BT Openzone, can't connect

[singlecoil]

I'm trying to get wifi at an address I will be at for the next few days, I've never needed to use the BT hot spot service that's part of my broadband deal before, now I need it I can't get log on to it. I find an openzone signal, try to connect, get to the BT log on page, enter my user name and password, press connect, wait a few moments and am presented with the same page again.

'Trouble logging in?' BT ask me. Click on the link which explains that I need to enter my user name and password, or alternatively, in a stunning display of comical irony, there's 'more help available online'.

I've also got a BT business account with different user name and password, they doesn't work either. Since getting home I've tried the BT help pages, you can guess how much help they were.

[sgrimshaw]

You haven't opted out of providing that from your own router have you?

My understanding is that if you don't share your connection, then you can't share someone elses.

[singlecoil]

sgrimshaw said:

You haven't opted out of providing that from your own router have you?

My understanding is that if you don't share your connection, then you can't share someone elses.

Not opted out, though on the recent business account I don't remember being offered the opt out option anyway.

[sgrimshaw]

singlecoil said:

sgrimshaw said:

You haven't opted out of providing that from your own router have you?

My understanding is that if you don't share your connection, then you can't share someone elses.

Not opted out, though on the recent business account I don't remember being offered the opt out option anyway.

Ignore me, I just realised that is BT Fon anyway.

Maybe this will help though:

https://my.btwifi.com/selfcare/forgottenLoginDetai...

[singlecoil]

sgrimshaw said:

Ignore me, I just realised that is BT Fon anyway.

Maybe this will help though:

https://my.btwifi.com/selfcare/forgottenLoginDetai...

Thanks, that would be ideal if I had forgotten my login details

[sgrimshaw]

singlecoil said:

Thanks, that would be ideal if I had forgotten my login details

Is BT WiFi actually active on your account?

[singlecoil]

Yes, it's active. Anyway, after some time on the phone with BT I can now connect to BT Wifi.

So I connect, try to go to a website with my Google Chrome equipped laptop and tablet and it's

"Your connection is not private" and I can get no further. Doesn't seem to be a problem for my Windows phone, but the laptop and tablet are having nothing to do with it. Tried IE on the laptop and it's the same thing.

So I'll be stuck surfing on the phone for the next few days it seems. Still, better than no internet at all.

[bristolracer]

Tether laptop to phone?

[sgrimshaw]

I've had this problem when the time and date is not correct on the laptop.

If they are fine, then try changing the DNS Servers to 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4

Failing that, other than checking your AV settings, especially if you use Avast, I'm out of ideas.

[singlecoil]

Thanks, I'll try that if I CBA. Fortunately they will be connecting my broadband on Friday so will probably give it one more go then give up, spent too many hours on it already and got lots of other things to do

[blueg33]

The BT hotspot login page usually has a drop down menu where you select the BT product/service you have. Are you selecting the right product from the list. Eg, BT Total Broadband opens up an entirely different login page

[singlecoil]

blueg33 said:

The BT hotspot login page usually has a drop down menu where you select the BT product/service you have. Are you selecting the right product from the list. Eg, BT Total Broadband opens up an entirely different login page

I am indeed selecting the correct product, and for some reason BT Total Broadband is not on the list of offerings, though the one I do select, BT Broadband is the service I have. I also have BT Business but it may be that that hasn't got going yet despite them telling me I could use it right away.

[blueg33]

Out of ideas

[Dr Doofenshmirtz]

Forget it - the connection speed from Openzone/FON is so bad it's pretty much unusable. You get around 0.30Mbps download.

[blueg33]

Dr Doofenshmirtz said:

Forget it - the connection speed from Openzone/FON is so bad it's pretty much unusable. You get around 0.30Mbps download.

That's not my experience in general. I use it often, especially in London, its usually faster than a hotels own broadband. Obviously it depends on the speed of the line that the hotspot is connected to.

[Sheepshanks]

singlecoil said:

"Your connection is not private" and I can get no further. Doesn't seem to be a problem for my Windows phone, but the laptop and tablet are having nothing to do with it. Tried IE on the laptop and it's the same thing.

My laptop can be iffy on hotel wifi and I've noticed that if it tries to open a https:// page it'll somethimes work if I change it to http://

But a couple of weeks ago at a two day meeting in a hotel I really struggled, using my Windows10 laptop, to get online. I could connect to the hotel wifi, but not open a browser page. Same with IE, Chrome and Firefox. Yet other people were fine.

Eventually I found that if I disconnected from wifi and then reconnected (sometimes a few times) it would work. Then I'd shut my laptop until the next break and then have to go through the whole thing again.

[blueg33]

Have you got a firewall or are connecting through a proxy server?

My work laptop struggles with hotspots because the default settings route via a proxy server. If I change the settings so that it doesn't go through the proxy, all is fine

[Jonny_]

I had similar problems a while ago, and it turned out that my BT login (the one I use to log in and download my phone bill) doesn't work for BT WiFi.

Instead I had to dig up my BT email address (which I've never used since setting the account up), and use that as my login. After much buggering about trying to remember the password, it worked... Sort of.

The hotspots are massively variable. Some work well, some are dog slow, some don't even let you log in, some seem to work at first then stop at random.

Best viewed as something that might save you a bit of 4G data if you're lucky enough to find one that works, as opposed to relying on it entirely for your internet connectivity.

[bristolracer]

I have a little EE wifi hotspot gizmo
4g and 3G on it cost £30 to buy and I get a couple of gig for £10 month.
All my devices can connect without faff and it's just like having your own home router.
No messing about logging in and it just works.

Currently camping in Cornwall with perfect signal.

Free wifi is free for a reason- it's carp

[Slushbox]

BT Openzone works well for me (uncongested rural area).