for people who are authorized to use the Internet service. In some situations it may be necessary for the user to purchase access to the Internet online.

In the situation where the device requires a connection to the Internet in order to verify that the service is not a security risk, it will be necessary to manually add the device MAC address to the Guest Internet controller allowed MAC table so that the device can bypass the login page and connect to the Internet.

One issue that often causes problems is the users computer browser that has a https:// home page. This means that when the browser page opens it requests a security SSL certificate from the target website. As Internet access is blocked by a login page then no SSL certificate is returned and so the page remains blank. 
Providing connection instructions for the user solves this problem. The instructions are as follows.

• Connect to the WiFi name, the SSID.
• Open a browser.
• Open a new browser tab (Important).
• Type the login page name into the browser: aplogin.com.
• The login page opens; enter the access code that was given to you.
• You are connected to the Internet.

These instructions should be printed and made available to users, as shown in the next figure.

In the case where the users device refuses to connect to a service where the Internet access blocked then the manager will login to the Guest Internet controller as the administrator. Get the MAC address from the computer; using Windows open a COMMAND window then type,

ipconfig /all

Look for the address of the device port that is connecting to the network, this will usually be the WiFi port. Note the WiFi MAC address then add the MAC address to the Guest Internet controller allowed MAC list. The device will bypass the login page and have access to the Internet. The firewall rules can be applied to the device with the MAC bypass.

The public WiFi service is not encrypted

A public WiFi service is not encrypted. If it were encrypted then the encryption key would have to be made public and so any hacker would have access to the key. An encrypted WiFi with a publicly available key has no protection.

Without encryption any person who has a laptop computer configured as a “sniffer" can capture and examine data packets.

In the situation where the device refuses to connect to an unencrypted WiFi service then the hotspot installer can configure a second encrypted WiFi name (SSID) on the wireless access point and post the WPA security key for all users to see. This offers no protection whatsoever for the user however the device WiFi will connect to the encrypted WiFi service. There is no extra cost to add this configuration, most wireless access points can be configured with up to four SSID’s and each has an option of adding encryption.

It is important to comment that anyone connecting to a public WiFi Internet service should switch to a legitimate VPN (virtual private network) service to protect the communications from hackers. Take care when contracting the VPN service to ensure that the service is legitimate and recommended by other users. There are scammers offering a “free” VPN service so that they can steal your data.

Devices that have problems when connecting to a public WiFi Internet service

Most types of mobile devices recognize a public WiFi Internet service and advise the user, requesting approval to connect to the service. Apple MAC-OS, Apple iOS on phones and tablets, and Google Android devices are all capable of recognizing a public WiFi service and reacting accordingly so that the users is given the option to connect to the service. 

Unfortunately some laptop users with Microsoft Windows installed have problems connecting to a public WiFi Internet service. The Windows operating system does not recognize when the laptop is connected to a public WiFi service so it does not advise the user. Although the laptop DHCP request returns a valid IP address from the controller, the Windows Defender software prevents the browser page communicating with the controller web server. There are several characteristics that cause Windows Defender to be triggered.

• Unencrypted WiFi.
• No Internet access.
• IP provided in a private address range.

If the Windows browser page is blocked and the login page will not open then take the following actions.

• Disable Windows Defender.
• Reboot the computer.
• Have at least three browsers available to open the login page, Chrome, Firefox and Edge, it is usually the case that one browser might be blocked but other can access the login page.

Although users get very frustrated when trying to use their Windows laptops with a public Internet WiFi service, they should remember that they could use other devices without problems, Android phones and tablets, and Apple phones, tablets and laptop computers. Owners of a Windows laptop who have difficulty connecting to a public WiFi Internet service should consider also carrying an Android tablet for connection to public WiFi.

Summary

Any business that provides a WiFi Internet service for the public, for guest, visitors and customers, should be aware of the limitations of personal mobile devices when connecting to a public WiFi Internet service.

The business should provide printed information that explains how to connect to the service, and have a staff member available who can answer simple questions about the WiFi service.
People who are frequent travelers will have no problem connecting to a public WiFi service, and will also have a VPN service to protect them when using the Internet.

However people who do not travel and have no experience connecting to a public WiFi Internet service expect the process to be the same as it is at home. The process is different, there is no encryption key and there is a login page. These people may need help from the provider of the hotspot service.

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