Network - Wireless & Wired Connections

[LjDaRenegade]

I had the same issue last night when trying to log into hotel wifi.  I just couldn't get the Roku's Hotel and Dorm feature to trigger.  I did however find a solution, which may be slightly technical, but if you're game, give it a shot.  Ultimately what I did was change my computer's MAC address to clone the Roku's MAC Address so that after getting authorization on that address, it will grant it on any device that holds that same address.  Just remember that only one MAC address can connect to that network at a time.

Alternatively you can:

Sign out from all networks.  Locate your Roku's MAC Address:

1. Go to the Roku Home screen
2. Select Settings and press the OK button.
3. Select System and press the OK button.
4. Select About and press the OK button.

Note The MAC Address to use in the following steps

1. Spoof the Roku's MAC Address from a computer

2. Sign in to the hotel's wifi Landing Page.  Disconnect from Hotel Wifi.

3.  Change your Laptop's MAC Address back to the original

4.  Log into Hotel Network with Roku. The Roku's MAC Address will now be authorized on the network

[Skagitvalleyboy]

Wondering what happened with your travel router, how it works and did it work? 

[atc98092]

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@Skagitvalleyboy wrote:

Wondering what happened with your travel router, how it works and did it work? 

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If you were asking me...

I have a simple TP-Link travel router. It has the ability to connect to the hotel WiFi and then act as a bridge for my internal devices. While I use the term bridge, it's really acting as a router using NAT, as it hides my devices from the hotel network. All their system sees is a single device connected, regardless of the devices I connect to the travel router.

My problem is getting the bridge to actually work. Sometimes it's successful, while other times it shows connected but nothing passes through. I can't troubleshoot much, since I have no control of the WiFi I'm connecting to. 

[alanbarta]

I purchased the GL.iNet GL-AR750S-Ext (Slate) Gigabit Travel AC VPN Router and it has worked great.  I usually plug it into the hotel room’s Ethernet port but I have also used it as a wireless bridge with success.  I have also had success having the hotel’s IT department whitelist the MAC address of my Roku and that also works but it relies on others.  I stay almost exclusively at Marriott properties so it might be different elsewhere.

[atc98092]

If the hotel has a wired connection, almost any of the travel routers should work fine. Mine works well with a wired connection, but it's bridging the WiFi where I have the issues. 

Since I'm getting close to retirement, I probably won't worry about trying a different brand. I won't be traveling much after that.