MT1300 Hotel Access

I think I understand the process to use my MT1300 at a hotel that has a custom wifi login screen where I have to enter my last name an room number to get access. I want to be sure I do understand it before I travel later this month to that hotel.

My understanding is that I can login through my Android phone browser like I normally do while I’m there. Then I note my phone’s MAC address. I go to the MT1300 admin screen then to More Settings > MAC Clone. Then I enter my phone’s MAC address into the Your Router (WAN) field. This makes the hotel’s system think my phone is what is accessing their system. Then I can use the MT1300 SSID for wireless access for all my devices including my phone. Correct?

I recall that occasionally at this hotel, I had to re-login into their system through their security screen. It acts like their system forgot me. After a couple of days their system would reset, or perhaps they would reboot it for maintenance or something else. I assume I just repeat the process of first logging into their system with my phone. Correct?

Thank you.

Note whether your phone will use a Randomised MAC Address by default. If it is enabled, your phone will provide a different MAC to the hotel AP and the MT1300. You will need to manually enter the MAC provided by your phone to the hotel AP in the MAC Clone page.

It is also recommended that you turn off your phone’s WiFi after completing MAC Clone and then use your computer or other device to access the MT1300’s administration page to configure repeater.
This is because with MAC Clone, some phones may respond to the hotel AP’s broadcast, causing repeater interference.

My phone is set to “Randomized MAC”. I am not clear on if that is good or bad.

If I turn off my phone’s WiFi after completing the MAC Clone and use my laptop to configure the repeater, can I turn my phone’s WiFi back on after I am done using the MT1300 admin page?

Thank you for your assistance.

This is usually good. It protects your privacy. However, MAC Clone can be a little tricky to operate. You have to manually enter the MAC.

It depends on your phone and Hotel AP. Some phones will interfere with repeater when in MAC Clone. Each phone in the test performed differently.
In case it does, it might help to forget the SSID of the hotel AP and use a randomised MAC link to the MT1300.

I am attempting to put together a step by step list to use at the hotel

  1. Connect my phone to the hotel AP and login through their captive portal
  2. Note the MAC address on my phone.
  3. Turn off WiFi on my phone.
  4. Connect my laptop to the MT1300 AP and access the admin page
  5. Enter my cell phone MAC address into the MAC clone field.

Is there anything else?

If things don’t work and say the page does not load you should try:

  • Turning off custom or alternate DNS servers(can be turned back on once logged in)

  • Try loading the router’s default page. enter 192.168.1.1 , 127.1.1.1 , 1.1.1.1 , or http://localhost in your browser address bar, and you might get the default login page to load

  • Devices might need a restart

  • Use WAN ethernet connection. These are found behind the TV many times

Make sure you are using 3.215 firmware because in old firmware mac clone has bug for repeater.

Thank you for the additional information.

I just upgraded to 3.215. Thank you for that suggestion.

Some of this might be helpful to you: Captive Portal Strategies