Free wifi but can't authenticate

[_SNOWMAN_]

I think it's called authentication but can remember. Where I work has free wifi for customers but we are allowed to connect. When connecting it makes you go online and put in you info. Even fake info works. Good enough for pretty much any device.

I am an auto tech, my $6500 scan tool requires to be connected to internet but I cant go online to authenticate as there is no browser. I usually connect to my phone's hotspot but it's a pain. 

Is there anything that can connect to the buildings wifi then I can connect to to that. Like some kind of repeater maybe? 

I am flat rate so any time wasted screwing with hotspot and making sure it connects is time I'm not making money. 

 

[TimedPing]

Depends on the network and equipment you use, you can. Just use wireless router that have "client mode/Bridge mode" and connect your equipment as well your phone/PC on the router network, you will use your phone/PC to login.

Or if you don't want the headache, just ask your IT department to plug ethernet cable with secured access point that bypass the login system.

[_SNOWMAN_]

16 minutes ago, TimedPing said:

Depends on the network and equipment you use, you can. Just use wireless router that have "client mode/Bridge mode" and connect your equipment as well your phone/PC on the router network, you will use your phone/PC to login.

Or if you don't want the headache, just ask your IT department to plug ethernet cable with secured access point that bypass the login system.

I asked but but basically got a hard no. Does Client/Bridge mode work wirelessly? There is no place to plug in. 

[TimedPing]

3 minutes ago, _SNOWMAN_ said:

I asked but but basically got a hard no. Does Client/Bridge mode work wirelessly? There is no place to plug in. 

Thats the feature of Bridge mode, capture wireless transmission as network source but still having it's own access point and routing function separate from the source (unlike repeater that just extend the source network)

[Kilrah]

If you have a Windows laptop connect to the WiFi with it, log in from there, turn on windows' wireless hotspot function, connect the device to the network it makes.

[TimedPing]

8 minutes ago, Kilrah said:

If you have a Windows laptop connect to the WiFi with it, log in from there, turn on windows' wireless hotspot function, connect the device to the network it makes.

I know this is unrelated to the threads, but I'm curious about Windows Wireless hotspot on Intel-based Wireless module. We all know that Intel module doesn't support AP mode since centrino laptop days. How windows can manage to pull this out? Does there's any other mean to transmit wireless network other than AP mode on Intel Wireless module?

[_SNOWMAN_]

2 minutes ago, TimedPing said:

Thats the feature of Bridge mode, capture wireless transmission as network source but still having it's own access point and routing function separate from the source (unlike repeater that just extend the source network)

I thought that was was only wired haha. It actually makes sense now.  Any recommendations on a cheap router?

[TimedPing]

Just now, _SNOWMAN_ said:

I thought that was was only wired haha. It actually makes sense now.  Any recommendations on a cheap router?

TP-Link Archer series is good one for dirt cheap, it's also having good signal range for cheap wireless AP (starting around $25)

[_SNOWMAN_]

12 minutes ago, Kilrah said:

If you have a Windows laptop connect to the WiFi with it, log in from there, turn on windows' wireless hotspot function, connect the device to the network it makes.

I didn't know that was a thing. All this time, I just threw it my laptop last week because I never use it. 

[Kilrah]

8 minutes ago, TimedPing said:

I know this is unrelated to the threads, but I'm curious about Windows Wireless hotspot on Intel-based Wireless module. We all know that Intel module doesn't support AP mode since centrino laptop days. How windows can manage to pull this out? Does there's any other mean to transmit wireless network other than AP mode on Intel Wireless module?

I've never looked into the details of how it worked but yes AP mode has been deprecated long ago but there's a "modern replacement" for it that allows the Wifi adapter to both connect to a network and provide one at the same time. Ubuntu has an interface for doing that too. 

 

I've been using this myself many times in hotels when it's either too annoying to log in each device separately, when they e.g. only allow 2 devices on your room login, or to have all devices go through a VPN without configuring it on each (needs additional trick).

[TimedPing]

5 minutes ago, Kilrah said:

Ubuntu has an interface for doing that too. 

I'm just hoping OpenWRT implement this feature in their future ilwifi driver soon

[Falcon1986]

@_SNOWMAN_

 

While I've never used it, I've heard about Connectify, which allows you to broadcast a wireless signal from your PC using its WiFi adapter. Honestly, I've never been able to properly get Windows to do a similar thing just the way I wanted.

