Apple products don't work with WIFI hotspots?! :confused:

[Eazkk123]

Dear All,

My laptop (17" i7 Macbook Pro) won't connect to a WIFI hotspot in a major hotel. The thing is, it recognises the WIFI name and connects to that with a valid IP address, however when I load up Safari the login page does not load up. I tried with different browsers but the results are the same and also on my iPad and iPhone. However when I boot up in Windows and load up the browser, everything works fine and I am able to view and login into their WIFI.

This has happened before in many hotels, and is really swaying my decision back to Windows. Could it be that the Hotel WIFI is filtering out Apple products through the MAC address? If so, how do i go around this? Is there something out there, that can make their system think I am using a Windows computer?

Help very much appreciated.

- Eas

 

[GGJstudios]

They're not filtering by computer manufacturer and yes, Apple products do work with hotspots. You should check with the hotel to find if wireless access requires a password, or if there are other setup requirements. You just need to configure your computer or phone properly for it to work.

 

[Eazkk123]

The WIFI login page in the browser does not load up on my Apple products but does on my Windows? Could they be filtering out MAC addresses associated with Apple products?

 

[psxguru]

Tried using Firefox in case it's a Safari issue?

 

[GGJstudios]

The WIFI login page in the browser does not load up on my Apple products but does on my Windows? Could they be filtering out MAC addresses associated with Apple products?

Not possible. Besides, what would be their motivation?

 

[-aggie-]

The WIFI login page in the browser does not load up on my Apple products but does on my Windows? Could they be filtering out MAC addresses associated with Apple products?

It must be a Safari issue. Do you have Flash enabled? Try using Firefox.

 

[stuarthatto]

Hotels use a form of NAC - Network Access Control - where they need to control your DNS server information.

Check your DNS server is NOT set to anything but automatic - create a new profile if you dont want to mess with your specific settings.

I have been using my MBP for 3 years with WIFI hotspots in hotels and elsewhere, the only times I couldn't connect were when I had manually set my DNS server.

Stu

 

[JNB]

Not only have I never had a failure to connect to a hotel—wired or wireless—in the last ten years, in addition my Airport Express "just works" perfectly in a new hotel every week to create a local network for my MBP, iPhone, and iPad. No muss, no fuss (just typically crappy bandwidth).

As far as DNS Server, mine is set to 8.8.8.8 and I've never had a lick of problems with it.

Actually, the only problem getting connected to hotel wifi was with my old Dell laptops. Between the MS utility and the Dell one fighting for dominance, it only took several Control Panel changes, reboots and thirty minutes to finally get the worthless things connected.

 

[locust76]

Not possible. Besides, what would be their motivation?

Oh, it's very possible. In fact, the first 6 bytes of a MAC address designates who manufactured said device. In the case of Apple, it always comes back to Apple.

They wouldn't do this, though. Not a public hotspot.

 

[GGJstudios]

Oh, it's very possible. In fact, the first 6 bytes of a MAC address designates who manufactured said device. In the case of Apple, it always comes back to Apple.

They wouldn't do this, though. Not a public hotspot.

I didn't mean it's not technically possible. I mean that it's not possible that this is what's happening, as no hotel would have any reason for doing this.

 

[stuarthatto]

As far as DNS Server, mine is set to 8.8.8.8 and I've never had a lick of problems with it.

Setting my DNS server to googles public server (8.8.8.8) is the exact reason I have had problems in the past. Not all NAC solutions use DNS techniques, but MOST do.

Just try setting it to Automatic and then try again.

 

[Consultant]

Oh, it's very possible. In fact, the first 6 bytes of a MAC address designates who manufactured said device. In the case of Apple, it always comes back to Apple.

They wouldn't do this, though. Not a public hotspot.

Plus, the device MAC address is still the same even if you boot into Windows.

 

[Eazkk123]

Thank you for the replies, if someone could come up with a solution it would truly be a lifesaver as I heavily rely on the internet for work.

The WIFI hotspot is not technically public because it is restricted to the hotel. The hotel I am staying is in Thailand but this has happened to me in Greece also.

I have a Macbook Pro i7 17" with Snow Leopard 10.6.4 with the latest flash. I have tried with different browsers but the login page does not load up. However I am connected and designated a valid IP address. The same is with my iPad & iPhone, the login page does not load up in the browser. When I am in Windows the login page does load up and it works flawlessly.

Maybe through the router they are restricting Apple devices? Is there anyway around this? Is there something that I can do myself to trick their system in thinking my Mac is a PC? As they are not willing to help.

Help very very very much appreciated.

Eas

 

[GGJstudios]

Maybe through the router they are restricting Apple devices? Is there anyway around this? Is there something that I can do myself to trick their system in thinking my Mac is a PC? As they are not willing to help.

Have you even read the replies in this thread? You don't need to "trick" any system into thinking your Mac is a PC, because they're not blocking Apple devices. No hotel does that. They are not restricting Apple devices. They have no reason to do such a thing. Read what has been posted about DNS settings and passwords.

 

[Eazkk123]

Yes mate, I have. The thing is they might restrict it for security reasons? Or they just have an annoying admin who has some sort of loathing for Apple because the login page does not load up on all my Apple devices.

