Ubuntu Netbook Remix

How to get NB100-11R to automatically connect to WLan on logon

Asked by Graham

I've just bought a Toshiba NB100-11R netbook.
First time I started it up, I went to the network admin panel to set up wifi access.
It had detected my wireless network, so I entered the WPA password and it connected just fine. I saved those settings as a network location.

Next time I started up I expected it would it remember those settings, and connect automatically, but I couldn't get web access.
Looking at the network admin, it sill had my network listed as the wireless connection, but I had to unlock the panel, reselect my location, and click the "apply location as the current configuration" button, before it would give me web access, I have to do this every time I restart, which is going to get irritating.

Is there any way to get to connect automatically when I start up? I have also asked this question on the Toshiba forum, but have not had any response there yet, so am hoping someone here can help.

I work in IT but almost exclusively with Windows. This is my first experience with Ubuntu, as I'm sure it is for many people buying Netbooks. Is there a UNR beginners guide out there, covering things like setting up network connections, installing software, updating, that kind of thing? I've tried searching but all I seem to find is guides to installing it, which isn't what I need.

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ulrfuc
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ulrfuc (u-fuchs) said : 		#1

I use the N100 since december 08. Connected always automaticaly to my wlan when starting up. Some weeks ago I updated to the new version 0.7 of the network-manager via synaptic using

deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/network-manager/ubuntu hardy main
deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/network-manager/ubuntu hardy main

Update - deinstall - install had to be done to get it working, but now it works superior.

With tis version of NWM you can configure all connections seperately and for every connection you can set it to automaticaly connect if visible.
Further Information in german at: http://wiki.ubuntuusers.de/NetworkManager

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Graham (graham-fereday) said : 		#2

Thanks for the suggestion. As this is a brand new netbook, I would have thought it would have the latest version installed already. Sorry for the dumb question, but how can I check which version of Network Manager I have installed at the moment?

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ulrfuc (u-fuchs) said : 		#3

The NB100-11R comes with ubuntu 8.04 and that's why it has network-manager 0.6.6. NWM 0.7 is the Version which is in ubuntu 8.10. Right-click on the networksymbol in the panel. Then click Info. It should show version 0.6.6.
Version 0.7 which I have Installed from launchpad works much better with me. But after update I had to deinstall NWM 0.7 via synaptic and install it again via synaptic.

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Graham (graham-fereday) said : 		#4

Thanks for that, and sorry for all the questions - very new to Linux.

The next problem that I have is accessing Synaptic. As far as I can tell, it should be there in the Administration panel, but it's not (Software Sources is also missing). I've checked in Add/Remove Software, and they are both installed, but I can't see any way to access them. Is there something I need to do to get them to show up there? I'm logging in with administrator privileges.

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Best ulrfuc (u-fuchs) said : 		#5

I assume you use the netbook-remix desktop. In the Administration section you should find synaptic.
If not you can in the Preferenes section find a programm (probably Main-menue in german Hauptmenü) to manipulate the menue. Synaptic is as far as I know not shown by default.
After starting synaptic click search and then search for network-manager. Maybe after search is done you must scroll down the list of shown packages untill you see network-manager with a green square which says that NWM is installed. If you can't find synaptic start up the Terminal and type:
sudo synaptic.
If you have synaptic not installed, you can install it from the Terminal with:
sudo apt-get install synaptic.

Your /etc/apt/sources.list should contain:
deb http://netbook-remix.archive.canonical.com/ubuntu/ hardy main universe multiverse restricted
deb-src http://netbook-remix.archive.canonical.com/ubuntu/ hardy main universe multiverse restricted

deb http://netbook-remix.archive.canonical.com/ubuntu/ hardy-updates main universe multiverse restricted
deb-src http://netbook-remix.archive.canonical.com/ubuntu/ hardy-updates main universe multiverse restricted

deb http://netbook-remix.archive.canonical.com/ubuntu/ hardy-security main universe multiverse restricted
deb-src http://netbook-remix.archive.canonical.com/ubuntu/ hardy-security main universe multiverse restricted

deb http://netbook-remix.archive.canonical.com/ubuntu/ hardy-netbook-base main universe multiverse restricted
deb-src http://netbook-remix.archive.canonical.com/ubuntu/ hardy-netbook-base main universe multiverse restricted

deb http://netbook-remix.archive.canonical.com/ubuntu/ hardy-netbook-remix main universe multiverse restricted
deb-src http://netbook-remix.archive.canonical.com/ubuntu/ hardy-netbook-remix main universe multiverse restricted
#for openoffice 3.0
#deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/openoffice-pkgs/ubuntu hardy main
deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/network-manager/ubuntu hardy main

See also: http://forums.computers.toshiba-europe.com/forums/thread.jspa?threadID=38457&tstart=15

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Graham (graham-fereday) said : 		#6

Thanks for your help. I know my way round Ubuntu a little bit better now, and at least have access to Synaptic. In the end I've gone with a suggestion from someone on the Toshiba Forum to install WICD instead of NWM, and that seems to be working really well for me. Thanks again for all your help. It feels like I'm on a pretty steep learning curve with Linux!

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Graham (graham-fereday) said : 		#7

Thanks ulrfuc, that solved my question.