1. What is this WiFi page?

You connected to a public WiFi network — at a café, hotel, hospital, mall, hotel lobby, apartment building, or any other location — and instead of going straight to the internet, your phone showed you a login page with the name of the venue, maybe a logo, and a box to enter a code or sign in.

That page is called a captive portal. It's the WiFi network's way of asking, "who are you, and are you allowed to use this internet?" Every public WiFi that's properly managed uses one. It's the same idea as showing a ticket at the cinema before you sit down.

The owner of this WiFi is using WitRADIUS to manage who connects, for how long, and with how much data. You don't need an account with us — you just need a code or login provided by the venue (the café, hotel, etc.).

2. Step-by-step: getting online

The exact look depends on the venue, but the flow is always the same:

Step 1 — Connect to the WiFi network

On your phone or laptop, open WiFi settings and pick the network with the venue's name (e.g. "Hotel Sunshine WiFi", "Café del Mar Free", "Clinic Guest"). It should be open (no WiFi password needed at this stage).

Step 2 — Wait a few seconds

A login page should pop up automatically. On iPhone and Android this happens within 5-10 seconds of connecting. On laptops it usually opens too.

If nothing pops up, open any web browser and try to visit a non-secure site (e.g. example.com or neverssl.com). The login page will appear.

Step 3 — Enter your details

The page will ask for one of these, depending on what the venue offers:

A voucher code — usually printed on a card the cashier handed you (covered in §3)
Username and password — an account the venue gave you (e.g. tenant in a building, hotel guest with room number) — covered in §4
Sign in with Facebook / Google / SMS — quick social or phone-based login (§5)
Free WiFi after watching an ad — agree to T&C, watch a short ad, get connected (§5)

Step 4 — Read & accept the terms

A "Terms & Conditions" checkbox is usually there. Check it (only if you actually agree — it defines what's allowed on the network).

Step 5 — Tap "Connect"

If your code/login is valid, you'll see a brief "connecting…" message and then either:

Redirect to the venue's website / a welcome page, or
A success page showing your remaining quota (time and data)

You're online. Open Maps, Instagram, anything — it works just like normal WiFi.

3. Voucher codes

The most common method. The venue prints scratch-off cards (like phone top-up cards) and sells or hands them out.

What a voucher card looks like

A small card with:

The venue's logo
A scratch-off silver panel hiding a code (often 6-12 letters and numbers, sometimes with dashes: ABC123 or K9PX-LM4Z-7QRT)
The duration / data quota: e.g. "1 hour, 500 MB" or "24 hours unlimited"
An expiry date by which you must first use it

How to use it

Connect to the WiFi (Step 1 above)
Wait for the captive portal page
Use a coin to scratch off the silver panel
Type the code exactly into the box (case usually doesn't matter, but punctuation does)
Check the T&C box
Tap Connect

Common voucher tips

Confused characters: 0 (zero) vs O (oh), 1 (one) vs I (capital i) vs l (lowercase L). If the code doesn't work, try the alternative
Dashes: type them exactly as shown (or skip them — the system usually handles both)
One device, usually: most cards work on one device at a time. To switch to a different phone, log out from the first
Use it or lose it: cards have an expiry. If you scratch and don't use it for weeks, it may have expired — ask the venue
Validity window: once you first use a code, the clock starts. A "24-hour" card means 24 hours from first connection, not 24 hours of total use spread over a week (depends on the venue's settings)

Some venues give you an account instead of a card — common for:

Hotel guests (username = room number, password printed on the welcome card)
Apartment building tenants (username given when you signed the lease)
Co-working space members
Repeat customers at a café (loyalty perk)

How to use

Connect to the WiFi
On the captive portal, switch to the Username tab if there's a tab selector
Enter your username and password (case usually matters for these)
Check T&C
Tap Connect

Forgot your password?

Usually you can ask the front desk to reset it. The venue's staff has a control panel where they can issue you a new password in a few seconds.

Multiple devices

Most usernames work on multiple devices simultaneously (e.g. your phone + laptop). Some are limited to 1 or 2 devices — your venue will tell you. If you connect a new device and one of your old ones drops, that's why.

Some venues offer easier options.

Sign in with Facebook / Google

Tap the button → log in to your social account in the popup → grant minimal permission (usually just your name and email). You're connected. The venue may save your email for their marketing (check their T&C).

SMS / OTP login

Enter your phone number → receive an SMS with a 4-6 digit code → enter it on the page → you're connected. Useful if you don't carry a voucher card. The venue pays a small SMS fee, you pay nothing extra.

Free WiFi with ads

Tap "Watch ad to connect" → a 5-15 second video plays → you're connected. The advertiser pays the venue, the venue gives you free WiFi, everyone wins. Some venues let you tap "Skip" after a few seconds.

