jenny42653

Q: starbucks wifi problems

I have a fairly new Mac Book Air and have problems getting wifi at Starbucks. It will indicate in the top bar that I am on the Starbucks network, but I never see the Accept & Connect page and cannot go to any sites because I am not actually online. Today I tried a different Starbucks and had the same problem, but I was able to go online with a different network that my computer detected--from a grocery store business next door. No problem going to a few sites as long as I used that network while sitting right in Starbucks. Has there been a change in Starbucks wifi causing a problem? Or is it  a wifi problem related to the Mac Book Air? It's frustrating, because I use Starbucks wifi a lot when I travel.

Posted on Feb 26, 2014 7:09 PM

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Q: starbucks wifi problems

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  • by sberman,

    sberman sberman Feb 26, 2014 9:29 PM in response to jenny42653
    Level 8 (39,028 points)
    Feb 26, 2014 9:29 PM in response to jenny42653

    My suggestion is this:

     

    If you are not doing this already, open Safari as the first online app you try when getting to Starbuck's.  But before you do, make sure the WiFi is connected and give it a while (maybe 30 seconds to settle in).

     

    Try to open some very common URL in Safari.  See if that redirects you to the Starbuck's network signin.

  • by jenny42653,

    jenny42653 jenny42653 Feb 26, 2014 9:40 PM in response to sberman
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 26, 2014 9:40 PM in response to sberman

    I did try Safari today after not having luck with Firefox or Chrome (my usual browser). I had no luck with Safari either--but it was not the first browser I tried. I have used the trick of going to a site like Huffington Post when I don't see a Starbucks sign in window--but that didn't work for me today either. The annoying thing is that the wifi indicator in the top bar says I'm connected to the Starbucks network--but I'm not. I'll experiment with opening Safari first next time I'm in Starbucks. Thanks.

  • by PlotinusVeritas,

    PlotinusVeritas PlotinusVeritas Feb 26, 2014 9:54 PM in response to jenny42653
    Level 6 (14,806 points)
    Feb 26, 2014 9:54 PM in response to jenny42653

    Ive used my Air at likely 100+ diff. Starbucks, never an issue.

     

     

    ask if their network is down, Starbucks is 'on the cheap' for connectivity. Especially if crowded

  • by sberman,

    sberman sberman Feb 26, 2014 9:58 PM in response to jenny42653
    Level 8 (39,028 points)
    Feb 26, 2014 9:58 PM in response to jenny42653

    I second PlotinusVeritas' comment:

     

    "Starbucks is 'on the cheap' for connectivity, especially if crowded."

     

    That wasn't true years ago, but it certainly has seemed that way to me recently as well.

  • by jenny42653,

    jenny42653 jenny42653 Feb 26, 2014 10:12 PM in response to sberman
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 26, 2014 10:12 PM in response to sberman

    I actually tried to go online at two different Starbucks today, and as I said in my original post, I was only able to go online using a network other than Starbucks' while I was sitting in Starbucks--the Save-On grocery store next door. This happened on another occasion in the last week or so when I was at a Starbucks located inside a bookstore (Chapters) and was only able to go online using the bookstore's network because I could not get the Starbucks network's Accept & Connect page to pull up.

  • by sberman,

    sberman sberman Feb 26, 2014 10:37 PM in response to jenny42653
    Level 8 (39,028 points)
    Feb 26, 2014 10:37 PM in response to jenny42653

    Oh, I just reread your second post and realize now you have multiple browsers on your Mac.  I apologize for missing that earlier.

     

    I have no personal experience using multiple browsers on a Mac, but I suspect that may be related to the issue.  I know that Chrome opens stuff early during the Mac's startup cycle.

     

    I cannot pinpoint anything specific, but I'll bet that's part of the issue.  The "accept" stuff gets somehow picked up by one of these early actions from a different browser.

  • by jenny42653,

    jenny42653 jenny42653 Feb 27, 2014 6:49 AM in response to sberman
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 27, 2014 6:49 AM in response to sberman

    You may be right, but I have had multiple browsers on my Mac devices for years and only recently have I had this problem with the Mac Air. Occasionally in the past, I have had problems accessing wifi with my older iPod Touch, but I just assume that's because it doesn't have the capabilities of a laptop when accessing a wifi network. My MacBook laptop always connected to wifi with no problems and Chrome was my browser of choice with that computer. I can't help but think that the problem lies with Starbucks method of delivering wifi OR something about the Mac Air OR the fact that it is running Mavericks which is also a change when using Starbucks wifi recently.

