I believe the issue here is the mechanism my Roku device (a 55" TCL Roku-embedded TV) has for dealing with a "splash screen" to authenticate specifically on the xfinitywifi hotspot network.
When you connect any device to xfinitywifi, you connect, but then must authenticate with userid and password, usually via a browser that redirects on startup (usually) to a sign-in screen with xfinity. You put in your xfinity userid and password, and the router (?) associates the userid/password and the wireless MAC address, to let you through to the internet.
On the Roku, you "simulate" this browser-login step by selecting "dorm" in the Roku, which pops up a screen of instructions. Those instructions have you connect a device (phone, laptop) TO THE ROKU, as if the Roku is a router, using the given SSID. You give a password, then, once connected (to the Roku, not the xfinitywifi domain) you are "supposed" to be served up a screen on your browser from which you "login" to xfinity.
I did that about a year ago. Worked fine for a year. Now it says I'm "connected" to xfinitywifi, but there is no internet. Every app (Netflix, Prime) says the same thing: no internet.
When I reset my network connection (advanced menu in Roku) and try to set a NEW connection, and pick "dorm," is often doesn't work, but sometimes does, and gives me the screen of instructions to connect your device TO the Roku. But that lasts about 5 seconds, and then the Roku says "connected" without giving you an opportunity to authenticate. I've twice gotten as far as having a phone or laptop connect to the DIRECT-roku-xxxx wifi SSID, and open a browser.....and.....NOTHING. Can't find anything that prompts the Roku to present the screen to let me authenticate. Very frustrating.
I think the problem is in the coding of the Roku to deal with the "open" websites that require splash-screen authentication via a browser. Doesn't seem to work reliably.
What I did, first, was download connectify on my laptop and have the laptop connect to xfinitywifi, and the Roku connect to the laptop "shared" wifi connection. Then I learned that I don't need connectify or any other application, because Windows lets you have a shared hotspot, which I turned on instead. Same function as a shared wifi connection THROUGH my laptop, but just part of Windows. That, so far, seems to work, whereas I can't get the Roku to authenticate like a did a year ago. (And my roku software is up to date).
