• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Technipages

Tutorials and fixes for smartphone, gadget, and computer problems

  • Topics
    • Android
    • Browsers
    • Gaming
    • Hardware
    • Internet
    • iPhone
    • Linux
    • macOS
    • Office
    • Reviews
    • Software
    • Windows
    • Definitions
  • Product Reviews
  • Downloads
  • About
Linux Mint: How to Enable Automatic Checks for Captive Portals

Linux Mint: How to Enable Automatic Checks for Captive Portals

December 8, 2020 by Mel Hawthorne 2 Comments

Access to Wi-Fi networks is typically restricted in one of three ways. The most common method is to use a password, but you can also have networks where network providers have hardcoded credentials to access their networks via a SIM card. Another method that many free Wi-Fi networks use is called a “Captive portal”.

Captive portals allow you to connect to the network with no restriction but instead capture and redirect your internet traffic to a sign-in page. From here you generally have to create an account to be able to use the service.

One of the issues with captive portals is that they can’t redirect traffic to websites encrypted with HTTPS. Given the large and increasing number of websites that use HTTPS to secure communications, this can be an issue in getting online. To help users get connected, many operating systems run regular and small automated checks to see if they’re stuck behind a captive portal and to then open the sign-in page for the user.

The intention of this is to increase usability but some users may have some privacy concerns about these checks. To support those users that may have privacy concerns, Linux Mint allows you to disable the internet connectivity check used to determine if there is a captive portal.

To enable or disable the connectivity checks for captive portals in Linux Mint, press the Super key, then type “Privacy” and hit enter.

Tip: The “Super” key is the name that many Linux distributions use to refer to the Windows key or the Apple “Command” key, while avoiding any risk of trademark issues.

Press the Super key, then type “Privacy” and hit enter.

In the privacy settings, you need to enable or disable the “Check connectivity” setting to respectively enable or disable the checks for captive portals. If you choose to disable this setting it’s possible you may struggle to connect to a captive portal network.

Enable or disable the “Check connectivity” setting to respectively enable or disable the captive portal checks.

You Might Also Like

  • Linux Mint: How to Enable the on-Screen Keyboard
    Linux Mint: How to Enable the on-Screen Keyboard
  • Linux Mint: How to Enable Visual Accessibility Features
    Linux Mint: How to Enable Visual Accessibility Features
  • Linux Mint: How to Add New Applets
    Linux Mint: How to Add New Applets
  • Linux Mint: How to Add New Extensions
    Linux Mint: How to Add New Extensions
  • Linux Mint: How to Use “Hot Corners”
    Linux Mint: How to Use “Hot Corners”
  • Linux Mint: How to Add New Desklets
    Linux Mint: How to Add New Desklets

Filed Under: Linux

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Norman says

    December 12, 2022 at 5:53 pm

    Same issue as Michael. Perhaps one difference, if I use Firefox it will display a narrow banner offering to open the login page. None of the other browsers do that.

  2. Michael says

    April 23, 2021 at 7:31 am

    No, unfortunately it doesn’t work for me. My LM laptop connects to the network with the captive portal, but nothing happens – nothing opens automatically. To connect to the page served by the captive portal, I have to get the “Default Route”-IP4 address from “Network Settings” and type that into the address bar of the browser – than it works.
    For instance in Android, I only have to select the SSID of the network from the list, and everything else is automatic.
    Is there something I fundamentally miss? Please help.
    Thanks!

Did this help? Let us know!

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • 9 Best iMovie Equivalents for Windows 11
  • How to Fix Outlook Disconnected from Server Error: Top 11 Methods
  • 3 Ways to Choose All Files in a Folder – Windows 11
  • Apple TV+: How to Erase a Show From the Up Next List
  • How to Change the Profile Picture on Disney+
  • Local Security Policy: What Is It and How to Open It in Windows 11
  • How to Create and Erase an Alarm in Windows 11
  • 10 Best NAS Storage Device for Home and Professional Use

Who’s Behind Technipages?

Baby and Daddy My name is Mitch Bartlett. I've been working in technology for over 20 years in a wide range of tech jobs from Tech Support to Software Testing. I started this site as a technical guide for myself and it has grown into what I hope is a useful reference for all.

You May Also Like

  • Linux

© Copyright 2023 Guiding Tech Media · All Rights Reserved · Privacy