WIFI & Sumsung Tablets and Smartphones

[willbur]

Greetings All-
My Samsung 6 Edge (Android)smartphone would not connect to public WIFI at an airport yesterday. It connected to the service, but not to any websites. This also happens with my Samsung Tab tablet. Ppl tell me this happens to their Android based phones, too. However, I was able to access I-net using data. My wife's (sitting next to me)Apple smartphone had no problem with the WIFI.
Is there something amiss with Android or Samsung's implementation that may cause connection problems with public WIFI? Or perhaps a setting on my devices?

 

[Andrew1972]

You probably did not accept terms or screen never made itself present . You can be connected to wifi but cannot connect to web sites.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: madRiver
You probably did not accept terms or screen never made itself present . You can be connected to wifi but cannot connect to web sites.

+1

And sometimes bringing up that captive portal screen can be a hassle, but it's not just Android. Sometimes it happens on a PC, too.

What sometimes helps is completely shutting down the browser and opening it again. It's harder to do on Android - if you just navigate away from the browser, that does not mean you completely shut it down.

However, the latest Android version (7) is better about actually taking you to that sign in screen automatically, if it detects it.

 

[willbur]

Thanks-
I never made it that far to the acceptance phase. It simply said I was connected and that was that!

 

[Quattro Pete]

If you can't figure out how to restart the browser, then reboot the device and see if that helps bring up the acceptance page.

 

[Dave Sherman]

I see this frequently with my Android phone. It often seems to have trouble bringing up the screen to actually confirm acceptance. One trick that seems to work is to try going to a completely different website than the one you're having trouble with, and usually that kicks it to redirect you to the acceptance screen.

 

[willbur]

Thanks again-
I tried on-off multiple times and different web pages. Nothing worked and that is why I'm here to get some ideas. I think its just Android and will get Apple devices next time. They seem to work(but a lot more $$$)

 

[Rolla07]

Typically try to reload your browser or enter in new web page.

 

[daman]

Usually no problems with my s5

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: willbur
Thanks again-
I tried on-off multiple times and different web pages. Nothing worked and that is why I'm here to get some ideas. I think its just Android and will get Apple devices next time. They seem to work(but a lot more $$$)

There are a number of wifi login apps on Google Play. I have not had a need to try them, but maybe that's something that would help you? Here is one:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=tom.wificonnecter&hl=en

 

[dishdude]

One thing I've run into with Chrome is if you try to go to a https:// site, it will see you're being redirected and won't load the login page, so I have to select a bookmark that isn't secure.

 

[dtownfb]

I just did Midway, BWI, Salt Lake City and Honolulu airports over the past month carrying my iPad (work) and Samsung S6. In some cases it was easy to connect to WiFi and others it took a couple tries. I didn't notice if it was an Apple or Android issue because each had an issue connecting at different times. I chalked it up to a heavily used public WiFi system and not the devices. When I'm in a Panera Bread, Starbucks, etc., I've had zero issue connecting.

 

[willbur]

"..chalked it up to a heavily used public WiFi system and not the devices".

The devices were side by side. My wife's Apple iPhone worked great but my Samsung S6 Edge would not! So..me thinks it's a good comparison and Apple is the way to go.

In my opinion, some of the problem (all?) is that Samsung and other smartphone manufacturers using Android OS superimpose their system ("skins"?)over native Android so that the systems are interfering with each other. This results in unnecessary bloatware such as two clocks, two browsers,etc.
I think the solution is to get Google or Apple devices. But these cost much more. So, put up with the bloatware.

 

[Bryce]

Originally Posted By: willbur
"..chalked it up to a heavily used public WiFi system and not the devices".

The devices were side by side. My wife's Apple iPhone worked great but my Samsung S6 Edge would not! So..me thinks it's a good comparison and Apple is the way to go.

In my opinion, some of the problem (all?) is that Samsung and other smartphone manufacturers using Android OS superimpose their system ("skins"?)over native Android so that the systems are interfering with each other. This results in unnecessary bloatware such as two clocks, two browsers,etc.
I think the solution is to get Google or Apple devices. But these cost much more. So, put up with the bloatware.


I had the opposite experience recently. We were at a Holiday Inn and my Samsung S6 connected to the wifi with no issues (the terms and conditions page came up automatically). I tried to get two iphones to connect (a 7+ and a 6) and I couldn't get either one to make the terms and conditions page appear. The iphones were side by side with my S6. Wife and daughter ended up using cell data for the night.