Network Troubleshooting
The “!” Sign (Limbo State)
Section titled “The “!” Sign (Limbo State)”It is common that after authenticating on the captive portal, the device shows an exclamation mark (!) on the WiFi icon or says “Connected, no internet”.
This does not necessarily mean you have no internet; the operating system has not yet verified the connection after the state change.
How the phone checks for internet
Section titled “How the phone checks for internet”Android and iOS phones try to download a small file from servers like connectivitycheck.gstatic.com or captive.apple.com:
- Before authentication: The request is intercepted by Catsplash. The phone sees the network is restricted.
- Right after authentication: The phone may take 5 to 60 seconds to retry the check.
The Automatic Redirect Problem
Section titled “The Automatic Redirect Problem”Catsplash automatically adds a “Bypass” rule in the NAT table for each authenticated client. This allows HTTP requests to no longer be intercepted once authenticated.
However, the problem may persist briefly due to:
- DNS Cache: The phone remembers the portal’s IP.
- CNA Closure: The Captive Network Assistant closes before processing the redirect.
Quick Solutions
Section titled “Quick Solutions”- Wait 10 seconds: Give the system time to refresh the rules.
- Browse manually: Open your browser and go to
http://1.1.1.1orhttp://neverssl.com. - Toggle WiFi off and on: Forces the phone to re-evaluate the network.
- Use the “Finish” button: The Catsplash success page has a manual button.
Note about HTTPS
Section titled “Note about HTTPS”The captive portal can only intercept HTTP (port 80) traffic. If you visit an HTTPS (port 443) website before authenticating, the browser will show a certificate error. Always use an HTTP website for the portal to appear.