My Wifi Woes

Raquel raquel at thericehouse.net
Thu Feb 19 14:49:32 UTC 2009


On Thu, 19 Feb 2009 09:17:44 -0500
Brian McKee <brian.mckee at gmail.com> wrote:

> 
> Hi Raquel
> 
> Glad you got it working to this point.
> 
> I thought I'd make a comment here so you understand what you've
> done a little better.  (If you do already, ignore the rest of this
> note ;-)
> 
> The entry in /etc/network/interfaces is the 'traditional'
> Debian/Ubuntu way of configuring networking.  It works fine, it's
> reliable etc, but it can be annoying to change it  every time you
> start using a new network that requires different settings.  This
> will become more obvious if/when you require encryption on your
> wireless connections (WEP, WPA)   You can set those up using the
> interfaces file as well, but it can be annoying to do, especially
> if you have to change the file everytime you move from the coffee
> shop to home to the library etc.
> 
> Network Manager was designed to handle that kind of thing more
> automatically.  Since it wasn't working for you, it's obviously not
> any 'easier' or automatic :-)
> 
> Network Manager does not use the /etc/network/interfaces file, and
> if you have an entry in there and try and use Network Manager as
> well it will not work.  So, as long as you are using the interfaces
> file, avoid network manager.
> 
> If you find setting up WEP/WPA etc using the interfaces file
> difficult, then I'd repeat the suggestion made earlier about trying
> WICD.  It seems to have the advantages of Network Manager and be
> more reliable to boot.
> 
> Brian
> 

Yes, the traditional Debian/Ubuntu method is what I'm used to.  I'm
trying to use the NetworkManager, but it wasn't working.  So I tried
bringing up up the interface the "old" way, and it worked ... until I
rebooted this morning.  Then nothing, not even my wired network,
worked.  I removed the entry in "interfaces" that I'd entered last
night, rebooted and the wired network came up as well and available
wireless networks showed up in Network Manager.

I may take your advice and install WICD.  NetworkManager seems, to me
at this point, to be erratic.

-- 
Raquel
http://www.byraquel.com
============================================================
Diversity is not for the squeamish. It means making (and taking) a
space at the table that includes people you don't like, don't agree
with, or who you think are just plain wrong.

  --Alexander John Goodrum





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