Knetworkmanager auto

[Guest]

Help how do I get knetworkmanager to switch back to auto, can only see manual config and can now not connect to my wireless network I have tried un installing then re-installing to no avail, anyone with any ideas. 8)

[aiiee]

Re: Knetworkmanager auto

Anyone? Bueller?? My knetworkmanager did this also, after I removed all entries except lo in /etc/network/interfaces ( advised to in another thread here ).

Come on , this can't be that uncommon? Help, please?

[eriefisher]

Re: Knetworkmanager auto

Try to set it up through the system settings/network settings instead of knetworkmanager. I could never get it to work properly. I also use kwifimanager to monitor the connection. You can also set different profiles in it.

eriefisher

[aiiee]

Re: Knetworkmanager auto

Well I solved it but I'm not the poster so I can't change the headline. I had to do copy my /etc/network/interfaces to interfaces.bak, wipe out all connections in interfaces except l0, then properly configure the wireless connection in manual configuration, uninstall completely knetworkmanager, then reinstall it before it would detect other wireless networks. I have no idea how much of that dreck was actually necessary but it does work correctly now. Oh, after I reinstalled knetworkmanager, I had to again erase all the entries in /etc/network/interfaces except the lo one to get it to work. no idea why, but it did seem to work.

thanks eriefisher for the effort to respond.

[elabranche]

Re: Knetworkmanager auto

I had the same problem with Kubuntu 7.10.

I was going nuts trying to get the wi-fi back, and I finally did with a simple re-edit of the /etc/network/interfaces:

Copy paste the following in your /etc/network/interfaces :

auto lo
iface lo inet loopback
address 127.0.0.1
netmask 255.0.0.0

auto eth0
iface eth0 inet dhcp

auto eth1
iface eth1 inet dhcp

auto eth2
iface eth2 inet dhcp

auto wlan0
iface wlan0 inet dhcp

auto ath0
#iface ath0 inet dhcp

Save the file, make a copy (named intefaces.BAK) & reboot.

When Kubuntu is back, you should see that your knetworkmanager is now able to view the wireless network again (YAY!). If this happens again, just go back to your BAK file & repeat the process.

[gilf]

Re: Knetworkmanager auto

I have the same problem, though the above edit of the interfaces file didn't help in my case.

I believe thet my KnetworkManager installation was damaged, so I'd like to reinstall.

But how, if I can't reach the Internet to dowload a new installation of that program via Adept?

[gilf]

Re: Knetworkmanager auto

Reinstalling Knetworkmanager solved my program corruption problem, and copying the file listed above solved the lack of auto problem.

Now for the reason why these problems came up in the first place:

It isn't clear how KnetworkManager should be used by a first time Kubuntu user. I attempted to connect to a WPA 80211g router by clicking on the No Connection icon in the taskbar, turning off roaming, so I could enter the WPA password manually. This was the only way I could see to enter the password.

I have since realized that this is the wrong way, and it will remove the ability to connect automatically if you save this for startup.

Instead I should have clicked on the No Connection symbol, and then clicked on what looked to me like a signal strength bargraph with the essid of the router I was trying to connect to. Then a dialog opens where you can enter the WPA password.

This is not intuitive to a first time user -- I thought the bargraph was merely a signal quality meter -- not an input button which opens a password dialog.

If anyone else is having trouble connecting to a WPA network, try this method.

[Snowhog]

Re: Knetworkmanager auto

As there have been MANY posts concerning KNetworkManager and wifi issues, may I suggest that you write an easy to follow HOWTO for posting in the HOWTO section? I'd suggest two sections: How to configure KNetworkManger for WiFi and What NOT to do. I think others will find it very useful.

[gilf]

Re: Knetworkmanager auto

Happy to do that.

Let me suggest something as well. The original idea behind graphic user interfaces (in Xerox's original SmallTalk) was to largely eliminate computer "modes" and reduce the need for documentation. This was to be done by using intuitive graphic controls rather than forcing users to memorize set modal procedures and idiosyncratic sequences.

Now, I'm happy to document what I've found, but ideally documentation for such a simple task as connecting shouldn't be necessary -- a small change to Networkmanager's input method would make it clear to users how to connect to a wireless network. It is because this isn't obvious that many people are having problems (or creating worse ones for themselves -- as I did). NetworkManager itself seems to work quite well.

