Wireless Networking
Network Manager (GNOME) or KNetworkManager (KDE) automatically detects and configures wireless connections. On GNOME automatic device detection capabilities, udev and HAL configures connections. The HAL detects the Network Interface Connection (NIC). Thus helps the devices like Notebook to access wireless connections at different locations without manually configuring a new connection each time. A user selects and uses the network-connection. Once connected, the Network Manager displays a Network icon to the right on the top panel. Left-clicking on it would show the list of all possible network connections, including available wireless-connections providing their status information.Password-protected access points display a lock next to them. A user can switch from one configured connection to another if needed.
Network Manager service script manages the daemon NetworkManager. It uses DHCPCD client to gather network information and makes it available to other applications over D-Bus.
service NetworkManager start
Direct line supporting Ethernet connections considered faster than wireless ones. When no Ethernet connection available, Network Manager scans for a wireless connection and check for Extended Service Set Identifiers (EESIDs). It automatically selects the previously used network-connection and is user-specific. A user can select other Wireless networks, and it would open a dialogue box where a user enters the ESSID, key, and password.
To manually configure, a user needs IP address, wireless connection information, mode, network name, channel, transmit rate, key, and DNS server information to connect to the Internet.
- Mode: The default is Ad Hoc i.e., one cell with no access point. It does not require roaming.
Managed networks with several access points and supports roaming.
Master with node as an access point
Repeater where node forwards packets to other nodes
Secondary or backup master or repeater
Monitor is the one which receives packets - freq: The frequency of the connection
- essid: A network name
- nwid or domain Network ID (SSID): used to identify a cell as a part of a virtual network
- Channel: 1 for least interferences
- sens: The sensitivity, i.e., the lowest signal at which data received
- frag: Cut packets into smaller fragments to increase better transmission
- bit or rate – Transmit Rate: Default is Auto to adjust automatically to degraded transmissions. The speed of bits transmission. A user can set it to a specific rate as 1 M for the pop-up menu. The auto option automatically fails back to lower-rates for noisy channels.
- key or enc Encryption Key: The encryption key used. It must be the same for each cell on a network.
- ap: A specific access point
- power: Power management for wakeup and sleep operations
>> Next Page: Manual Wireless Configuration Tools