wireless hotspot

[critter200]

I am able to connect to my secure wireless network but when I go to a free wireless hotspot with an unsecure wireless network, it always says connection failed! after I try to connect to it. Any ideas what I need to change so I can connect to it? I have my essid set up to "any". It's probably a simple fix. Thanks!!!
Chris

[sky]

Re: wireless hotspot

Hi,

Maybe when you're about to connect to a non-protected network, edit the /etc/network/interfaces (save it first for later use) and modify the section about the wifi interface to set only it to auto with the name of the network, no password, no security...
Then sudo /etc/init.d/networking restart

If it's not working, can you please post the content of your file /etc/network/interfaces and iwconfig please ? (Without clear password)

Cheers

[critter200]

Re: wireless hotspot

How do make it so I can edit the wireless interfaces? When I go into /etc/network/interfaces, it won't let me save anything I type in. And once I get in to edit it, what should it say and what exactly should I type in? Sorry, I'm a newbie so I get lost very easily.

[sky]

Re: wireless hotspot

Ok, sorry I didn't know.
So to edit the file, you need to do :
kdesu kate /etc/network/interfaces

Then you should get the interface you want to modify :
by the command iwconfig, the one which tell you a lot of info it the wifi one.

Then comment out the section about this one :
usually look like this :
#auto eth0
#eth0 inet dhcp
#eth0 wireless-essid any

And below enter these lines (with corresponding eth?)
auto eth?
eth? inet dhcp
eth? wireless-essid <thehotspot>

You can save it and come back to console to type : sudo ifdown eth? && sudo ifup eth?

It should work.
If not, can you post your /etc/network/interfaces and iwconfig please ? Maybe also the "iwlist eth? scanning" result from the hotspot.

Cheers