Captive portal in a hotel or cafe blocks VPN.
The portal needs T&C acceptance over http before traffic is allowed. Killswitch or always-on VPN prevents that page from loading. Many clients have a 'captive portal allow' toggle.
Try this first
- 1Temporarily disable killswitch, or enable the captive portal exception in the VPN client.
- 2Open a browser to an http site (not https), the portal appears.
- 3After accepting the portal, re-enable VPN and killswitch.
- 4For frequent travellers: a 4G/5G hotspot on the phone beats fighting hotel Wi-Fi every time.
When to bring us in
Corporate policy does not allow captive portal bypass: create a verified exception via IT helpdesk, otherwise employees use DIY tunnels you do not control.
See also
- VPN will not connect or keeps droppingTwo main causes: your home internet or the VPN server. One quick test separates them.
- VPN connects but corporate folders are unreachableConnection says "green" but your network drives will not open. Almost always a DNS or routing issue.
- Home PC slow on VPN, fast at the officeThree suspects: home internet, VPN server limits, or routing that takes a long detour.
None of the above fits?
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