Blocking Wi-Fi depends on the operating system in use. Different platforms handle network restrictions uniquely.
Blocking Wi-Fi depends on the operating system in use. Different platforms handle network restrictions uniquely.
Hi everyone! My Ubuntu setup on my laptop isn't connecting to the school's Wi-Fi anymore. They require a login with a username and password before allowing access. Recently, I tried to connect but kept getting asked for the same credentials repeatedly. Usually these issues come from wrong login details, but I've double-checked. I contacted the IT team, who told me they block Ubuntu because it's considered less secure compared to Windows due to its open-source nature. This suggests they might have disabled Ubuntu specifically. A few days later, I learned I'd been flagged for "Suspicious activity" and should now be able to connect—probably because they just applied a Steam update. Still facing the same problem. My main point is that my Ubuntu partition isn't working, and I'm curious if it's possible to restrict access based on the operating system itself. Any suggestions? Also, please share the Ubuntu download link so they can avoid security issues. Thanks for your help!
Just a MAC address restriction. They can observe what’s linked but I’m certain no software exists that restricts based on operating system. This is just my perspective; I believe they had a legitimate reason to block your device for suspicious behavior. Perhaps review the policies and check if specific operating systems are prohibited from accessing the network. If so, then any action would likely lead to consequences.
The guidelines aren't written down; they come from what I've learned. A notification appears when you first use a school computer, showing their rules and policies. I read them carefully to make sure I understand.
I’m familiar with various methods that categorize endpoints by operating systems. Cisco ISE is just one option; Checkpoint, Palo Alto also offer comparable solutions. There are also DNA Center and other tools that can guide you to a patch server if your software isn’t up-to-date or if you’re compromised. I won’t go into details because discussing ways to circumvent restrictions violates the Community Standards on the forums.
I was double checking myself and it doesn't even need to be ISE (which is usually an appliance or can run as a VM). Wireless controllers can fingerprint and block based on OS as well. Obviously there is traffic based blocks but yah, there is some interesting info sent out just connecting to networks. Part of it is MAC based, just knowing the vendor of the MAC helps, but there is other stuff that gets sent out too. A snapshot of some devices connected to my network right now: