Captive Network Question

[n4uau]

Our local Senior Center has what is called a captive network. You need to sign in with a user name and password. When I tried to use the Apple TV to mirror my ipad screen it would not work and Apple reps told me that is because it has no browser to popup so you can't log into the net, even though it finds the router signal.

When helping a friend initialize a brand new, out of the box, on an open WEP network ipad I found that until you got it initailized it was very limited it what it would do.

So my question is: is it possible to initialize an ipad on a captive network? Unlike WPA and WEP networks which work fine, captive needs the browser to open and accept user name and password.

 

[hpulmer]

As far as I understand I always log into a captive network at McDonalds, Starbucks, Hotels etc, here in Germany when I first have to accept the conditions and terms, which happens on a web page which opens automatically upon trying to connect to the wireless network... so... YES.

 

[n4uau]

Maybe I didn't state the question clearly. Yes you can log into captive networks normally but this is a one time thing when you take the ipad out of the box, turn it on and go through the set up. It needs to connect to wifi to register and finish the set up. I am not certain that it can respond to a captive network's query for user name and password and 'accept'. It can respond to WEP security request for the security code but from what I leaned from Apple to respond to a captive networks request it needs a browser which might not be activated until after initialization.

 

[Skull One]

Actually the dialog can occur in the Settings WiFi section if you wait long enough based on my past usage of this feature. But I doubt very few people have come up against this issue during actual setup. The good news is, you can setup the device without WiFi. You just won't be able to restore automatically from an iCloud back until you log in and then go into Settings to do the restore.

 

[LannyC]

I set mine up in a grocery store parking lot on the way home from the Apple store, while waiting for my wife to shop. I have no idea whose wifi I was using. If you get an agreement screen you can't get past, just look for another hotspot down the street.

This post handcrafted from 100 percent post-consumer recycled electrons.

 

[n4uau]

"The good news is, you can setup the device without WiFi."

I don't think this is correct. Apple needs your email and password to set up your ipad. To do that you need to log into a wifi. LannyC's approach would work with an open wifi and indeed here people could go to the local library but I teach the course at the Senior Center and am constrained to that captive network. So further input would be appreciated.

 

[Skull One]

"The good news is, you can setup the device without WiFi."

I don't think this is correct. Apple needs your email and password to set up your ipad. To do that you need to log into a wifi. LannyC's approach would work with an open wifi and indeed here people could go to the local library but I teach the course at the Senior Center and am constrained to that captive network. So further input would be appreciated.

You can make it thru ALL of the setup questions by skipping them. Then after you are on the home screen you go back into settings, connect to wifi and then setup iCloud, iTunes, iMessage and FaceTime manually which is what the email and password are for.. I know this because I have actually done it on both the iPhone and iPad.

 

[n4uau]

skull one, interesting. SO you initialized it without connecting to wifi at all?

 

[Skull One]

skull one, interesting. SO you initialized it without connecting to wifi at all?

Yeppers. And the I had to add iCloud and iTunes manually.