Laptops:Wireless

From Linux 101, The beginner's guide to all things Linux.

Contents 1 Introduction 2 PCMCIA 3 Configuring Wireless for cuairnet 4 Configure Wireless for TigerNet

[edit] Introduction

Requirements

• wireless-tools [1] -- wireless configuration tools
• working wireless drivers (done in your linux kernel configuration)

Optional

• pcmcia-cs -- for PCMCIA cards, these are updated drivers from the kernel's set. This package will create modules.

[edit] PCMCIA

These instructions will vary between distributions, but you should hopefully be able to get the idea from this.

This section is for those who use PCMCIA laptop cards.

This is the most common way since most wireless users are also laptop users. Start the PCMCIA service if it is not already started:

# /etc/init.d/pcmcia start

and add it to start at boot if you wish.

If your card is recognized, the correct modules should automatically be loaded. Now the card can be treated like any other ethernet device.

[edit] Configuring Wireless for cuairnet

After having the correct modules loaded, there are three steps to getting on a wireless network. This is the manual way and some distributions may have a GUI to do the configuration for you.

The following use the Clemson network as an example. <interface> is the network interface as listed when executing iwconfig:

1. Configure ESSID, which is the wireless network name

# iwconfig <interface> essid cuairnet

2. Configure WEP key (if any), the wireless encryption key

# iwconfig <interface> key <key>

You should now be associated with the access point. To verify

# iwconfig <interface>

If you see ESSID:"cuairnet" that's OK. ESSID:off/any means you are not connected to the access point. try

# iwconfig <interface> key open <key>

This should fix the problem.

3. Obtain an IP address via DHCP

This is distribution specific. Configure it like any other ethernet device.

Note: Due to CCIT's misunderstanding of the security of WEP keys and wireless networks, you will have to contact a CLUG member to obtain the key.

It could get cumbersome to have to type these commands each time you wanted to connect, so the easiest thing to do is stick them in a simple script you execute. See Simple shell scripts

[edit] Configure Wireless for TigerNet

The new wireless network Clemson Universty is currently testing is called "tigernet". It is a WPA(2)-Enterpise network with a hidden SSID. To connect, use wpa_supplicant, or the connectivity applet NetworkManager. The only extra information you should enter is your Clemson username in the "Identity" field, and your password into the "Password" field.