Hot Spot Authentication

My local gym has an access point for members to use. It require no key to
gain access but you must enter your membership usename & pasword in a web
page to gain access to the internet.

Thats fine when I'm using a laptop or similar but I would like to connect
another device that doesn' contain a web browser (a network meusic player).

My question is how do these web based authentication schemes usually work?
Do they all record the MAC address of the device that is used to enter the
username and password and then allow that MAC address access to the
internet?

In that case would it work if I changed the MAC address of my mobile phone
(that does have a web broswer) to that of my networked music player, enter
my username & passsword with that, and then connect my network music player
(that doesn't have a web browser) to the access point in order to give it
access to the internet?

Or does it vary depending on what hot spot software they're using?

TIA

In message <SkoDl.10957$OO7.6504@text.news.virginmedia.com> "elziko"
<elziko@yahoo.co.uk> was claimed to have wrote:

>My local gym has an access point for members to use. It require no key to
>gain access but you must enter your membership usename & pasword in a web
>page to gain access to the internet.
>
>Thats fine when I'm using a laptop or similar but I would like to connect
>another device that doesn' contain a web browser (a network meusic player).
>
>My question is how do these web based authentication schemes usually work?
>Do they all record the MAC address of the device that is used to enter the
>username and password and then allow that MAC address access to the
>internet?
>
>In that case would it work if I changed the MAC address of my mobile phone
>(that does have a web broswer) to that of my networked music player, enter
>my username & passsword with that, and then connect my network music player
>(that doesn't have a web browser) to the access point in order to give it
>access to the internet?
>
>Or does it vary depending on what hot spot software they're using?

It varies, some of the access point integrated solutions will notice
your hardware disconnecting and reconnecting and boot you very quickly.
However in general, your suggestion will work just fine. More
importantly there is no harm in trying.