/chromebook/community?hl=en
/chromebook/community?hl=en
11/20/15
Original Poster
Susan Leone Starr

Connected to free airport wifi but no signin screen

hello everyone. you can probably tell already i have never asked a tech question in this kind of forum, so please excuse my ignorance. i hate it when it is not possible to even find your question from the manufacturer...

twice now in airports my chromebook has shown itself as connected to the free wifi, but the wheel keeps spinning, the sign in screen keeps flashing for half a second then disappearing, and i cannot get to the internet. when it happened again yesterday, i asked a gentlemen in the seating area if he knew what to do, and he said "sure, just use my phone network," and I was able to connect and sign in that way. 

anyone have a clue what's up, since i cannot possibly be the only person that has happened to, therefore the googlechrome people already know, therefore i should have been able to get an answer from them, but nooooo....???
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All Replies (7)
allan.pitches
11/20/15
Expert - Rising Star
allan.pitches
Chrome OS does not like working with WiFi which is open to all as the airport one most probably is.Chrome OS is a secure system and obviously does not interface with totally open wifi because of the security risk.
11/20/15
Original Poster
Susan Leone Starr
thanks so much for the rapid response. now at least i know not to count on using it at the airport...
lagagnon
11/20/15
Expert - Top Contributor (Alumni)
lagagnon
Many airport WiFi systems are hit and miss and even somewhat unintuitive and many are not Free or only free for 10 minutes and most of the time you MUST visit their web portal page and agree to conditions before getting a proper WiFi signal from them. It has worked for me at every airport I have visited but it does take some perseverance sometimes. It can also be horrendously slow if many are logged it. Hence why many just give up and use their cellphone networks. I have used other devices too, with same effects, so this is NOT a ChromeOS problem.

Some portal pages are also obtuse. Try going to a non https site like www.cbs.com when you cannot connect and that often forces the portal page to come up, if for some reason the portal notification does not come up at the bottom right of your Chromebook.
libssd
11/21/15
Expert - Platinum
libssd
Susan : As others have suggested, airport Wi-Fi portals can be hit or miss. The problem usually occurs if you try to connect to a HTTPS (secure) site before accepting the portal's terms. Try this:
  1. Select the airport's free Wi-Fi
  2. Open a window and go to a non-HTTPS site, such as www.weather.com 

Gill
11/22/15
Expert - Gold
Gill
I tried to mark this as Best Answer as jt hits the nail on the head, but apparently only TCs can do that.
Frank Tedesco
11/22/15
Expert - Gold
Frank Tedesco
Gill

Yeah; that depends on how the CM has the forum set up.  RS's can mark BA's in some other of my Fora.

best,
f
Frank Tedesco
11/22/15
Expert - Gold
Frank Tedesco
And, you can sometimes force a sign in screen by typing 1.1.1.1 into the browser, then hit Enter.
 
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