It is such a strange problem... I don't understand why I have to toggle with settings on my Mac to make it work with their system, whereas with Windows I don't need to do anything.

Please enlighten me.

Help very much appreciated.

Eas

 

[jazz1]

Trouble in Dennisport, MA

Well my hotel here uses Bluestreak and my iPad refuses to go beyond the log on scene. I have tried three different credentials supplied by the front desk. Bluestreak tech. Did nothing to assist. Would not confirm credentials and the iPad might as well been from Mars.

Had same problem at open wifi at coffeeshop in Provincetown. The third try worked. I have no idea why the iPad has these problems.

Same thing at work. I got on for several weeks and then could only get slow connection while MBP was fine.

Forgot to add 3G saved the day. I'm paying for unlimited from now on under the grandfather in clause. Well worth the money.

 

[GGJstudios]

Yes mate, I have. The thing is they might restrict it for security reasons? Or they just have an annoying admin who has some sort of loathing for Apple because the login page does not load up on all my Apple devices.

It is such a strange problem... I don't understand why I have to toggle with settings on my Mac to make it work with their system, whereas with Windows I don't need to do anything.

Please enlighten me.

Help very much appreciated.

Eas

Have you verified that all your network settings are the same on the Mac as they are on Windows? Have you checked firewall, ad-blockers, browser add-ons, and other 3rd party software installed? There is a logical reason why you're having this issue. You simply need to troubleshoot and find what it is.

There is no security reason to restrict Macs from access. If anything, they're safer than Windows PCs, from a malware point of view. Your problem lies elsewhere. Open the network settings on both Windows and Mac OS X and compare them.

 

[mrbrightside623]

Yes mate, I have. The thing is they might restrict it for security reasons? Or they just have an annoying admin who has some sort of loathing for Apple because the login page does not load up on all my Apple devices.

It is such a strange problem... I don't understand why I have to toggle with settings on my Mac to make it work with their system, whereas with Windows I don't need to do anything.

Please enlighten me.

Help very much appreciated.

Eas

OMG... like others have said... they have no reason to restrict Apple Devices... There is no incentive to that. And since all of your devices been using SAFARI.... try using another browser like it has been stated. It's possible it's an issue with safari itself. I've had issues like this before and found it to be the browser. Also, it has been stated that it could be a DNS issue. You said you've read it... but have you even tried it? Please read and try. If you aren't trying the suggested solutions, what is the point of asking for help if you aren't taking the said advice. If those don't work, then we go from there. Simple as that.

 

[JNB]

Try enabling the Develop Menu (in Safari, Preferences > Advanced) and changing your User Agent to an IE variant.

 

[capn7]

It's happened to me before on my older Toshiba laptop. I would use Safari, but it wouldn't work, until I used Internet Explorer.

 

[smithrh]

Check to see that you haven't given the Mac a hard-coded DNS address.

 

[rkuntze]

Apple products do work in wifi hotspots.

I have traveled all over the United States, France, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Australia with my MBP and never had a problem. In France the per unit charge for usage was horrendous and I could never figure out what a unit was. They just kept asking for more money and telling me I was running out of units.

I leave it on Automatic most of the time. On several occasions the hotel wifi service gave me specific settings to use and again no problem. I made those setting specific to that hotel and name it such.

 

[Eazkk123]

mrbrightside, I did state that I used different browsers but again the same problem occurred. All my Apple devices connect and get a valid ip, the problem is that the login page in the browser does not load up. The settings on my Windows are same as my Mac.

How do I go about changing the DNS settings on my iPad to make it work with their network? Or is there something else I need to do with my iPad?

Help appreciated

Kind regards,
Eas

 

[Cool Runnings]

I have a Macbook Pro i7 17" with Snow Leopard 10.6.4 with the latest flash. I have tried with different browsers but the login page does not load up. When I am in Windows the login page does load up and it works flawlessly.

Maybe through the router they are restricting Apple devices? Is there anyway around this? Is there something that I can do myself to trick their system in thinking my Mac is a PC? As they are not willing to help.

Help very very very much appreciated.

Eas

As you stated, there is no problem with the hardware in your computer and there is NO whatsoever blocking on MAC-adress because you get assigned an IP etc, and it works in Windows thats *gasp* uses the same hardware and MAC-adress.

Try as proposed to enable developer-mode and select to trick the system that you are using IE instead.

For the sake of it, does any other browser besides IE work in Windows on the hotel?

If they have hardcoded their site for IE(6) there then it's not going to work on any other system. It's not uncommon at all that sites are developed for IE only....

 

[Eazkk123]

Yes I have enabled developer mode and selected IE but again the login page does not load up and I have tried with different browsers including Chrome.

In Windows, I have tried with firefox, IE, Safari and they all load up the login page fine.

This problem is the same throughout all my Apple devices, that's why I am thinking the admin has purposelessly blocked Apple devices for reasons I don't understand. (Who by the way is blaming compatibility problems with the Apple devices).

Some of you are suggesting that I change the DNS settings, how do i go about doing this on my iPad without the help of the admin?

Help much appreciated.

Eas