Multiple WiFi client devices in the hotel room

[Vikas]

If the hotel has limit on the number of clients on the wifi per room and it is enforced by the captive internet i.e. you have to log-in first; is it possible to use a matchbox router and have all the clients behind it? But how would router be able to do the log-in?

At home, I would be able to figure this out but at a hotel room with limited time to debug the setup, I have to do as much pre setup as I can assuming this is even possible.

 

[rjundi]

Likely no. In my experience travelling with family and an iPod touch, laptopx2, and two iPhone's the wifi did not care at all. If you plan on streaming something good luck to you! Hotels don't provide that great of bandwidth so don't expect anything decent.

Sorry did not answer your question. A single router if you can connect will appear as one item along with all its client behind it. You can do this with software on your laptop(Built into my Thinkpad) also besides a matchbox and if you have time to burn of course Linux.

 

[redhat]

Bring an old laptop with XP, connect to the WiFi, do their web page login. Use Internet Connection sharing, share to the internal Ethernet adapter with a static IP and connect the laptop's NIC to the WAN side of your favorite router.

 

[eljefino]

Since the wifi spans more than one room how would they know you weren't your neighbor?

You'd have to be sure to not use your own DHCP if you set up your own router as it would conflict with theirs.

Just open a browser to agree to their terms (and potentially enter a password), then they'll remember your MAC address.

 

[redhat]

A lot of times too they may make you enter your room number or some other identifying information from you booking, etc. to track who you are.

 

[bepperb]

Originally Posted By: redhat
A lot of times too they may make you enter your room number or some other identifying information from you booking, etc. to track who you are.


I think everything hinges on this. Places I've been where it's free it wouldn't matter at all. When it's paid and you have a unique login that would make it difficult, though I'm not sure they would restrict you from using that login on more than one device. I'm also not sure a front desk person would know much about this. XP workstation with internet connection sharing and a crossover cable to a router sounds like it would work, but that's a lot of hassle.

 

[Astro14]

A lot of work/thought here for a non-problem.

I log in separately with my iPhone, Laptop, Company iPad and personal iPad. There is no extra fee. No hotel restricts me on the number of devices.

I stay at Starwood, Hilton, IHG and Marriott properties...about 200 nights/year.

 

[bepperb]

Originally Posted By: Astro14
A lot of work/thought here for a non-problem.

I log in separately with my iPhone, Laptop, Company iPad and personal iPad. There is no extra fee. No hotel restricts me on the number of devices.

I stay at Starwood, Hilton, IHG and Marriott properties...about 200 nights/year.


That's generally been the case with me, but last winter we stayed at an all inclusive in Cancun where internet was about 10 bucks a day and you had a unique id. Never tried it on more than one device, so I don't know. But if I brought my kids along and they all needed internet I wouldn't be happy spending 10 bucks a day per kid for them to play ipad games.

Yes, the food and drinks were good enough to overlook the fact that all inclusive should include everything including internet access.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Sounds like a perfect excuse to get your family away from internet while you're on vacation.

 

[bepperb]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Sounds like a perfect excuse to get your family away from internet while you're on vacation.


I hear what you're saying, but in our case it was my wife and I on vacation and our 3 kids at home and the internet used to call them. No cell service as we were pretty far out.

Technology has changed and family and employers expect more than a postcard and we'll pick you up at the airport in a week. Unfortunately some hotels capitalize on this.

 

[djb]

I encountered this situation frequently, although it has become better now that more people travel with a laptop, phone and tablet.

A travel router solves this problem neatly, as well as handling the now-rare case of having only wired Ethernet.

The login process differs with the router.

They work using Network Address Translation (NAT), running their own DHCP server on a private network. The hotel sees only the combined traffic from a single IP, which looks like a single machine.

 

[rjundi]

These tiny routers sound interesting.

I have on occasion plugged my laptop directly into the lan port in a building. I feel its free game if in the waiting area. One company I ended up on the LAN as the printers appeared to me.

 

[Vikas]

We are talking about hotels in another country here!

 

[Kuato]

Originally Posted By: Vikas
If the hotel has limit on the number of clients on the wifi per room and it is enforced by the captive internet i.e. you have to log-in first; is it possible to use a matchbox router and have all the clients behind it? But how would router be able to do the log-in?

At home, I would be able to figure this out but at a hotel room with limited time to debug the setup, I have to do as much pre setup as I can assuming this is even possible.


If you run into a limit, why not just explain you have numerous devices and ask for an additional code?

 

[Vikas]

Originally Posted By: Kuato
If you run into a limit, why not just explain you have numerous devices and ask for an additional code?
That is exactly what I will do. Better half would be in lousy mood if I start hacking around the router in the hotel.