Safari Login Page Launches when connecting to wireless network

This may be an access page for an "Captive Portal" wifi network, where you have to log on before the wifi service will allow you to access. Go to your Network system preferences and then click "Wi-Fi." In here, see what network is being used in the "Network Name" menu, and if it's not your home or work network then try changing it to the desired one.

If the problem persists, then click the Advanced button and in the "Wi-Fi" tab select and delete all "Preferred Networks" except those that you wish to use, and then order them in terms of preference. When finished click OK and try seeing if the network connection sticks with the one you prefer to use.

This appears to be a login page to a vodafone wireless access point. Is that what you are using as your network router? It seems the device is available on the network since it's prompting you for a username and password.

If this is the case, then you might have to adjust the device itself, either by restarting it, resetting it to factory defaults, or otherwise changing some settings on it. My guess is when you lose your network connection the access point re-establishes its connection and instructs your computer to access the device first.

When you are connected to the intnernet without this message popping up, try opening a new tab in your browser and then entering the "vodafonemobile.wifi:80" address to see if you can connect. Let me know if the same password prompt shows up. Additionally, try opening the Terminal utility and run the following command:

ping vodafonemobile.wifi

If the ping command starts showing responses, press Control-C and then select and copy the responses to a message here.

Somehow your system is configured for remote access or other direct access to the device. The vodafonemobile.wifi address is used for the Vodafone Mobile internet gateway, such as its R205 device, or perhaps its other phone systems. These are mobile Wi-Fi hotspots that connect you to a cell network, and for some reason your system is connecting to one. The fact that the ping is a ~60ms delay shows it's not some loopback to your computer, so somehow you are connecting to an external device. Additionally, the device is on your network since it cannot be accessed from a remote location such as where I am. Attempting to connect or ping it from California gives a timeout, and attempts to locate it suggests that it's behind a router or LAN.

As a result, even though you might not think you have a vodafone device on the network, you very likely do. It may be someone's phone or perhaps be a service in your router you are not aware of.

One option you can try is to reset your system's network configuration, by going to the Macintosh HD > Library > Preferences > SystemConfiguration folder and removing the following items:

com.apple.airport.preferences.plist

com.apple.network.identification.plist

com.apple.RemoteAccessServers.plist

NetworkInterfaces.plist

preferences.plist

In addition, remove the folder called "CaptiveNetworkSupport" and then restart your system and try setting up your Wi-Fi again.

Please read this whole message before doing anything.

Safe mode is much slower to boot and run than normal, and some things won’t work at all, including Wi-Fi on certain iMacs. The next normal boot may also be somewhat slow.

I have this problem as well, have had it since Sept when I had to connect to a Vodafone Mifi device at an offsite work event. Only used it for 1 evening but have had this irritating window ever since. I no longer work there, am currently over 16miles away from the Mifi, which is off anyway, and yet still anytime I start Safari or open the MacBook Pro lid and Safari was already open, a new window opens with the popup: "To view this page, you must log in to area “Thomson” on vodafonemobile.wifi:80."

I removed all the extra wifi networks I don't know or use anymore, and when I search for "vodafone" in Finder nothing comes up. I'm fairly sure to use the mifi I had to download some software, but I guess the first time I saw the popup I deleted it. I'm thinking it's a page Safari has remembered (if I type vodafonemobile.wifi:80 into the address bit it brings up the same popup so am assuming Safari has an instruction somewhere to access this page and keeps trying to access it every time it opens.

If it is Safari, my homepage if set to google.com, and the vodafone link is not in a bookmark or anything else I can see, how do I get rid of it?

Many thanks,

Julia

Go to your Network system preferences and see if there is more than one WiFi connection set up in the list of network services. If so then remove all but the one that is named "Wi-Fi." Additionally, for this connection, click the Advanced button and remove any entries in the "802.1X" tab that are present, uncheck any proxies that are configured, and remove any preferred networks.

If this still does not work, then try creating a new location in the menu at the top of the Network system preferences by selecting the "Edit Locations" option and clicking the plus button to add a new one. Then give it a name like "test."

With this location selected, try configuring your Wi-Fi connection, and then apply the changes to see if the same login page shows up.

Thanks so much for your help. I am not sure I am doing this right, should I be in this window? I can't see WiFi or the 802.1X tab:

I setup a test location and it still came up with the login screen, although please check I've set it up correctly:

Is there anything else I can try?

Your screenshots did not properly post.

One thing you can quickly try is to create a new network location configuration. To do this, go to the System Preferences and choose "Network" (you will see the list of services like WiFi and Ethernet to the left). At the top of this panel you will see a drop down menu next to the word "Location." Select this panel and choose "Edit Locations." Then click the plus button to creat a new location, and then click "Done."

This action will have created a new network configuration that includes your default network ports and all associated settings. Click Apply to save the changes, and then connect to your WiFi network again.

With this new connection established, does the system still show the login prompt?