Ubuntu Gutsy on My Laptop: Not Winning My Heart

1. Sajal Kayan February 16, 2008

   i use fedora 7 and NetworkManager to manage the wired/wireless networks.. the WAP thingie is a problem, but in most cafes/hotels in thailand the wifi is unsecured and it asks for a password later on using the web interface… while at someone elses office/home secure network , it usually takes 2 or 3 tries before getting it right
2. jack February 16, 2008

   give gOS a try. i had very similar issues as you and tried every Linux distro i could find. once i found gOS it was just what that laptop needed. now it’s not a power-user distro but it will make your laptop sing!
3. Michael February 17, 2008

   To connect to an access point that is WEP or WPA-enabled, you MUST know what the encryption method and key is. It does not matter what OS you use, this is required. Some coffee houses and hotels use a method of autoconfiguration that activates when you open their web page and agree to charges or usage. This is not a Linux or Ubuntu thing. Check your settings on your access point. Hell, I even have to check at the local library and on my local college campus so that I can connect.
4. Someguy February 17, 2008

   The interface is about as minimal and simple as it gets. Click on the icon, get a list of available networks. Click on the one you want, enter the passphrase (it defaults to the correct security type).

   While Ubuntu might be Linux for Human beings, it is still Linux and requires a bit of general computer know-how…
5. Tasos February 17, 2008

   I dont like Ubuntu network manager either. Its indeed horrible.

   Try PCLinuxOS. This kind of configuration is no longer needed there.
6. John Berns February 18, 2008

   But I am not getting a list of available networks–that’s the main problem–and manual configuration does not work.

   To connect to an access point that is WEP or WPA-enabled, you MUST know what the encryption method and key is.

   No, Michael, you might be prompted for the key, but you are not required to know the encryption type.
7. Sajal Kayan February 18, 2008

   If you are using Gnome, try and install this application http://www.gnome.org/projects/NetworkManager/ you can probably find it in your package manager or may have to start the service or something (I don’t know Ubuntu). If you see the screen shot it shows the list of networks.. even remembers settings and keys if you ask it to. It may sound biased, but I find switching wifi networks easier in Linux compared to windows. Fewer clicks.

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