WiFi Captive Portal: What You Should Do to Surf the Web Securely

A captive portal is a web page accessed with a web browser. It is displayed to newly connected users of a WiFi network before they are granted broader access to network resources. Captive portals are commonly used to present a landing or log-in page which may require:

• authentication,
• payment,
• acceptance of an end-user license agreement,
• acceptable use policy,
• survey completion,
• other valid credentials that both the host and user agree to adhere by.

Captive portals are used for a broad range of mobile and fixed broadband services. These include cable and commercially provided Wi-Fi and home hotspots. A captive portal can also be used to provide access to enterprise or residential wired networks, such as apartment houses, hotel rooms, and business centers.

Public Wi-Fi is available just about everywhere, from the local coffee shop to the hotels and airports you visit while traveling. Wi-Fi has made our lives a little easier, but it also poses security risks to the personal information available on our laptops and smartphones. 

In a recent survey, 70% of tablet owners and 53% of smartphone / mobile phone owners stated that they use public Wi-Fi hotspots. However, data sent through public Wi-Fi can easily be intercepted. Many mobile device and laptop users are risking the security of their personal information, digital identity and money. Furthermore, if their device or computer is not protected by an effective security and anti-malware product, the risks are even greater.

Captive portals are to blame for a number of security issues, especially when it comes to HTTPS websites. HTTPS is meant to prevent traffic interception, alteration, and impersonation by a third party. But captive portals work by doing exactly that: they intercept and alter the connection between the user and the site they are trying to visit.

On an unencrypted HTTP connection, the user would not even notice this. But for sites secured with HTTPS, the web browser detects something or someone hijacking the connection (similar to a man-in-the-middle attack). This causes “untrusted connection” warnings about fake certificates for websites that users otherwise expect to be safe.

On top of that, captive portal tends to give an unreliable internet connection. Most of captive portal WiFi networks are also employing a metered connection and will get you disconnected when you reach a certain point.

One alternative to using a captive portal WiFi connection is by using your cellular connection on your smartphone. But that can be costly most especially when you’re on your way to your data limits.

Thankfully, there’s a solution to this. You can use a bonding VPN solution like Speedify, which can improve your security while combining all available connections.

Speedify is different from all VPN services – it is a fast bonding VPN. Speedify can improve your Internet speeds while still acting as a VPN. It is also able to combine multiple Internet connections at once to give you one lightning fast connection.

Speedify uses channel bonding technology that keeps your data secure without slowing down your computer, like other VPNs. Speedify is able to encrypt your data and send it in pieces where it is reassembled on our secure servers.

When you use Speedify, you no longer have to choose between security, speed and stability. Speedify actually helps you have a better experience when you stream movies, have video conference calls, or even play online video games when you’re on a captive portal WiFi.

With Speedify VPN, you never have to worry about your Internet connection dropping. It keeps you connected automatically, even if something goes wrong with one of your connections.

Stop taking chances with your online security and get a secure, stable and fast Internet connection with the fastest VPN out there.