If instead of a bar graph of signal strength, there was an (obvious) button to push next to the name (essid) of the network, I think most people would know what to do. Or the words "click to connect" or "choose" or anything else to indicate that clicking on on a button or hotspot will connect you to the network.

So a simple change in the interface would probably solve 80-90% of the wifi problems with Network Manager, and we wouldn't have to document it, and people wouldn't have to study how to use it. They'd just click to connect -- all they wanted to do in the first place.

[Snowhog]

Re: Knetworkmanager auto

I hope that any of the developers (who do drop in to this Forum on occasion) pick up on this. KNetworkManager and wifi problems abound. Many have suggested/opted for other wifi managers, KWiFiManager for one, to manage their wireless connections BECAUSE of the problems experienced using KNetworkManager.

[gilf]

Re: Knetworkmanager auto

If you are having problems connecting to a wireless network with KnetworkManager try this:

1.) Boot from a LiveCD of the Version of Kubuntu that you use (this works for Ubuntu, too). Note: You should boot from the LiveCD to eliminate any problems you may have caused by altering settings inadvertently in the network manager in a hard drive installation. This is easy to do.

2.) Click on the Knetworkmanager icon in the taskbar (bottom right of screen in Kubuntu, top right in Ubuntu).

3.) A panel should open up showing choices for program preferences, and a list of available wireless networks. These networks are displayed by name (essid) in a line with a bar graph showing signal strength. Click on the network's line that you would like to connect to. If the network requires a password, a password dialog will open up and you should fill in the password to connect.

If you do not see any network lines when you first open network manager, there are two possibilities:

a.) There are no networks of sufficient signal strength in your area (if at home, your wifi router may be turned off). Solution: move to an area where there are networks, or turn on your router.

b.) Your network wireless card is not working with your Kubuntu system. In this case you will have to delve into the requirements for your wireless card -- drivers, etc. this is covered elsewhere in wikis and documentation online.

Note: if you do see network lines and bar graphs when opening KNetworkManager from LiveCD, it virtually guarantees that you do have proper card drivers installed, and you should not try to troubleshoot card drivers!

4.) If you are able to successfully connect to a network by clicking on the particular network line you want in LiveCD mode, but you are unable to see those same networks from an installed hard drive version of Kubuntu, the most likely cause of the problem is an altered file called /etc/network/interfaces

To solve this (thanks to user elabranche!), check the contents of the file against the following. The file SHOULD read this way after a fresh CD installation:

auto lo
iface lo inet loopback
address 127.0.0.1
netmask 255.0.0.0

auto eth0
iface eth0 inet dhcp

auto eth1
iface eth1 inet dhcp

auto eth2
iface eth2 inet dhcp

auto wlan0
iface wlan0 inet dhcp

auto ath0
#iface ath0 inet dhcp

If the file doesn't look like this, "save as" a version of your old file with a .bak extension, so you can restore it if you need to, edit the original file and change it to the above, or copy and paste the above in place of what is there.

Then reboot. The KnetworkManager should now behave as the CD version did.

5.) If for some reason this does not solve your KNetworkManager problems, you may need to uninstall and re-install KNetworkManager (I did because mine had gotten corrupted in a power outtage during a save).

Note that if you uninstall it, you may not be able to connect to the internet to re-install it, depending on what other network software you have available -- or your skills in connecting via the console. Or whether a wired connection is also available to you.

I solved the disconnect problem at home by temporaraily setting my router to unencrypted and no WPA, and typing the following into the console of my Kubuntu machine:

sudo ath0 essid your network's name here
sudo ath0 channel your network's channel number here
sudo dhclient ath(0)

(Note: Substitute wlan0 for ath0, above, if your wireless card doesn't use Atheros chips -- as mine does).

I don't know if the channel is necessary -- but it resolved faster for me. Likewise use dhclient only if your router is set up for DHCP assignment.

If you want info on your network's name (router name or essid) use the following command

sudo iwlist ath0 scanning

6.) After you are connected you can reinstall Knetworkmanager using Adept or any other package manager you normally use. Don't forget to re-set your router to the encryption method and passwords you normally use after you have downloaded and re-installed your network manager.