 

43 minutes ago, TimedPing said:

I'm just hoping OpenWRT implement this feature in their future ilwifi driver soon

"Travel routers" from GL.iNet run on OpenWRT and are able to rebroadcast wired/wireless signals easily. I recently got the Beryl AX to test in preparation for traveling. The nice thing about these tiny devices is their ability to keep a persistent link to connections behind login portals.

[Kilrah]

3 minutes ago, Falcon1986 said:

While I've never used it, I've heard about Connectify, which allows you to broadcast a wireless signal from your PC using its WiFi adapter. Honestly, I've never been able to properly get Windows to do a similar thing just the way I wanted.

If you need something more advanced (custom DHCP, per-device control etc) I've used the free MyPublicWifi

[TimedPing]

1 hour ago, Falcon1986 said:

"Travel routers" from GL.iNet run on OpenWRT and are able to rebroadcast wired/wireless signals easily. I recently got the Beryl AX to test in preparation for traveling. The nice thing about these tiny devices is their ability to keep a persistent link to connections behind login portals.

I know, I use both Mediatek MT761x and Qualcomm AQC97xx series module for AP module inside my router. But those is not a comodity hardware, it will be nice if somehow we can use those intel module for AP use that mostly salvaged from laptop and whatnot.

[TimedPing]

2 hours ago, Kilrah said:

If you need something more advanced (custom DHCP, per-device control etc) I've used the free MyPublicWifi

Or better yet, install Mikrotik X86 inside an old optiplex

[Smith6612]

6 hours ago, _SNOWMAN_ said:

I think it's called authentication but can remember. Where I work has free wifi for customers but we are allowed to connect. When connecting it makes you go online and put in you info. Even fake info works. Good enough for pretty much any device.

I am an auto tech, my $6500 scan tool requires to be connected to internet but I cant go online to authenticate as there is no browser. I usually connect to my phone's hotspot but it's a pain. 

Is there anything that can connect to the buildings wifi then I can connect to to that. Like some kind of repeater maybe? 

I am flat rate so any time wasted screwing with hotspot and making sure it connects is time I'm not making money. 

 

The network administrator can create something called a MAC Bypass for your device. This will allow your device to get through the Captive Portal which requires a web browser to get through. MAC Bypass would basically be an exclusion.

 

Alternatively, they can provide you with Wi-Fi Credentials that will allow you to connect the scan tool to the Internet on a network that isn't affected by the captive portal.

 

Using an extender or another device on the network like others are proposing is generally frowned upon. A good network engineer will track down your extender and get rid of it if they get wind of it.

[_SNOWMAN_]

On 7/16/2023 at 3:22 PM, Smith6612 said:

The network administrator can create something called a MAC Bypass for your device. This will allow your device to get through the Captive Portal which requires a web browser to get through. MAC Bypass would basically be an exclusion.

 

Alternatively, they can provide you with Wi-Fi Credentials that will allow you to connect the scan tool to the Internet on a network that isn't affected by the captive portal.

 

Using an extender or another device on the network like others are proposing is generally frowned upon. A good network engineer will track down your extender and get rid of it if they get wind of it.

We don't have a network admin in the store. I know they do things remotely but don't know if they monitor it. I'm gonna ask someone tomorrow about that MAC bypass. I'm guessing I'll need the devises info before hand. 

 

So when I join the free wifi and the browser pops up asking for my info, that's called  "captive portal"?

[_SNOWMAN_]

On 7/16/2023 at 9:38 AM, TimedPing said:

TP-Link Archer series is good one for dirt cheap, it's also having good signal range for cheap wireless AP (starting around $25)

So I picked up 2 Archer C20s. $16 refurbished on Amazon. They are slow but just hooked them up. At the shop I used Tether app to set it up. There is no bridged mode but it has repeater mode, I assume it's the same thing. I don't know how to get the browser to pop up so I can sign in. I tried on my ipad and also a laptop. 

[TimedPing]

4 hours ago, _SNOWMAN_ said:

So I picked up 2 Archer C20s. $16 refurbished on Amazon. They are slow but just hooked them up. At the shop I used Tether app to set it up. There is no bridged mode but it has repeater mode, I assume it's the same thing. I don't know how to get the browser to pop up so I can sign in. I tried on my ipad and also a laptop. 

My bad didn't gave you specific models to look into. How about WISP mode? And if automatic popup login didn't show, you can manually enter this address to your browser: msftconnecttest.com/redirect