Cannot Connect To Wifi Automatically
 

Hi, I've asked this on the openSUSE mailing list, but haven't gotten an answer.

I run openSUSE 10.3 currently on a HP/Compaq nw9440 laptop. I am running KDE 3.5x with networking setup to be ad-hoc with KNetworkmanager. (As opposed to traditional ifup/down.) I usually have the laptop at work (connected via a wire) using that dhcp address during the day, and the laptop at home in the evenings, connected via wifi to my home network.

The network is a dhcp network. I did have the laptop running on dhcp but have since switched to fixed address - 192.168.0.101. Also, my SSID is not being broadcast.

Pretty much every day when I get home, I fire up the laptop and wait for it to connect.

Pretty much every day, the laptop does not connect to my home network, but prefers to connect to an adjacent wifi network, which is not protected and has a subnet of 192.168.2.xxx. Trying to connect to my home network is futile, until I eitehr reboot or do an rcnetwork restart from the command line.

My network shows in teh KNetworkmanager list but won't let me connect unless I do teh above-mentioned rcnetwork restart.

What's going on?

Can I use ifup/ifdown if I wish to connect to both the wifi and wired networks? (I also use the laptop occasionally in airports or hotels to connect.)

well you need to go change your connection profile so it looks for your connection right now your computer is set to connect to an open account. All wifi's connect dhcp to router. it is your profile that tells it to connect to a certain named router. (accsess point) so now that you changed this it will look for that name to connect if it is not there then it will (if roaming is enabled) will look for an open account. as far as you thinking the other account is not secure not sure why you think that. any one can recieve your transmissions weather it is open or secured. It is up to your computer to be secure.
I hope this helps. create a profile.

Okay, I'll have to check into that.

The first message I got, which I wasn't sure of was, "Your network interfaces are controlled by NetworkManager but the service to configure might not work well with it. Really Continue?"

I did continue, but am not sure how that interfaces with the network.

You'd think there'd be some really easy way from the KNetworkManager to say, "choose this network first."

Okay, well, I'll google the Profile Manager and see what I get.

the networkmanger is a program a base program that runs scripts. it is like the a hidden base program that the allows other programs to run at boot or from your profile.
So it really isn't like the full front end program. it's job Like all other /usr/sbin programs are to be system programs that read your configurations and make it happen.
sorry this may sound a little lost to you. any way hang in there yast as admin will fix it.

I find wicd to be a nicer wireless front end.. might help your multiple location issue..
supports multiple networks and named network profiles..
http://wicd.sourceforge.net/

I'm really surprised wicd doesn't have a Suse package or repository.. all the other main distros are covered.

it's something to look at.

To throw in my 2 cents, I didn't really like knetworkmanager (version 0.7). It had problems with static addresses and didn't always pick up all of the wireless networks available. I've found that gnome's networkmanager frontend (nm-applet) is much better. It supports multiple profiles, static addresses, and automatic connecting.

Although I'll be checking out wicd now. Thanks, farslayer.

Well, just to put a nice wrapper on this little thread...


I finally got tired of having to do a rcnetwork restart pretty much every day. That - and a few other annoyances like not having .gsm files in a gui - made me want to switch back to Vista.

So, for about six weeks, I ran 100% Vista on my laptop. I tried to like it. I really did.

In any case, after having my laptop crash on a regular basis and having apps simply hang for no good reason I had enough and upgraded to Linux. I first gave openSUSE 11.1 a shot with KDE 4.1 but that failed miseralbly. KDE 4.1 is a non-starter and worse than useless. In fact, it looks a lot like GNOME, which I'd bashed on a regular basis for years.

Talking to one of my staff members who runs Ubuntu, I figured I'd give Jaunty (9.04) a try. It was a little scary, since I'd used SUSE/openSUSE for the past five years and had no idea how to do things. However, one web page - http://www.johannes-eva.net/index.ph...u_guide_jaunty - provided all I needed and I'm up and running.

Oh, and my wifi connections load perfectly now. I go from the office connected to my LAN via cable to home connected to my wpa-encrypted no-broadcast wifi network and it is just fine.

http://www.perfectreign.com/stuff/20...tu.desktop.png