Notes:

Many of the problems occur because people do not realize that the way to connect is by clicking a bar-graph network line when first opening the Networkmanager icon. Clicking the signal graph display is a non-intuitive way of adding a password.. They try other options in the drop down preferences list to try to connect and/or add WPA passwords etc. -- sometimes by turning off roaming, and adding entries manually. Then they try to save this new configuration for loading when Ubuntu starts up. The effect of this change is to alter the etc/network/interfaces file so that auto-scanning of networks is now disabled. The program now tries to open only the connection they specified manually -- no other networks are visible, and often the one they specified was incorrectly set up or they have moved their location and it is no longer available. Restoring the interfaces file as above removes the saved manual entry, and auto scanning is restored.

People also often assume that because they see their preferred network in the drop down list, but aren't yet connected, that they have problems with their wifi network card drivers. So they attempt to add ndiswrapper drivers, etc.This can make things worse.

Most of these user problems are NOT due to driver problems, but a simple misunderstanding of how to use the program to connect to a wireless netwok.

[francois]

Re: Knetworkmanager auto

Hi there,

There must be some subtle piece of magic to this, because I also lost the ability to see and connect to wireless networks through Knetworkmanager, but I tried all the above without any success. One interesting thing: even when knetworkmanager is actually uninstalled (with Adept), the program still launches from the icon ... So my guess is that I need to uninstall something else as well.

Any ideas? (by the way I use Kubuntu 7.10 on a HP nx7400)

Cheers,

[gilf]

Re: Knetworkmanager auto

I tried all the above without any success.

The method listed above is a troubleshooting method.

Therefore if you arrived at step 3 (using the LiveCD of course) and saw no networks you would conclude that either 3a. or 3b. is true and would investigate those possibilities further.

Neither of them are due to KnetworkManager, and neither would require a removal of that program. Since you did, it sounds like the uninstall went amiss, and now you have to determine why that happened as well. In other words you now have multiple issues.

If you are testing (as you should be) from a LiveCD session, those changes and problems should be irrelevant to the test.

If you once had a working system and suddenly, it acted oddly, and also the very same LiveCD you installed it with does not work as well, you may have a computer hardware malfunction.

Test RAM from the LiveCD (memtest86). Also test that your LiveCD has a good MD5 checksum, since if it was corrupted, you could get this kind of changing problem.

And check that the wifi card is properly seated, and that it works under another OS or in another computer. They do occasionally fail, as does the PCMCIA hardware.

Please note, if you did not do any of your original testing with the LiveCD your results would have been inconclusive or misleading, so try it again in a LiveCD session.

[francois]

Re: Knetworkmanager auto

Thanks Gilf. Actually my problem seems to be with Knetworkmanager installation, because everything works fine with the Live CD, and the command line. The only thing I can't seem to do is to restore Knetworkmanager to it's original state, even after altering the /etc/network/interfaces file. All I get is the manual configuration version.

In the end I wrote scripts to connect to my usual networks, which works perfectly well (thanks to Kevdog, see http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=571188). It's just annoying that Knetworkmanager doesn't return to its original state after you do a manual config. Annoying, but not fatal ...

Thanks a ton for your help and the useful howto.

Cheers,

[gilf]

Re: Knetworkmanager auto

This might explain it, and may help get it working again--

I now think the network/interfaces file I posted (originally from user elabranche) is a subset which applies to many, but not all wireless cards.

Unfortunately it looks like wireless cards are automatically assigned a variety of wireless device names after autodetection -- apparently depending on the chipset or driver by the system. This means that even LiveCD /etc/network/interfaces files may vary. I don't have proof of this yet -- but it does suggest a workaround to accommodate it.

So I've updated the instructions in the How-To documents, and will repeat the addition here:

Addendum to How to Solve Many KnetworkManager Wireless Connection Problems


I'd like to expand the original How-To document:

-- in the suggested /etc/network/interfaces file originally given, the line:

auto ath0
#iface ath0 inet dhcp

applies mainly to wireless cards (like mine) that use the Atheros chipset.

If your card uses a different chipset, a LiveCD install interfaces file may use a different device name for the wireless card than "ath0" -- if so, just substitute your own card's device name for the "ath0" above. (I've since seen wifi0 and some others).

If you don't know what that name is, you should be able to see the correct device name in /etc/network/interfaces file of a LiveCD session. Basically you're trying to duplicate that "fresh" install network/interfaces file in your installed system.

The really important thing is to make sure the "auto" parameter is specified, and that you then try to logon using the method of clicking on the bargraph line in network manager, rather than trying to enter network setup and password entries manually.

As far as I know the above procedure is the only way to restore "automatic" connections to network manager.