I just installed a Linux OS. Everything seems to be working fine but I have to manually log onto my wireless network (security enabled). I would like to automatically log onto the network at boot but have not figured out how to make it happen. Is there a config file that needs to be modified or what?

Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Lenp

Lenp,

Chances are you have mis-configured the network security settings. That's why you are prompted for the security info again. Just go through the network configuration setting one more time, and pay attention to things such as WEP 64 vs 128, Passphrase vs ASCII, etc. And set the WEP key as default.

Hope it helps.

SR

Since there are several hundred versions of Linux without knowing which one you have and which desktop you picked step by step instructions are difficult.

For Suse to auto-connect you at boot time you need to go to the network settings under Yast and enter the desired network and key information there. Other distributions will likely have similar settings in their configuration program.

Stanley is right, we need to know what Linux you are using and then maybe we can help. I have notebooks running both PCLinuxOS 2007 and Linux Mint 4.0 that automatically connect to my wireless at boot. I also had no problem with Freespire 2.0 in the past.
Normally the forums for your version of Linux are very helpful for these kind of issues. They do ask that you do a search first before asking because they are normally all volunteers and they want you to do a bit of research first.

I just had some wifi fun with an old laptop, HP nx5000 that was originally sold with Suse 9.1 on it in 2004. I dumped a copy of 10.3 on and most everything worked but for the wireless. A quick google on nx5000 linux wifi brought me to the suse wiki page on madwifi for installing the proper drivers. A couple clicks, filled in a couple Yast blanks and it is up and running quite happily.

Thanks for all the tips. I am running Fedora 8.0 and so far all is well except for the auto log on. Have been searching the help files and forums for several days now and keep trying different things.

Will keep you posted as to progress.

Lenp

may help ?
http://forums.fedoraforum.org/forum/showthread.php?t=187089&highlight=startup

This discusses NetworkManager and startup.

Here is a setup for a laptop with Atheros Wifi and has the addon to do WPA encryption. If you don't need the Atheros driver you can skip that step.

http://menzonius.wordpress.com/2006/07/12/howto-fedora-...-and-wpa_supplicant/

This guy got it working but isn't pleased with some of the new Fedora 8 modifications.

http://forums.fedoraforum.org/showthread.php?t=172718

Fedora can be rough going for a new user, if you really want a RedHat type setup but don't want to be on the buggy bleeding edge look at Centos which is a stable copy of RH Enterprise.

From what Coyote2 is saying in the link you quoted......

quote:

This guy got it working but isn't pleased with some of the new Fedora 8 modifications.

http://forums.fedoraforum.org/showthread.php?t=172718

I am not alone in getting it to work.

I have managed to get it to a point it will ask for the key AFTER login (at the GUI). Better than before where I had to active network service each time. Am moving to a park with WIFI Wednesday and will connect and get ALL of the updates and see if that helps any. Have not downloaded them or fear of being FAP'd.

Thanks again everyone - interesting reading on all the links.

Len

Worst comes to worst the "13 May 2008 - Fedora 9 final release" is supposed to help out the wireless situation some. The preview edition is out now so if you have a good spot to download you might want to play with that and see if the V8 bugs are zapped.

Progress report.....Limited

Got all the updates installed but this did not help with auto connect to WiFi. As I noted before it will now prompt for a key AFTER login and then connect with no problem.

I want it to automatically log in at boot. The books I have tell me to run "iwconfig" to view setting and/or change them. I need a little help here. "iwconfig" is in the SBIN directory and I can see it there with a "ls" command but when trying to execute it all I get is a "command not found" message. Even tried an "su" in front of the "iwconfig" command with same results. Even tried it as follows:
iwconfig eth0
and
iwconfig wlan0

Still same results.

What is the secret here???

Here is the boot screen messages that are failing:
"Bringing up interface wlan0: error for wireless request "Set Mode" (8B06) : set failed on device wlan0 ; invalid argument"

Followed by:
"Determining IP information for wlan0 : Failed"

It didn't bring up the interface so the second failure is obvious. The "invalid argument" in the first error message tells me the config files have to have some tweaks but how do I get to them?

Sure appreciate any suggestions.
Fedora 8 with all upgrades

Thanks,
Len

I jumped the gun a little on the last post. Logged in as root and now I can run the "iwconfg" command fine.

