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Connecting to WiFi via Web Login?

So after playing with my new iPad all weekend, I was looking forward to bringing it to work today to share with co-workers. The major issue I am running into is that I can't gain real access to the office wi-fi.

I'm not sure what the technical term is for it, but to connect to the Wi-Fi you're taken to a webpage where you login and then go about your business. On a laptop, after login the browser pops up a window that lets you know you're logged in and has your 'session' details. On the iPad, this screen cannot be moved past. It just sits there, no way to close it. Closing Safari then terminates the connection.

Is there a solution to this or is connecting at work via Wi-Fi pretty much not going to happen?

Posted on Apr 5, 2010 10:02 AM

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28 replies

Apr 5, 2010 10:38 AM in response to Brent Meyer

Same problem. This is how University of Wisconsin-Madison's WiFi authentication works, and the iPad doesn't keep the wifi connection going if I cancel the login window (which appears anytime I attempt to connect to the wifi), so I can't connect via VPN, either. This is a major, major problem. My iPhone works just fine through the same mechanism.

Apr 5, 2010 11:15 AM in response to Brent Meyer

That's just the thing: iPhone OS handles these kinds of logins differently; they're based on isolating unauthenticated network clients (using their MAC addresses identification) using special DNS servers, acquired via DHCP, that forward any page to a logon page. That's why when you're in Safari, or Settings, or wherever, and you connect to the wireless network, the logon webpage pops up. But when I type my username and password and submit them, nothing happens. I've verified that the iPad is getting DHCP information (otherwise it wouldn't get to the page in the first place), but it doesn't close this window, nor does it send me to the confirmation page that comes up once I've been authenticated.

*I am almost positive this is a problem with OS 3.2, as my iPhone performs this login process flawlessly.*

Also, like I said, I can't connect to the wireless network then close the login page, because that immediately disconnects me from the wireless network, so I can log in using my departmental VPN access, either.

This is a sucky situation.

Apr 5, 2010 11:33 AM in response to Brent Meyer

Ok, here's the long answer.

Colubris Authenticatiion (now a part of HP Procurve suite of connectivity products) uses a PEAP client side authentication process.

From Colubris:

Networking

Networking
* DHCP Client, ARP (RFC 826), TCP (RFC 793), IP (RFC 791)*

*Ethernet clients*
* Up to 20 clients*

*WLAN Authentication*
* _802.1x authentication using PEAP_*

*WLAN Security*
* Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA2) with AES support; WPA dynamic or preshared keys, Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) using static or dynamic keys of 64 or 128 bits*

*Fast WLAN Roaming*
* Configurable RSSI threshold controls association with APs on same channel*

*Network Management*
* Fully manageable using Colubris Network Management System v4.0 or later (CNMS), SNMP v2c, MIB-II with TRAPS; Embedded HTML management tool with secure access (SSL)*
*Scheduled configuration and firmware upgrades from central server*
*Packet capture tool for Ethernet interface (PCAP format)*
*Automatically selects SSID on power-up*

*Find this at: * http://www.winncom.com/moreinfo/item/WCB-200-US/index.html*



I have a funny feeling the PEAP is where things are getting a bit hairy.

Message was edited by: AlphaBetaOne

Apr 5, 2010 11:52 AM in response to Brent Meyer

No problem, and just to further my gut instinct here, PEAP/LEAP wasn't supported on some initial versions of the iPhone OS, according to there article here:

* http://www.iphonefaq.org/archives/97418*

You wouldn't have been able to get it working on your iPhone either, until iPhone OS release 2.0

"No.

+*Not as of firmware 1.1.4. Though recent updates saw an extension of the iPhone's VPN protocol support, LEAP/PEAP WiFi support was absent.*+

+*LEAP/PEAP support, along with many other features, is rumored to be coming with the iPhone 2.0 release but this has not yet been confirmed."*+

Connecting to WiFi via Web Login?

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