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phunni

Member

From: Bristol, UK

Registered: 2003-08-13

Posts: 794

Strategies for managing networks?

How do you guys manage your networks on a laptop?

I've tried the bonding approach mentioned in the wiki, but found it buggy and unstable. What methods do you use to switch between wired and wireless networks?  How about between different wireless ones?

ewaller

Administrator

From: Pasadena, CA

Registered: 2009-07-13

Posts: 20,654

Re: Strategies for managing networks?

For laptops where I intend to move around and connect to sundry networks, I bite the bullet and use NetworkManager.

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Head_on_a_Stick

Member

From: The Wirral

Registered: 2014-02-20

Posts: 9,003

Website

Re: Strategies for managing networks?

I have just set up this method for my wired connection and I use this method for solely wireless connections.

For laptops switching between wired & wireless connections, I recommend enabling dhcpcd.service and entering all needed wireless connections in /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf using:

# echo "ctrl_interface=DIR=/run/wpa_supplicant" > /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf
# wpa_passphrase $SSID $PASSWORD >> /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf

EDIT: Use the first line to set up the file then repeat the second line for each wireless access point needed (backup the original wpa_supplicant.conf first).

dhcpcd.service will gracefully switch to the best available connection, it really is superb (thanks @rsmarples!)

I suppose if I were to need connection to public wi-fi access points I would disable these .services and fall back to netctl & wifi-menu

NetworkManager can KMA

Last edited by Head_on_a_Stick (2015-06-06 20:12:09)

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jasonwryan

Anarchist

From: .nz

Registered: 2009-05-09

Posts: 30,426

Website

Re: Strategies for managing networks?

For connecting to random networks, I use connman on my laptop: simple and fast. Seamlessy switches between wired and wireless (providing you have connected to that ESSID previously)...

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firecat53

Member

From: Lake Stevens, WA, USA

Registered: 2007-05-14

Posts: 1,542

Website

Re: Strategies for managing networks?

Networkmanager seems to be (for me) the easiest to setup and move easily between networks and also manages VPN connections. However, I prefer using this to primarily manage the connections instead of running a system tray applet.

Scott

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