NetworkManager doesn't autoconnect WiFi although it is configured to do so

berndbausch · 05-01-2019, 06:09 PM

This is on a ThinkPad X220 laptop running Fedora 28. I would like it to automatically connect to a wireless network when booting.

It only connects when I log on to Gnome, but since I mainly use this PC as a server, I want WiFi connection without human interaction other than pushing the power button.

The NM CLI tells me this:

Code:

$ nmcli c show bureau-5|grep autoconn
connection.autoconnect:                 yes
connection.autoconnect-priority:        0
connection.autoconnect-retries:         -1 (default)
connection.autoconnect-slaves:          -1 (default)

Are there other settings that I should consider? Can somebody suggest troubleshooting steps?

ferrari · 05-01-2019, 09:51 PM

Quote:

Are there other settings that I should consider? Can somebody suggest troubleshooting steps?

Yes, you probably need to reconfigure the connection as a 'system connection' (rather than a 'user connection'). Such system connections can be shared by all users and are made available right after NetworkManager is started (before any users log in to a desktop for example). The credentials for a given wifi connection are then stored in the NM connection profile (located in the /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/ directory). To make your connection available as a system connection go to connection editor > 'Identity' tab > set the check box 'Make available to other users'.