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A captive portal is the login or agreement page you're redirected to before gaining full internet access on networks like hotel or café Wi-Fi.
How It Technically Works
The network intercepts your initial web requests and redirects them to the portal page, regardless of what site you actually tried to visit first.
Why It's Used
Businesses use captive portals to require agreement to terms of use, collect an email for marketing, or simply limit access to paying or registered guests.
A Common Frustration
Some devices and apps don't handle captive portals gracefully, occasionally requiring you to manually open a browser to trigger the login page before other apps can connect.
