[SOLVED] Is there a more efficient way to switch networks using command line?

Xiloba · 03-01-2020, 08:25 PM

Hi, everybody .
How to switch between two networks available at the same company, using the command line?
I set priority = 5 in one and priority = 4 in another.
Is there another way to switch between networks without having to change the priority level in the wpa_supplicant file?

upnort · 03-01-2020, 08:40 PM

Are you looking for the nmcli command?

Code:

nmcli c up name_of_connection

Xiloba · 03-01-2020, 09:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by upnort

Are you looking for the nmcli command?

Code:

nmcli c up name_of_connection

Thanks, Bro.

Im not looking for any networkmanager command.

I am looking for easiest way to switch between networks, without to use networkmanager.
Some command that removed the configuration of the second network.

To add second essid i type: wpa_passphrase myessid password >> /etc/wpa_supplicant.conf

This">>" adds my second essid in wpa_supplicant.

Is there possible to undo >> command and to erase or to comment generated lines by >> ?

bassmadrigal · 03-01-2020, 09:19 PM

I'm not too familiar with this, but from reading, it looks like there's two options.

The first is to just have two different wpa_supplicant.conf files. Each one containing a specific network and passphrase. Then you'd just change your wpa_supplicant command to use a specific conf file based on what network you want to connect to.

Code:

wpa_supplicant -Dnl80211 -iwlan0 -B -c/etc/wpa_supplicant-1.conf
dhcpcd wlan0
# or
wpa_supplicant -Dnl80211 -iwlan0 -B -c/etc/wpa_supplicant-2.conf
dhcpcd wlan0

The second is more of a guess based on some reading online, but if you have both networks in your wpa_supplicant.conf, if you connect to one of them using iwconfig before running wpa_supplicant, it should try and send the passphrase afterwards.

Code:

iwconfig wlan0 essid $SSID_NAME
wpa_supplicant -Dnl80211 -iwlan0 -B -c/etc/wpa_supplicant.conf
dhcpcd wlan0

Xiloba · 03-01-2020, 09:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassmadrigal

I'm not too familiar with this, but from reading, it looks like there's two options.

The first is to just have two different wpa_supplicant.conf files. Each one containing a specific network and passphrase. Then you'd just change your wpa_supplicant command to use a specific conf file based on what network you want to connect to.

Code:

wpa_supplicant -Dnl80211 -iwlan0 -B -c/etc/wpa_supplicant-1.conf
dhcpcd wlan0
# or
wpa_supplicant -Dnl80211 -iwlan0 -B -c/etc/wpa_supplicant-2.conf
dhcpcd wlan0

The second is more of a guess based on some reading online, but if you have both networks in your wpa_supplicant.conf, if you connect to one of them using iwconfig before running wpa_supplicant, it should try and send the passphrase afterwards.

Code:

iwconfig wlan0 essid $SSID_NAME
wpa_supplicant -Dnl80211 -iwlan0 -B -c/etc/wpa_supplicant.conf
dhcpcd wlan0

Thanks, Friend.
I am using the second way: Two essids in my only wpa_supplicant.

I seted the commands you said in /etc/rc.d/rc.local to run automatically:
#!/bin/sh
#
# /etc/rc.d/rc.local: Local system initialization script.
#
# Put any local startup commands in here. Also, if you have
# anything that needs to be run at shutdown time you can
# make an /etc/rc.d/rc.local_shutdown script and put those
# commands in there.
wpa_supplicant -i wlan0 -c /etc/wpa_supplicant.conf -B -Dnl80211
dhclient
ntpdate pool.ntp.org

Zexuo · 03-01-2020, 10:15 PM

Show networks configured in wpa_supplicant.conf:

Code:

wpa_cli -i $IFNAME list_networks

Select a network by its number in the output from the previous command:

Code:

wpa_cli -i $IFNAME select_network $NETWORK_NUMBER

Xiloba · 03-02-2020, 03:15 AM

Thanks, Zexuo.
I will try it.

RedBlueYellow12 · 03-02-2020, 04:32 AM

You're in luck brother
I made a script just for this purpose, very simple, all it does is find the proper keywords in the config files and replace them with whatever string you want.

