Why was my phone able to connect to the wifi in a cafe but not in our hotel?

[AndroidNewby]

Connecting to a Wi Fi hotspot - or not as it happened!

I have just been on holiday. The hotel I was staying in offered free wi fi. On check-in, I was given the access code. I connected the phone to the wi fi service using the given password and the connection 'worked OK' i.e. there was no error and the wi fi icon appeared at the top right of the phone display. Shortly after, a message appeared at top left saying something like 'verify wi fi connection'. Scrolling the display down revealed a web like page with a login screen - the username was pre completed together with an instruction not to change it and another field for the password. Supplied the password and the login screen was replaced by a URL which indicated it was runninig a 'process'. This never completed - and I never received any phone calls, messages and was unable to use internet browsing.
Walked into town for a coffee to a cafe which had a wi fi hotspot, secured by password. Connected to this and everything worked - phone calls, texts, internet browsing.
I'm back home now so can't try anything but does anyone have a suggestion as to why the phone connected to wi fi perfectly in the cafe but never in the hotel? Just curious.
Thanks
AndroidNewbie
PS : No-one else in the hotel had any problem with the hotel wi fi (as far as I could tell)

 

[SpookDroid]

Re: Connecting to a Wi Fi hotspot - or not as it happened!

Unfortunately the issue is mostly with your hotel login. You can get on the WiFi, but the access is controlled by a third party service that requires you to login using a webpage. Sometimes these can be wonky with certain phones and/or browsers.

What I'd try is this:
1) Try logging in with a different browser than 'your usual'. For instance, if you use Chrome, try it with the stock browser. Or viceversa.
2) 'Forget' the WiFi network. REBOOT YOUR PHONE. And then re-connect to it.
3) At the login prompt, enter the wrong password. Does it give you an error? If so, after the error, try again with the right credentials.

 

[AndroidNewby]

Re: Connecting to a Wi Fi hotspot - or not as it happened!

Thanks for your helpful reply. As I said, I'm back home now so can't try anything but can log what you said for problems here in the UK. You've also answered a question I haven't posted yet which is how do you properly forget a wi fi location. I kept using the 'Forget' option, but as soon as I got back into the hotel, the phone just linked into their wi fi. My question was going to be - how do you properly forget a wi fi location, but it's now
How does one reboot the phone?
Thanks
AndroidNewbie

 

[SpookDroid]

Re: Connecting to a Wi Fi hotspot - or not as it happened!

Well, the 'forget' option should delete that network from your phone, unless the network is open and you have selected the option to automatically connect to open networks (in which case it would come back on its own, or if you own an AT&T phone, some newer phones will connect automatically to AT&T hotspots without asking).

Rebooting your phone is just turning it off and back on, or if you have the option, select Restart or Reboot, depending on how it's worded in your device. Usually by long pressing on the power button you should get that menu.

 

[AndroidNewby]

Re: Connecting to a Wi Fi hotspot - or not as it happened!

Hi, SpookDroid
Thanks for the info. I will remember your tips in case this happens again. I was fully switching off the phone but it kept reconnecting - I will check the 'auto connect to open networks' setting as you suggest. I will also download Mozilla so I have an alternative browser.
Thanks again for your help and suggestions.
AndroidNewbie

 

[SpookDroid]

Re: Connecting to a Wi Fi hotspot - or not as it happened!

No problem, and if you ever run into any trouble, have more questions, or just have something you'd like to share (you never know which tips you might discover!), you know where to find us