PiCaptive

Secure Public WiFi Bridge for Your Devices

Connect to public WiFi networks with captive portals, handle authentication, and provide a secure private network for all your devices.

PiCaptive Concept
Features

Everything You Need

PiCaptive provides a comprehensive solution for securely connecting to public WiFi networks.

Captive Portal Handling
Automatically detects and handles different captive portal types found in hotels, airports, and cafes.
VPN Integration
Routes all traffic through VPN for enhanced security with support for Wireguard, OpenVPN, and more.
Private Network
Creates a secure private WiFi network or Ethernet connection for all your devices.
Web Interface
User-friendly web interface for configuration and management of your connections.
Auto Reconnection
Automated reconnection and session management to keep you connected.
Security Features
Enhanced security features to protect user credentials and data while using public WiFi.
How It Works

Simple Yet Powerful

PiCaptive creates a secure bridge between public WiFi and your devices.

PiCaptive Architecture
1

Connect to Public WiFi

PiCaptive connects to the public WiFi network and detects the captive portal.

2

Handle Authentication

Automatically handles the authentication process through the captive portal.

3

Secure Your Devices

Creates a secure private network with VPN protection for all your devices.

Installation

Get Started in Minutes

Choose your preferred installation method and start using PiCaptive.

Using the Debian Package
The easiest way to install PiCaptive on your Raspberry Pi.
# Add the PiCaptive repository
echo "deb [trusted=yes] https://repo.picaptive.app/apt/ stable main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/picaptive.list

# Update package lists
sudo apt update

# Install PiCaptive
sudo apt install picaptive

After installation, PiCaptive will start automatically and create a WiFi network named "PiCaptive".

Hardware

What You'll Need

PiCaptive works with standard Raspberry Pi hardware.

Raspberry Pi
Raspberry Pi 3B+, 4, or newer with Raspberry Pi OS installed.
Storage
Minimum 16GB microSD card with Raspberry Pi OS.
Power
Stable power supply for your Raspberry Pi.
Network
Built-in WiFi (wlan0) and a second WiFi adapter (wlan1) or Ethernet (eth0).
Network Configuration
PiCaptive Network Configuration

PiCaptive requires two network interfaces: one for connecting to the public WiFi (wlan0) and another for creating your private network (wlan1 or eth0).

Usage

Easy to Use

Getting started with PiCaptive is simple.

1

Connect to PiCaptive

Connect to the Raspberry Pi's WiFi network (default SSID: "PiCaptive") or via Ethernet.

2

Access the Web Interface

Open a web browser and navigate to http://192.168.4.1

3

Configure Your Connection

Follow the setup wizard to configure your public WiFi connection and VPN settings.

4

Enjoy Secure Browsing

All your devices connected to PiCaptive will now have secure access to the internet through the public WiFi.

PiCaptive Web Interface

The PiCaptive web interface makes it easy to manage your connections and settings.

Community

Join the Project

PiCaptive is an open-source project and contributions are welcome!

Contribute Code
Help improve PiCaptive by contributing code, fixing bugs, or adding new features.
Run Tests
Help test PiCaptive with our comprehensive testing framework that simulates different captive portals.
python picaptive/tests/run_tests.py
Spread the Word
Help others discover PiCaptive by sharing your experience and knowledge.