6. Your remaining quota

Once connected, you may see a small pop-up or a status page showing:

Time remaining — how much usage time is left on your code/account
Data remaining — how many MB or GB you can still download
Speed limit — your max download/upload speed (if any)
Expiry — when your code/session ends

You can usually open this page anytime by visiting the captive portal URL (often something like 1.1.1.1 or the venue's domain — try wifi.local or open any non-https site to trigger it).

When your time or data runs out, the WiFi will start blocking your traffic. You'll see a "Quota exhausted" page and can buy a top-up if the venue offers one.

7. Error messages — what they mean

"Invalid voucher code"

The code you typed doesn't exist in the system. Causes:

Typo — most common. Re-check carefully (especially 0/O, 1/I/l)
Wrong venue — a code from one café doesn't work at a different one. Make sure you're at the right venue
Code is from a different system — the card might be from a different WiFi provider (not WitRADIUS). Ask the venue

"Voucher expired"

The expiry date passed before you used the code. Ask the venue for a refund or a fresh card.

"Voucher already used"

Someone (you or someone else) already activated this code. Either:

The card was scratched and used by a previous customer
You used it earlier and forgot
A friend you shared with used it

Ask the venue for a fresh card.

"Voucher locked to another device"

The code is bound to a different phone (by MAC address). Either:

You connected with another device first → switch back to that device, log out, then try here
The venue's policy is single-device — ask them to unlock it for your new device

"Quota exhausted"

You've used up the time or data on this code. Get a new code or wait for the next billing cycle (if it's a monthly account).

"Account disabled"

The venue's admin has disabled your account. Ask them why — usually for abuse or non-payment.

"WiFi hotspot not registered"

This is a venue-side problem — their setup is incomplete or expired. Ask the venue to contact their WiFi provider.

"Hotspot disabled"

The venue temporarily disabled their WiFi (maintenance, payment issue). Try again later or ask the venue.

8. Troubleshooting

The login page doesn't pop up

Try in this order:

Wait 30 seconds after connecting — sometimes it's slow
Open a browser and visit neverssl.com or example.com (non-https). The captive portal will intercept and show its login page
Forget the WiFi network and reconnect from scratch
Disable mobile data first, then connect to WiFi (some phones get confused)
Try a different browser — sometimes Chrome/Safari behave differently
Toggle airplane mode off and on

"Connected, no internet"

This usually means you're connected to the WiFi but haven't logged in via the captive portal yet. Open a browser and visit any non-https site to trigger the login page.

If you've already logged in and still see "no internet":

Your code may have expired or run out of quota
The venue's internet upstream might be down — ask them
Your DNS is being filtered — ask the venue what websites are allowed

Login page rejects every code

The venue may have changed providers — ask if your card is still valid
Check the venue name on the login page matches where you actually are (you might have joined the wrong WiFi)

Disconnects every few minutes

Usually a signal/Wi-Fi quality issue, not a code issue:

Move closer to the router (if you can see it)
Restart your phone's Wi-Fi
If on a laptop, check if your power-saving mode is dropping the WiFi adapter

Login worked but pages won't load

The venue may filter certain sites (gambling, adult, social media)
Your DNS may be slow — change phone DNS to 1.1.1.1 or 8.8.8.8 in WiFi settings (advanced)

9. Privacy & safety

What does the WiFi see?

The venue's network can see:

Which websites you visit (the domain name, e.g. instagram.com) — this is normal even on home WiFi
The amount of data you transfer
Your device's MAC address (a hardware ID)
Your session times (when you logged in / out)

The venue cannot see:

The contents of any encrypted (https://) page — your banking, messages, passwords are safe
Your other apps' data on your phone

What does WitRADIUS see?

We power the login system. We see authentication events (you logged in at this venue at this time), session metadata (start/stop, bytes consumed), and your MAC address. We do not see the content of your browsing.

Tips for safer use

Stick to https:// sites (almost everything modern is https) — your data is encrypted
Avoid logging into your bank or sensitive accounts on shared WiFi if possible — use mobile data for those
Don't tap on suspicious "you've won an iPhone!" pop-ups that may appear after the login — those are ads, not part of the login system
If a captive portal asks for payment card details before connecting, double-check the URL is legitimate (e.g. matches the venue's known website). Ask the venue if unsure
If something looks phishy (asking for too much data, weird typos), disconnect and use mobile data instead

Forgetting the WiFi after you leave

When you leave the venue, your phone may reconnect automatically next time you're nearby. If you don't want this:

iPhone: Settings → WiFi → tap (i) next to the network → "Forget This Network"
Android: Settings → WiFi → long-press the network → "Forget"

Need more help?

Most issues are best resolved with the venue's staff — they manage the codes and accounts. Only the venue can:

Refund a damaged card
Reset your password
Unlock a code from a different device
Tell you why your account is disabled

If the venue tells you "it's a WitRADIUS problem", ask them to email [email protected] on your behalf with their hotspot ID and the issue — we'll respond to them within a few hours.

Enjoy the WiFi.