Haochenx

Q: MacBook 12" (2016) cannot connect to Starbucks WiFi in Japan

I'm having problems connecting my MacBook 12" (2016 model) to Starbucks WiFi in Japan (although I'm not sure whether the location is important here).

 

I could actually connect to the WiFi router, but having no internet access. The authentication page doesn't even show up. I can connect fine with all my other devices (including my iPhone, my iPad, and my 15" MacBook Pro.)

 

This problem in bothering me from the day I got my MacBook 12" in April. It connects well occasionally (very rarely though), but even in those cases, a sleep and wakeup would blow the connectivity away. The WiFi is still connected, but no internet access.

 

The same is happening in every Starbucks I visits (I visit frequently 6 or more local Starbucks depending on the date), and every time this happens, I have to tether with my phone for internet access, which is both inconvenient (setting up the tethering is easy and LTE internet connection is as good as the WiFi service Starbucks provides in Japan, but it eats up my phone's battery very fast) and a little bit costly.

 

I've tried turning off and turning up the WiFi, renewing DHCP lease (even tried to use manually assigned IP address), but all without luck. The router obtained with DHCP doesn't even reply to my ping requests.

 

Is there anybody experiencing the same situation with public WiFi spots? Is there any suggestion on troubleshooting?

 

BTW I've asked the Starbucks staff, but obviously they're baristas instead of technicians and weren't able to offer any help beyond checking that their router's power is on.

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Haochen

MacBook, OS X El Capitan (10.11.5), null

Posted on Jul 7, 2016 7:09 AM