I wonder if any of you techy experts out there can help me with this ?

My Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 connects great with my home wifi and any other wifi that I've specifically connected it to and put the password in etc.

When I am out and about it will connect to free wifi (The Cloud etc) but flatly refuses to do anything at all as far as browsing, downloading is concerned. If I switch the wifi off and go back onto my data allowance its fine.

Anyone else had / got the same issue ? or managed to resolve it. Phone is pretty new btw

I'm on EE / Orange Network

I think I know what's happening here.

Let's use The Cloud as an example. Loads of places use it to provide their wifi. Some charge, some don't, but you'll almost always have to accept some sort of terms and conditions as part of a login page before you can use it.

If you've connected to a network called TheCloud before, your phone will remember that. When it comes across another, entirely different network named TheCloud, it'll think it's the same network and try to connect automatically. (I don't know if all phones do this. My iPhone does. It seems to be an entirely stupid and quite insecure way of doing things.) So, even though you're not really connected and would have to log in and possibly pay for their network access, your phone will show that you're connected. As you have rightly said, though, you won't be able to access any data.

You can stop your phone from connecting automatically to wifi networks, or you can tell it to forget the network called TheCloud so that it doesn't keep trying to connect to them whenever you're in a public place.

Thanks. I'll give that a go, however I tried to connect to the free Wi-Fi on the bus the other day (which I've never done before) and the same thing happened. It showed connected then when i tried to go the Facebook or Twitter it said Newtwork Connection Problem.

Often when you try to connect to a free wifi network, you will need to either wait for a login page to pop up, or open a new browsing window so that the login screen can be displayed.

Have you tried opening your browser after it connects? Maybe try connecting to BBC or some website? Quite often with these wi-fi networks you have to accept some sort of T&C's. When you try and browse it may re-direct you to a homepage where you can accept the T&C's and then work away.

This is what I have to do every time I'm in Starbucks...

Ok. I'll be near a McDonalds later, I'll try then.

I only try Facebook and/or Twitter then I give up. I'll be out and about later so I'll try your suggestion. Thanks for the reply.

I've yet to get "open" wifi to work. Load of shit, slow as hell even 3G is faster.

I'd agree - many of the free wifi providers only work once you've opened a web browser, waited for it to redirect to their log on page then you provide your email, name and then it usually allows access.