wireless roaming

[Derek Broughton]

Patton Echols wrote:

> On 05/04/2008 10:20 AM, Ed Jabbour wrote:
>> Wireless networking is set up via /etc/network/interfaces.  It works
>> fine, unless I visit the local coffee shop - different network, so it's a
>> real pain
>> to set up.  There must be an easier way - something that lists all
>> available
>> networks and asks "which one do you want?" .  I use kde and have tried
>> knetworkmanager, kwifimanager and wireless assistant.  None of them does
>> that - w/o a connection, no networks are listed.  Any advice, pointers,
>> etc. appreciated.
> 
> Hmmm, I don't use KDE and don't know if knetworkmanager is the same as
> NetworkManager.  I use NM and it works just as you suggest.

No, you _use_ nm-applet (or perhaps some other tool) which is a front-end to
NM, just as knetworkmanager is.

However, that's not how I see (k)networkmanager behaving.  If NM starts and
sees a previous working wireless network is present, you should get
auto-connected (if not encrypted - I'm not sure about encrypted
connections), though this didn't always work in gutsy (it's worked every
time for me with Hardy, but that's only two or three times, now).

If you don't get autoconnected, you should be able to right-click on the
knetworkmanager icon, scroll down to "wireless networks", and click on the
one you want, and it will connect.  So, yes, there is a way to 'list all
available networks and ask "which one do you want?"'

> It also needed wpa-supplicant installed.  Though if memory serves, it
> does not need to be configured.  

And it needs this even if you _never_ connect to an encrypted network.  I
suspect that if he's not getting a list of networks, it's either
because /etc/network/interfaces contains his wireless interface, _or_
wpa_supplicant (which iirc issues the iwlist scan command) is not working
properly.
-- 
derek