     

    I don't normally have all three browsers open at once on any device--Safari is usually my last choice of the three I use.

  • by Persian_1123,

    Persian_1123 Persian_1123 May 11, 2014 5:10 PM in response to jenny42653
    Level 1 (18 points)
    May 11, 2014 5:10 PM in response to jenny42653

    Here is the solution,

     

    * I have a macbook (Mavericks) and ever since starbucks changed their ISP from AT&T to Google, I've had a wifi connection, but never could browse the web. I never got presented with the starbucks log in screen.

     

    Contacted tech support, they said (I can only verify for mac users) to enter "purple.com" into the web browser. This IMMEDIATELY brings up the log in screen on your web browser. I can confirm this works for chrome on mac. Haven't checked with firefox web browser yet. But this works for me every time.

     

    1. Connect to the starbucks network on your wifi network

    2. open web browser (chrome)

    3. in the URL bar type: purple.com

    4. you should be presented with the starbucks log in screen.

     

     

    *so stupid they make you do this or haven't fixed the issue yet.

  • by Persian_1123,

    Persian_1123 Persian_1123 May 11, 2014 5:11 PM in response to jenny42653
    Level 1 (18 points)
    May 11, 2014 5:11 PM in response to jenny42653

    This is most likely to the change from AT&T to google. It's not your macbook air, trust me. I have a macbook from '08 thats suffering the same. It's a network issue.

  • by PlotinusVeritas,

    PlotinusVeritas PlotinusVeritas May 11, 2014 5:17 PM in response to jenny42653
    Level 6 (14,806 points)
    May 11, 2014 5:17 PM in response to jenny42653

    starbucks has trashy unreliable free wifi 

     

    theres not much else to be said about it.

     

     

     

    Has nothing at all to do with your Mac.

  • by Jon P D,

    Jon P D Jon P D May 11, 2014 6:39 PM in response to PlotinusVeritas
    Level 4 (1,515 points)
    May 11, 2014 6:39 PM in response to PlotinusVeritas

    Maybe they forgot to pay tax on their ISP bill and got cut off

  • by InTraining,

    InTraining InTraining Jul 29, 2014 9:39 AM in response to jenny42653
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 29, 2014 9:39 AM in response to jenny42653

    I'm having the same problem with my late 2012 13inch MBA. I'm in Montreal Canada and the Starbucks that I've been to redirect to allstream. For a while my iPhone would not connect either, though now days it connects but slowly. My MBA however will not connect on it's own. I say on it's own because I dual boot with windows 8.1, and when I'm in that partition there is no problem at all to connect to Starbucks Wi-Fi. It takes no more then a few seconds and I'm connected. Once I'm connect on the windows partition, I use it for a while and then switch back to the mavericks partition and the Wi-Fi is connected without going through the redirect.

  • by CAGreen29,

    CAGreen29 CAGreen29 Aug 5, 2014 1:11 PM in response to jenny42653
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 5, 2014 1:11 PM in response to jenny42653

    As Far as the Starbucks Connection problems...

    AT&T was providing WiFI, Not Internet service. All StarBucks locations IN AMERICA are is STILL transitioning stores over to Google WiFi. this means that google will provide the WiFi at the Location. It you see the Name of the wifi Network, “Google Starbucks” then you are connected @ a Google WiFi store. In this case you should Get no sign in screen and just an, “Accept and Connect” screen. Once you accept and connect you should be able to Browse. If Not, and you are sure you are connected to “google Starbucks” in america Call google WiFi support @ 18554462374. Canada Starbucks should call  Allstream Customer Service at 18667079938

    Starbucks Did not change their "ISP" to Google, just the Wifi provider.

  • by CAGreen29,

    CAGreen29 CAGreen29 Aug 5, 2014 1:14 PM in response to PlotinusVeritas
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 5, 2014 1:14 PM in response to PlotinusVeritas

    If you are having connection problems Check the Network Name of the WiFi and Call Google or AT&T to Report the issues. I know Google is trying to Correct any issues and would really love to Hear from you if you are at Google Starbucks Location and unable to Get on the WiFi.

    Google = SSID: GoogleStarbucks = # 18554462374

    AT&T= SSID: Starbucks (?) = # 18888887520

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