Captive Portals

Captive portals are web pages that require users to authenticate or agree to terms and conditions before being granted access to a public Wi-Fi network or other internet services. They are commonly used in places like hotels, airports, coffee shops, and other public venues that offer free or paid Wi-Fi access.

When a user attempts to connect to a public Wi-Fi network with a captive portal, they are first redirected to a special web page, known as the captive portal page, instead of directly accessing the internet. The captive portal page typically includes information about the network, terms of service, acceptable use policies, login options, and possibly an authentication form.

Users are required to take specific actions on the captive portal page to gain full internet access, which may include one or more of the following:

1. Login: Users may be required to enter credentials (e.g., username and password) to authenticate themselves on the network.
2. Acceptance of Terms and Conditions: Users may need to read and agree to the terms of service or acceptable use policies before being granted access.
3. Payment: In some cases, a captive portal may require users to make a payment or enter payment information for premium internet access.
4. Social Media Login: Captive portals may offer the option to log in using social media credentials to simplify the authentication process.

Once the user completes the required actions, they are granted access to the internet, and subsequent web traffic is no longer redirected to the captive portal page until the session expires or the user disconnects from the network.