Unfortunately, I have now buggered something else up. It now sets the wireless mode at boot without error BUT, it cannot determine the IP address. Can't even find that AFTER login. Soooo, now I can't even connect without reverting back to Windows.

Will keep poking around and see if I can get it working again.

Len

The sbin directory is not in a normal user's path and you don't have permission to execute the files there anyway so either doing an su or sudo is the way to get to them.

The config files are most likely in /etc and are owned by root, I prefer to do a su, make a copy of the file and append .orig to the file name before working on it due to my ability to make horrible messes. I'd suggest vi as your editor of choice for command file editing.

Back to original problem now! Can get connected but only after boot. Ended up reloading entire Fedora 8 and all updates. Will continue attempting to get it to automatically connect. Here is what IWCONFIG returns - see anything wrong here????

================================================================================================
[root@localhost ~]# iwconfig wlan0
wlan0 IEEE 802.11 ESSID:"MyDomain"
Mode:Managed Frequency:2.462 GHz Access Point: 00:18:39:EE:06:B0
Bit Rate=54 Mb/s Tx-Power=14 dBm
Retry min limit:7 RTS thrff Fragment thr=2352 B
Encryption key:xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx [2]
Link Quality=76/100 Signal level=-58 DBm Noise level=-85 dBm
Rx invalid nwid:0 Rx invalid crypt:0 Rx invalid frag:0
Tx excessive retries:0 Invalid misc:0 Missed beacon:0
=================================================================================================
MyDomain and Key not real in sample

What I am seeing now at boot is:
===================================================================================================
"Determinging IP information for eth0... failed; no link presnet. Check cable?"
===================================================================================================

No issue here (I don't think) as there is no "wired" connection. The next step is:

===================================================================================================
"Bringing up interface wlan0:
Determining IP information for wlan0...PING 10.0.1.1 (10.0.1.1) from 10.0.1.120 wlan0: 56(84) bytes of data.

... 10.0.1.1 ping statistics ---
4 packets transmitted, 0 received, +3 errors, 100% packet loss, time 2999ms, pipe 3 failed
===================================================================================================

I assume it is trying to connect to my router (WRTSL54GS) at 192.168.1.1. What with the 10.0.1.1 address? Everything is set for DCHP so I am confused with this "new" address.


Ideas??

Thanks for the suggestion of using the vi editor Stan. I used it years ago in a Unix environment and it is all coming back!

Thanks,

Lenp

Here is what I'm seeing from the iwconfig command on my Suse box, the first is with the wired connection selected and the second with the wireless active:

Ethernet active
hp5000:/home/stan # iwconfig
lo no wireless extensions.

irda0 no wireless extensions.

eth0 no wireless extensions.

wifi0 no wireless extensions.

ath0 IEEE 802.11g ESSID:"" Nickname:""
Mode:Managed Frequency:2.437 GHz Access Point: Not-Associated
Bit Rate:0 kb/s Tx-Power:14 dBm Sensitivity=1/1
Retryff RTS thrff Fragment thrff
Encryption keyff
Power Managementff
Link Quality=0/70 Signal level=-94 dBm Noise level=-94 dBm
Rx invalid nwid:3318 Rx invalid crypt:0 Rx invalid frag:0
Tx excessive retries:0 Invalid misc:0 Missed beacon:0

Wireless active and the Security key replaced with xxxx-xxxx

hp5000:/home/stan # iwconfig
lo no wireless extensions.

irda0 no wireless extensions.

eth0 no wireless extensions.

wifi0 no wireless extensions.

ath0 IEEE 802.11g ESSID:"Stan-Miller-GA" Nickname:""
Mode:Managed Frequency:2.412 GHz Access Point: 00:12:17:6C:B9:1A
Bit Rate:54 Mb/s Tx-Power:14 dBm Sensitivity=1/1
Retryff RTS thrff Fragment thrff
Encryption key:xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xx
Security mode:restricted
Power Managementff
Link Quality=43/70 Signal level=-53 dBm Noise level=-96 dBm
Rx invalid nwid:3909 Rx invalid crypt:0 Rx invalid frag:0
Tx excessive retries:0 Invalid misc:0 Missed beacon:0