Problems in connecting to WiFi hotspots

Anyone who travels will be using the WiFi Internet hotspot in airports and hotels. Often a device will not connect to the public WiFi and here are a few of the reasons why this happens.

A public WiFi is not encrypted, unlike a business WiFi, which has encryption for security. If it was encrypted the key would have to be given to anyone who asks therefore no security.

Unencrypted WiFi information can be accessed by anyone with a laptop and “sniffer” software so the communication is not secure. For this reason, products such as the iPhone warn users about the dangers of connecting to unencrypted WiFi. A laptop with Norton anti-virus software will block access to unencrypted WiFi, preventing the laptop connection to the public WiFi.

Some devices test for an Internet connection when connecting to the WiFi to verify that the connection is a valid one. Public WiFi in airports and hotels has a login page which means that when the device connects to the WiFi there is no connection to the Internet. The device then gives the message “no Internet” and refuses to open the login page. Some devices recognize that the connection might have a login page and may briefly show a message to tap a button to open the login page. People who are not accustomed to connecting to public WiFi will probably miss this message.

In some cases a person will connect to the public WiFi and open a browser page, but the browser page is blank. The person then thinks there is no service and gives up. The reason for the blank page is that the browser has an encrypted home page that starts with https://… The browser is waiting for a reply from the website with a security certificate, however this cannot occur because the login page blocks the browsers access to the Internet.

Any business that provides a WiFi Internet hotspot should provide the following instructions.

1. Open your device WiFi page and look for the network name (SSID), click connect to this name
2. Your device may refuse to connect to public WiFi because of anti-virus software. In this case your device cannot be used with a public WiFi hotspot.
3. When you connect to the WiFi network you may see a message "no internet", in this case it is necessary to click a button to open a login page.
4. After connecting to the WiFi and opening a browser the page may be blank, in this case open a new tab and type the name of the hotspot service, e.g. "aplogin.com"
5. When the login page opens it may ask for an access code or request payment with a credit card. If this is a hotel call the front desk to request the access code.
6. After connection to the Internet the connection may be time limited (e.g. 24 hours). In this case it is necessary to login again with the access code after the time expires.
7. When you finish using the Internet service and power off your device you will be disconnected from the hotspot. When you connect again you will have to enter the access code.

Computer data over public WiFi hotspot networks can be intercepted. To prevent this every person who uses a public WiFi hotspot should have a VPN installed which is enabled as soon as the device has access to the Internet. Businesses should advise users that they should connect with a VPN.

For further information about accessing public WiFi hotspots please contact our support team, info@wispzone.com