I'm traveling with my wife, and each of us has a computer. Hers is a laptop that runs Windows 8, and mine is a tablet with Android 6.0. We just stayed in a hotel where they gave us a password for their wifi. Using this, my wife had a fine connection up in our room, while I was able to enable wifi and it said it connected, but I never got to the login screen. On the other hand, I was able to get a connection when I took my tablet down to the lobby. Then just before we left that place, I did get a connection in our room, but my wife's connection dropped out. I'd been thinking that there was some sort of incompatibility between my tablet and the hotel wifi, but this last incident made me think that maybe the problem was that they'd only let one of us connect at a time--but then why was I able to log in from somewhere else in the building?

I told the manager about it, but I didn't expect him to be able to explain it. Has anyone got some insight?

 

I'm traveling with my wife, and each of us has a computer. Hers is a laptop that runs Windows 8, and mine is a tablet with Android 6.0. We just stayed in a hotel where they gave us a password for their wifi. Using this, my wife had a fine connection up in our room, while I was able to enable wifi and it said it connected, but I never got to the login screen. On the other hand, I was able to get a connection when I took my tablet down to the lobby. Then just before we left that place, I did get a connection in our room, but my wife's connection dropped out. I'd been thinking that there was some sort of incompatibility between my tablet and the hotel wifi, but this last incident made me think that maybe the problem was that they'd only let one of us connect at a time--but then why was I able to log in from somewhere else in the building?

I told the manager about it, but I didn't expect him to be able to explain it. Has anyone got some insight?

I think that you are probably right that they are only allowing one connection on the wireless inside your room.

One solution would be to try to use the Win8 machine as a hotspot as well, then the android connects to the win8, not straight to their wireless. I don't know if this will work, but it is probably something I would try. https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=windows+8+as+hotspot#kpvalbx=1

A better way would be to use your phone as a hotspot (may cost you some $$) and not deal with the insecure/crappy hotel connection at all.

 

The mysteries of hotel wifi are various and sundry.

An example: a hotel that advertises free wifi. You connect to a very strong wifi signal with no problem at all -- only to discover there is essentially zero bandwidth.

 

only to discover there is essentially zero bandwidth.

And that you can upgrade it for a "small fee" after signing up for their free advertising spam.

 

And that you can upgrade it for a "small fee" after signing up for their free advertising spam.

Yeah. I tried this.

I think they assigned me dedicated 56K USRobotics modem.

 

56K !!!!! What, were you staying in the freaking penthouse? At the good ol Stagger-Inn all I get is 300 and a free hour on their BBS!

 

I wouldn't connect a laptop to a public network unless you've locked down access to your files. I once connected to a hotel network and I was able to see files on other computers.

I'll connect my phone or tablet because I don't keep critical info on them. For my laptop, I tether it to my phone.

 

I wouldn't connect a laptop to a public network unless you've locked down access to your files. I once connected to a hotel network and I was able to see files on other computers.

I'll connect my phone or tablet because I don't keep critical info on them. For my laptop, I tether it to my phone.

You must be one of those Windows users I hear so much about.

 

Yes, "The mysteries of hotel wifi" is about the size of it. I should have said that we used a password that the hotel assigned, and it was keyed to our room (room number plus the name we booked under) so possibly we could only connect once to the router that covered our room. But if they only wanted to allow one connection per booking, why did they let me leave my dear wife upstairs on her laptop, and go down to the lobby and get online there with the same login information? "The mysteries of hotel wifi" is the best thing to say.