MacBook Pro does not load captive login page on public Wifi sites

RonLater wrote:

I don't understand what the fix was here. I still can't seem to get it to work. It just shouldn't be this difficult or abstract. It should be figured out and made repeatable to all users and all devices. It shouldn't be tricky or difficult like this.

thanks for your vent. This stuff is complex, and when it does NOT work, it can be frustrating.

if you could supply some Hard information indicating exactly what state your network is in, readers can make some suggestions.

do you have an IP address, indicating you are connected to a router?

do you have error messages? what error messages, exactly?

• location: CLT Charlotte, NC airport
• MacBook pro 2021, OS : Sonoma 14.1
• iPhone 13 mini, iOS: 17.5.1
• Status: connected (with a green dot), Unsecured Network (with a yellow triangle exclamation point)
• IP address: 10.4.66.221
• Router: 10.4.79.254
• DNS Servers: 12.127.16.67, 12.127.16.68, 8.8.8.8, 8.8.4.4 (I am unable to delete any of these)
• I tried the two suggested website addresses. “You are not connected to the internet “

I travel through this airport 2-3 times a month and have never had any difficulty join the CLT free WiFi. Recently, I’m not able to join with my phone or my laptop.

Ideas? I’ll be headed back through here in two days.

thanks

misty

I’m back at CLT; same problem.

IP address 10.4.48.77

Router: 10.4.63.254

configure IPv4 Using DHCP: Confirmed Yes

Subnet mask: 255.255.240.0

Everything else is the same.

I have a layover for another 13 minutes.

Thanks for any ideas -

Misty

Good points, but it should do something with 1.1.1.1 rather than ignoring it!

and since it require no DNS lookup, we expect either the CloudFlare splash page (if previously approved) or the airport to insert its login credentials page to demand credentials.

Well, to be fair, many modern routers have the ability to have DNS servers programmed into the router so that the choice of ISP default or public DNS can be applied at the network level. In those cases the router is running bind or a similar service and knows how to keep a DNS cache.

But that’s a different use case than public Wifi, of course, where one is not the network owner and in control of the configuration.

Thank you so much! I’m brand new to Mac and I’m thrilled to finally having a solution that works! Incase anyone is wondering, I have a 2024 MacBook Air Sonoma 14.4.1

When I tried that it wouldn't allow me to remove them, it clicked and nothing happened.

I’ve tried so many solutions, and this is the only one that finally worked for me! Thank you!

Nothing if this works for me(

I'll give that a try next time I'm there.

I appreciate any other ideas.

I’m at this airport and having the exact same trouble today.

On top of that, if you're finding that the captive portal page does not come up, you can try to browse to HTTP (not HTTPS) sites that will redirect, for example http://example.com/ which should redirect to your captive portal login.

open a browser window and type:

1.1.1.1

in the address bar, and press return.

in most situations like this, using an ALL NUMERIC IP address will be intercepted, and you will get your login page.

in a few rare situations, you may get the CloudFlare** splash page instead.

**CloudFlare is NOT part of the solution, they just have the easiest to remember all-numeric IP address.

The reason attempts at web pages may not work in this situation is that what goes out first is a DNS server request (look up this website to an Internet Phone number), which is blocked because you have not logged on yet, so your actual web page request goes nowhere because your Mac can't determine where to send it. Supplying an All numeric IP address Does go out, because it needs no DNS lookup. That gets intercepted and you get your local login page.

do you have

settings/references > network > Wi-Fi > (advanced) > TCP/IP :

configure IPv4: Using DHCP ???

if so, what is Subnet mask?

the numbers you posted are VERY far apart:

• IP address: 10.4.66.221
• Router: 10.4.79.254

typical subnet mask of 255.255.255.0 would NOT allow you to connect, because those IP addresses are not on the same subnet.

OOH, that's interesting!

I have another one to try:

once you get an IP address, put the supplied ROUTER's numeric IP address is the address bar.

ytsim wrote:

I’m back at CLT; same problem.

IP address 10.4.48.77

Router: 10.4.63.254

so enter:

http://10.4.63.254

that Router IP address is shown on

Settings/preferences > Network > Wi-Fi > (advanced) > TCP/IP

...