Kubuntu wireless setup issues

[Nils Kassube]

Robert Ramey wrote:
> I have managed to get my Kubuntu system to access the internet
> through my home router.  It would not do so out of the box.  No
> amount of fiddling with the GUI Network configuration utility would
> make this work.

What version of KDE? 4.0 or 3.5.9? If it is 4.0 forget the rest of my 
comments, I can only talk about 3.5.9. And what network configuration GUI 
do you mean? Is it knetworkmanager or is it K-menu -> system settings -> 
network settings?

> In order to accomplish this, I had to:
>
> a) Go in to the command line console
> a) disable WEP on my home router
> b) iwlist scan # to display my router
> c) sudo ipconfig ath0 essid "HOME NETWORK"
> d) sudo dhclient
> e) ping ... # ok

From "ath0" I suppose you are using an Atheros chip set - can you confirm 
that?

> Now I want to:
>
> a) make this work without disabling my router WEP security

Well, some nitpicking: Make that WEP encryption - it is no real security 
nowadays. If you want security, use WPA / WPA2. See 
<http://www.heise-online.co.uk/security/news/print/87889>.

> b) make this automatic at startup.

If you want it automatic after you boot the machine, you should use a 
manual configuration of the file "/etc/network/interfaces". But I suppose 
it is good enough after login. Then you should use knetworkmanager. 
Select it from K-menu -> internet -> knetworkmanager. You will get an 
icon in the system tray. Right click that icon and you should see a line 
with the name of your network and a signal level bar. Click on that line 
and there should be a popup asking for the WEP key. If you don't see the 
line, go to options -> enable wireless networks. Then look for the line 
with your network name again, it should be there now.

Finally, if that doesn't work, please let us know what doesn't work. Some 
people have problems with knetworkmanager, but for me it just works with 
an Intel IPW2200 and an Atheros chips set.


Nils