Raspberry Pi on Any Wi-Fi Even with Captive Portal (Rev. 2)

Updated for 2019 China-US Young Maker Competition

Introduction

You can use only your mobile device to control your Raspberry Pi headless server. If your project or demo requires internet connection that will have to come from the only thing connected to your Pi; your mobile device (assuming you have data plan). Have you ever needed to get your Pi online with no keyboard, mouse, or HDMI monitor? I have. This project is a simple idea to accomplish this task without having to buy additional hardware or install special software.

Game plan

Raspberry Pi is on your phone's hotspot. You want your Pi to join another network which has access to the internet then come back to your phone's hotspot. Before returning the Pi has to determine if it has access to the internet so you don't lose control.

Step 1

Follow this tutorial to create your headless server:

BTW, the tutorial is a little out of date so you will need to edit wpa_supplicant.conf to add the following two lines at the top:

ctrl_interface=DIR=/var/run/wpa_supplicant GROUP=netdev

update_config=1

Step 2

Install JuiceSSH and Real VNC viewer on your phone (if you have not already done so in the previous step).

Step 3

Login to Real VNC to use your Pi as a sever.

Step 4

Install xdotool.

sudo apt-get install xdotool

This will require internet connection.

Step 5

Save the two files below on Desktop.

Step 6

Run WiFiBoomerang.sh

Select a network number from available networks then select how much time you would like to spend there. You must allow enough time for the browser to launch and fully load the page.

Your Pi now jumped from your phone's hotspot to the other network.

Almost there...

In this screenshot you can see that Pi connected to the other network, launched the web browser, and tried to access Google Public DNS which directed the browser to this page in the foreground. It is now waiting on you to accept their terms before they let the Pi access the internet. In the background you see the code that we have to run once we get the page in the foreground. So, we are guessing 2 minutes to load the page then tab to get to "Yes, I agree" button then enter.

Finally

Save BrowseIt.sh that you just edited. Repeat Step 6 until you are on the internet.