Accessing a network login page manually

Recently I had problems trying to connect to an open access network (with wifi-menu and netctl if it matters) since it should have taken me to an online network login page but didn’t. Here is a note on how to get to the login page.

1. run sudo wifi-menu -o and select the desired network
2. run route -n
3. type the address under the Gateway column in the default (0.0.0.0) row into your web browser
4. fill out the login details form

Step 1 will enter a new profile in /etc/netctl and if you are using netctl-auto and everything is configured correctly (it never is) then it should connect automatically (on my setup it shows the SSID in i3status in green).

Usually I would then be directed to the network login page if I tried to do anything on my web browser (or at least be given the option to). Since I wasn’t, Step 2 shows the IP routing table. This provides you with the numerical address to type into the search bar to get to the login page manually.

Credit goes to the answers on this unix.stackexchange post, and especially to ekeyser.