This is resolved, but I'm not entirely sure how. I had to research myself how this is meant to work, as Vodafone customer support weren't able to diagnose this (at most, they would reset the username/password, which doesn't address the issue).
I found out that the 'PEAP' authentication method has an 'inner authentication' method called EAP-SIM which is how the network is meant to authenticate. This uses a code on your SIM card, called the IMSI code (International Mobile Subscriber Identity).
1. I installed an app which tells me my IMSI number on the SIM. I then phoned Vodafone, I managed to eventually get the customer support rep to check the IMSI number being used for authentication. The number Vodafone had was incorrect. I asked the CS rep to update the number to the number I gave from the app. (This might have happened after I changed the SIM card)
2. On my phone, I need to select EAP-SIM as the authentication method on the PEAP screen, as it wasn't defaulting to this.
However, this still didn't resolve the issue. I escalated via Twitter and someone (from the UK) phoned me up, who said they would escalate. After that, *something* happened, and it started to work. I don't know what the missing link was. So at last it's resolved, but it's not a satisfactory process.
These were the list of problems I found with the way Vodafone handled this:
1. I was given a new SIM card. Vodafone didn't update IMSI number they held from the new SIM.
2. Customer support aren't aware of the existence of VodafoneWifi
3. Customer support insist on resetting the password for my Vodafone account, which doesn't resolve the issue as it uses EAP-SIM to authenticate not a captive portal
4. Customer support aren't able to diagnose the issue. Attempts for them to escalate it are bounced back - as a 'user issue' - resulting in no progression of the issue and circular talks about resetting the (irrelevant) password
Repeatedly, when I mentioned 'wifi' to customer support, they'd start talking about 'BT Wifi'. I explained this is different - I actually had an argument with one - who wouldn't accept that I was talking about VodafoneWifi on the underground as distinct from BT Wifi.
If anyone from Vodafone is reading, I ask that you brief your customer support team on the existence of VodafoneWifi, and that this uses a different authentication method than BT Wifi, and that resetting the password isn't the way to resolve authentication issues with it. It's incredibly frustrating, but at least it works now.
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