Set up a private LAN alongside a public LAN.
Set up a private LAN alongside a public LAN.
Hi everyone We’re using the city’s shared Wi-Fi in our office building. When I connect, it sends me to a page where I enter my phone number to log in. The nice part is I only need to do this once per MAC address. So far everything works fine. The problem is that my printers and other devices can’t join this network. I’m wondering if I can add another router to the public access point so it uses its internet connection for a private network. That way all shared devices and computers could connect together and stay online. I also have access to the LAN ports on the public router. My first thought was to use a Raspberry Pi to connect to the public Wi-Fi and share it with my router, but I think there’s a better solution... Thanks for your help, Johnny
You can simply link a router, configure WiFi on it, and connect a laptop, phone, or other device. When trying to access the Internet, you'll still need to log in, but because traffic passes through the router, your credentials will be tied to its MAC address instead. It should function smoothly afterward. A script could also be created to automatically authenticate if the system prompts for login again.
EDIT: I missed noting that you might also contact the city to have their WAN MAC address added to the whitelist, which they may be open to if you explain your case.
It seems my current router might be outdated and not compatible with other Wi-Fi networks. I’ll try it with a newer device and also explore using the Raspberry Pi’s network sharing option. Good luck!