In the digital era that we live in, the use of the internet has become an essential part of our lifestyle. The use of the internet has simplified our way of doing things so that one can work while on the go. All that is needed is laptops, smartphones, tablets, and a good network connection.
A Public Wi-Fi network usually offers the best option, especially while traveling. Also, people who find their privacy as a point of concern can use Wi-Fi networks from public places such as cafes or restaurants to hide their IP address.
However, many establishments that offer public Wi-Fi usually develop security measures that are enhanced towards limiting instances whereby people can misuse their resources. This is why you find most public Wi-Fi networks asking its users to log in to a particular page.
Although this is usually an easy process, what happens if the login page refuses to open? This article will show you how you can force a public Wi-Fi network login page to open if you encounter such a hurdle.
What is the best way a person can use to force the login page to open?
Adjusting the DNS settings is considered the best way to force a public login page to open. This is because using an alternative DNS server than the one provided by the public Wi-Fi network you want to access is the leading cause of login pages refusing to open.
While changing your DNS settings can help you automatically fix the problem, choosing a third-party DNS server can cause problems with your altered DNS settings, leading you to have even a tough time opening the login page.
Below are some of the other tricks you can apply when forcing the login page to open.
Restarting Your PC
Sounds easy, right? Restarting your PC could be all that you need to open a public login page. All you need to do is;
- Disconnecting from the network by turning off your Wi-Fi
- Shutting down the computer system by logging out of your user account
- Turning on your PC again and logging in to your user account
- Finally, connecting your network and turning on your Wi-Fi. If the login page doesn’t pop up in your browser window, try the following.
Making Use of a Different Browser
If you cannot open the login page even after restarting your PC, the next trick you should try is using an alternative browser. Below are the necessary steps that you should follow to set another browser as your default browser.
- Go to the start menu and type ‘control panel’ into the search box
- choose ‘category’ under the ‘view-by’ drop-down and locate ‘programs’ and click on it
- Click on the ‘set your default programs’ and wait for the page to load, select the desired browser and click ‘OK.’
Disable Firewall
Although windows firewall helps keep your PC safe from threats by blocking malicious communications and the programs that are used to generate them, it could be the reason why you cannot get that login page to open. You can never know for sure until you temporarily disable the firewall to see if the page opens up.
However, by disabling the firewall, you might put your PC at risk of being attacked. This is why it is advisable to install one of the anti-malware software to keep your PC protected even when the windows firewall is disabled.
Enable Incognito Mode
If all the above tricks fail, you can try going incognito. This is because, your browser could be trying to use the cached DNS, making it fail to load the login page.
Private browsing, also known as incognito mode, basically forgets all your browsing information such as cache, cookies, and auto-fill, leading to the login page loading.
Network Adapter Driver
Finally, if all the above fixes fail, you can try updating your network adapter driver. However, if your network adapter driver is up to date, you can try uninstalling the driver and then reinstalling it again to help fix any corrupt files, if any.
Conclusion
By following the above-discussed tricks on how to force a public Wi-Fi network login page to open, you can be guaranteed of never having to stop working or socializing with your friends and family just because the page won’t open.
You can also save yourself from unnecessary frustrations when you really want a network connection but cannot connect because of a login page not loading or opening.