Code:

#!/bin/bash
# WiFi easy config script (more features coming soon)
# USE AS ROOT - SUDO WILL NOT DO

until [ "$ssidyesno" = "yes" ]
do
	echo SSID:
	read SSID
	echo yes/no
	read ssidyesno
done
until [ "$passwordyesno" = "yes" ]
do
	echo Password:
	read password
	echo yes/no
	read passwordyesno
done

#wpa_supplicant

sed -i 's/^psk=.*$/psk="$password"/' /etc/wpa_supplicant.conf
sed -i 's/^ssid=.*$/ssid="$SSID"/' /etc/wpa_supplicant.conf

#rc.inet1.conf
sed -i 's/^WLAN_ESSID[4]=.*$/WLAN_ESSID[4]="$SSID"/' /etc/rc.d/rc.inet1.conf
sed -i 's/^WPAPSK=.*$/WPAPSK=$password"/' /etc/rc.d/rc.inet1.conf

killall wpa_supplicant
killall dhcpcd

wpa_supplicant
dhcpcd

.

Not exactly sure if the proper command syntax and such is correct, haven't really tested it out properly yet. Poke around in your files first to see if it actually replaces the correct text.

kikinovak · 03-02-2020, 06:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xiloba

Thanks, Bro.

Im not looking for any networkmanager command.

I am looking for easiest way to switch between networks ?

So you want to use NetworkManager without using NetworkManager.

You can make your life easy by using nmcli (NetworkManager's command line tool). Or jump through burning loops and reinvent the wheel by using something else.

Cheers,

Niki

Zexuo · 03-02-2020, 06:43 AM

I would advise against editing wpa_supplicant.conf just to switch networks. If you use wpa_supplicant to connect to Wi-Fi routers then use wpa_cli or wpa_gui to manage connections.

BW-userx · 03-02-2020, 08:19 AM

without a network manager, how are you going to manage your network switching between one to the other connection?
the person being the first and foremost, then software to elevate some of what a person has to do to change connections.

Zexuo · 03-02-2020, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BW-userx

without a network manager, how are you going to manage your network switching between one to the other connection?
the person being the first and foremost, then software to elevate some of what a person has to do to change connections.

wpa_cli's select_network option switches to the selected network and disables the others in the configuration file.

Xiloba · 03-02-2020, 02:42 PM

I followed the steps below:

1- # chmod -x /etc/rc.d/rc.networkmanager
2-# wpa_passphrase my first ssid mypassword > /etc/wpa_supplicant.conf
3 # wpa_supplicant -i wlan0 -c /etc/wpa_supplicant.conf -B -D nl80211
4 # dhclient wlan0

After,

5- wpa_passphrase my second ssid mypassword >> /etc/wpa_supplicant.conf

and type priority level in /etc/wpa_supplicant

network={
ssid="PACIFIC3"
psk=57971f5bdc8cda883b36e5be727e7c16b34551c794d0faefa7b661e2c01d841a
priority=5
}
network={
ssid="HOUSE"
psk=e04d199d71bb240e91afd82e799abfcab0c2c08e2198c6ddfa3c5f3db07dc8b6
priority=4
}

Xiloba · 03-02-2020, 02:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedBlueYellow12

You're in luck brother
I made a script just for this purpose, very simple, all it does is find the proper keywords in the config files and replace them with whatever string you want.

Code:

#!/bin/bash
# WiFi easy config script (more features coming soon)
# USE AS ROOT - SUDO WILL NOT DO

until [ "$ssidyesno" = "yes" ]
do
	echo SSID:
	read SSID
	echo yes/no
	read ssidyesno
done
until [ "$passwordyesno" = "yes" ]
do
	echo Password:
	read password
	echo yes/no
	read passwordyesno
done

#wpa_supplicant

sed -i 's/^psk=.*$/psk="$password"/' /etc/wpa_supplicant.conf
sed -i 's/^ssid=.*$/ssid="$SSID"/' /etc/wpa_supplicant.conf

#rc.inet1.conf
sed -i 's/^WLAN_ESSID[4]=.*$/WLAN_ESSID[4]="$SSID"/' /etc/rc.d/rc.inet1.conf
sed -i 's/^WPAPSK=.*$/WPAPSK=$password"/' /etc/rc.d/rc.inet1.conf

killall wpa_supplicant
killall dhcpcd

wpa_supplicant
dhcpcd

.

Not exactly sure if the proper command syntax and such is correct, haven't really tested it out properly yet. Poke around in your files first to see if it actually replaces the correct text.

Thanks, RedBlueYellow12.

Xiloba · 03-02-2020, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zexuo

I would advise against editing wpa_supplicant.conf just to switch networks. If you use wpa_supplicant to connect to Wi-Fi routers then use wpa_cli or wpa_gui to manage connections.

Thanks, for your advise, Zexuo.