Re: Captive Portal Alternatives (Was: Re: miracle of Firefox in the hotel)
On 2/13/22, Brian <ad44@cityscape.co.uk> wrote:
> On Sun 13 Feb 2022 at 16:02:53 +0100, tomas@tuxteam.de wrote:
>
>> On Sun, Feb 13, 2022 at 02:41:31PM +0100, Linux-Fan wrote:
>> > Brian writes:
>> >
>> > > On Sat 12 Feb 2022 at 21:07:10 +0100, tomas@tuxteam.de wrote:
>> >
>> > [...]
>> >
>> > > > This is Firefox's captive portal [1] detection [2].
>> > > >
>> > > > Cheers
>> > > >
>> > > > [1] Had I a say in it, I'd reserve a very special place in Hell
>> > > > for those.
>> > >
>> > > Could the process to replace them on, say, public transport be
>> > > outlined?
>> >
>> > [...]
>> >
>> > It highly depends on your jurisdiction and other regulatory
>> > requirements
>> > thus I gather there is no comprehensive answer to this question.
>> >
>> > Alternatives could be any of the following:
>> >
>> > * Not using a captive portal at all i.e. having just a free WiFi
>> > for everyone near enough to receive the radio signal.
>> >
>> > * Using WPA Enterprise (RADIUS) to have users login without any
>> > website but directly as part of joining the network. This works
>> > for very large networks, too. E.g. the `eduroam` common in some
>> > universities can be accessed from any of the participating
>> > universities' accounts by just entering their campus e-mail address
>> > for login.
>> >
>> > * RFC8910 - Captive-Portal Identification in DHCP and Router
>> > Advertisements (RAs). I never never heard of it before searching
>> > for “Alternatives to captive portals wifi” online :)
>>
>> * Joining a local initiative providing free connectivity (and, of
>> course, lobbying your local policy makers that this be legal;
>> the very idea of providing free stuff tends to be suspect).
>>
>> Freifunk [1] is one successful example.
>
> Interesting.
>
> Captive portals provide free connectivity. What's the problem?
I almost responded to this thread yesterday to say, "Shudder!"
My thought process was that it seems like it might be pretty easy for
perps hovering out in a parking lot or maybe a nearby building to
create a fake captive portal that resembles what users would be
expecting to see from the, yes, FREE Internet provider.
That would only be possible if this is working like I'm imagining is
being described here. That imagination involves a webpage such as what
I once encountered popping up unexpectedly while trying to access WIFI
through a local grocery store a few years ago.
Cindy :)
--
Cindy-Sue Causey
Talking Rock, Pickens County, Georgia, USA
* runs with birdseed *
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