How to use NordLayer on Wi-Fi with a captive portal?

At many airports, the wifi networks include something called a captive portal. This is a login or authentication page that pops up when you first connect to the network. It's a common sight at airports, cafes, and hotels, where you might need to enter a password or accept terms of service to gain access.

If you're using a VPN such as NordLayer, the captive portal can't redirect you to the login page. This occurs because the VPN is designed to encrypt your data and route it through a server in a different location, masking your device's actual entry point to the internet. As a result, the local network's captive portal page fails to load, leaving you unable to connect to the wifi at all.

How to connect to airport wifi using NordLayer

To navigate this, you can use a straightforward workaround:

1. Disconnect your device from the VPN. This allows your device to interact directly with the local network.
2. Connect to the airport wifi without the VPN. This should prompt the captive portal to appear, allowing you to login or accept the necessary terms.
3. Once you're through the captive portal and have internet access, reconnect to NordLayer to secure your online activity.

Important: If you have the "Always On VPN" feature enabled and your internet connection drops when disconnected from the VPN, please click on the "Get temporary internet access" button at the bottom of the app. Doing so will grant you three minutes of direct internet connectivity, usually sufficient to complete authentication through a captive portal.

In case you have any questions or are experiencing any issues, please feel free to contact our 24/7 customer support team.