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====== Wireless: Connect ======

===== CLI =====

^  command  ^  description  ^
| ifconfig | Enable your wireless device |
| iwlist | List the available wireless access points |
| iwconfig | Configure your wireless connection |
| dhclient | Get your IP Address via dhcp |

----

===== Debian How-To =====

[[https://wiki.debian.org/WiFi/HowToUse#Command_Line|]]

----

===== iwconfig =====
  
Configure a wireless network (like ''ifconfig'' for wireless)

<code>
iwconfig                   # by itself, or...
iwconfig [interface name]  # designate specific wireless interface
</code>

**Shows:**
  - The name of the MAC protocol used
  - ESSID (Network Name)
  - The NWID
  - The frequency (or channel)
  - The sensitivity
  - The mode of operation
  - Access Point address
  - The bit-rate
  - The RTS threshold
  - The fragmentation threshold
  - The encryption key
  - The power management settings

----

===== ifconfig + ifupdown (best) =====

[1] Bring your wireless network up (assuming interface name is wlan0): 

<code>ifconfig wlan0 up</code>

[2] Scan for wireless access points:

<code>
iwlist wlan0 scan
iwlist wlan0 scan | less   # pipe it to less or grep to find what you need
</code>

[3] Find the one you want and put its [[general_network#examples|configs]] in a file under /etc/network/

[4] Down the wireless interface and bring it up with you config file

<code>
ifconfig wlan0 down
ifup -i /etc/network/config_filename wlan0
</code>

---- 
===== ifconfig + iwconfig =====

Simplied (three commands to get wireless up and running; assuming interface name is wlan0):
  * NOTE: iwconfig only supports open and WEP encrypted networks; no WPA/WPA2 support
  * For WPA/WPA2 use the above ifupdown routine

<code>
ifconfig wlan0
iwconfig wlan0 essid NETWORK_NAME key WIRELESS_KEY
dhclient wlan0
</code>

[1] Bring your wireless network up: 

<code>ifconfig wlan0 up</code>

[2] Scan for wireless access points:

<code>
iwlist wlan0 scan
iwlist wlan0 scan | less   # pipe it to less or grep to find what you need
</code>


From the output of the scan you should see a line (or lines) like:

<code> ESSID: "NETWORK_NAME"   #name of an available wireless network

[3] Connect to the network of your choice:

<code>
iwconfig wlan0 essid NETWORK_NAME                   # open network
iwconfig wlan0 essid NETWORK_NAME key open          # open network if above doesn't work
iwconfig wlan0 essid NETWORK_NAME key off           # open network if above doesn't work
iwconfig wlan0 essid NETWORK_NAME key WIRELESS_KEY  # encrypted network
</code>

**NOTE:** The iwconfig command defaults to HEX values for wireless keys. If you need to use ascii you have to prepend the “s” prefix to your key like so:

<code>iwconfig wlan0 essid NETWORK_NAME key s:WIRELESS_KEY</code>

[4] After you connect, if you need dhcp to assign an IP: 

<code>dhclient wlan0</code>

[5] Shut it down...

<code>ifconfig wlan0 down</code>

----

====== Network Manager ======

**Network Manager Tools (included with install):**
  * nmcli: the dedicated command line tool used in order to configure, add, edit and remove connections using the Network Manager;
  * nmtui: (tab-complete to see shortcuts) a graphical user interface that provides just a subset of features compated to nmcli. Using nmtui, you can edit a connection, activate a connection or change the hostname of your computer;
  * nm-applet: available in GNOME desktop environments, this applet is used as an interface overlay which can be used in order to connect or disconnect from networks.
  
**Start/Stop/Restart Networking: **

<code>
systemctl stop networking.service
systemctl start networking.service
systemctl restart networking.service  # same as above two, combo
</code>

If that doesn't work: 

<code>
service network-manager restart
</code>
  
----