4 ways to take control of your Wi-Fi connections on Linux - begleydowasud

Easy association to the Internet over WI-Fi is no longer a privilege denied Linux users. With a recent distribution connected a reasonably recent laptop computer, connecting your Linux laptop to an available Wi-Fi electronic network is often as hands-down as it is with your phone.

IT wasn't always like this. Wi-Fi has long been a running joke among Linux laptop users. Many another a user would wipe their hardened drives and put in Linux only to find that they couldn't get online. I went through this when I world-class installed Ubuntu 8.04 on my Asus Eee PC. (As luck would have it, the Eee PC came with an RJ45 ethernet jack.)

Getting WI-Fi working is less of an issue today (though it still pot embody difficult on occasion). But just getting something to work is only the first pace. With a little extra effort, you can optimise your Wi-Fi connections on Linux for the best travel rapidly and improved privacy.

Using NetworkManager's connection editor

Each of the features I'm explaining can be found in NetworkManager's connections applet. For many users of Dwarf surgery Unity (Ubuntu), you keister simply click on the Wi-Fi or network ikon in the top-right of your screen. In the drop-down menu, select Edit Connections. If you don't see that option, or the correct window doesn't appear, you can open a terminal window and launch it manually by typingnm-connection-editor program and hitting Enter.

linux wifi default screen — NetworkManager's *Edit Connections* windowpane.

At one time the windowpane opens, you should view a lean of wireless connections nether the WI-Fi heading. (If you have any virtual private networks (VPNs) set improving, you crapper see those details in the VPN heading that follows the Wi-Fi heading.) To edit the options for a connecter, bu click the association name and come home Edit out.

While the connecter name calling nonpayment to the SSID (the name send away the router) of the network, you can change the name to anything you like.

Enable automatic VPN connections

Victimization a VPN is one of the easier and more effective ways to protect your concealment online. While not everybody necessarily to use a VPN at home, I recommend that everybody economic consumption a VPN when conjunctive to public Wi-Fi, especially when doing things like online banking.

The matter is, it's hard to recall to connect to your VPN every time you sit down in a coffee tree sta or drome. Luckily, NetworkManager makes it easy to "set it and blank out information technology."

linux wifi vpn — You can take to connect to a VPN on a per-connecter groundwork.

In the General tab of the connection windowpane, merely check the option labeled Automatically connect to VPN when victimisation this connection. Doing sol bequeath enable the drop-down list below the check box. The drop-down number will be inhabited with any VPN connections you've previously set up. Select the VPN you want to use by nonremittal for the connection, and you're all ordered.

Lock connected to the go-to-meeting signal

Lockup along to a specific Wi-Fi radio isn't a feature virtually people need all the prison term, but it is useful in extraordinary situations. By default, your PC will try to lock on to and use the strongest signal that's organism broadcast with a donated SSID.

It's easier for users if a network administrator sets a single SSID for several wireless access points instead of forcing users to re-enter Wi-Fi credentials for each AP they try to connect to (e.g.: Office_floor1 and Office_floor2). As a user moves from one location to another, their device should lock on to the closest get at point. But what if you're somewhere in between?

If an SSID has more than 1 AP with comparable signals, the networking stack connected your PC leave scan for the best one and trade from one AP to the other, seemingly at random. To stop this, you keister "engage on" to one access betoken away specifying its BSSID.

linux wifi bssid — You can "lock on" to a specific Wi-Fi radio past setting the BSSID for a connection.

In the WI-Fi tab for the connecter, simply select ace of the BSSIDs from the drop-off-down feather bill of fare, click Make unnecessary, and reconnect to the network. Your PC should now employment that specific access point.

If you even deficiency the power to get up and roam forth from that access point happening the Same SSID, you can make unnecessary the connection with a new name (not a revolutionary SSID!). Then, imitate over wholly the connection inside information (SSID, WPA passphrase, etc.) from the other sections of the connection, merely will the BSSID option blank and save under a different joining name from the first one. Unmatchable you've finished that, you can prize the "roaming" connection if you have to contract up and take your laptop computer to a get together, and use your preferred access point when you get back to your desk.

Set your firewall geographical zone

As with a VPN, a firewall is advisable when using your PC away from home. Also, care a VPN, you ass set NetworkManager to use a firewall policy of your choice according to the network you connect to.

Low-level the General tab key for a connection, simply select a firewall insurance policy in the drop-down menu incoming to the pronounce Firewall zone. You need to accept previously organized firewall zones (and havefirewalld running as a service) in order to manage this.

Keep your DNS wherever you go

If you'ray non sure what a domain call service (DNS) is, you'rhenium probably using the one assigned to you by default. Basically, DNS is a service that translates domain names (like pcworld.com) into IP addresses. Some people prefer to use DNS servers of their choice (like Google's), instead of the servers handed to them by an ISP. If you want to ensure that you enjoyment the DNS servers of your prime atomic number 3 you move some from one wireless network to some other, you evenhanded have to configure a couple of settings in for each one link.

linux wifi dns — You can set your own DNS servers, flatbottomed when getting your IP come up to via DHCP.

In the IPv4 and IPv6 tabs, the first drop-down fare defaults to Automatic (DHCP). For most public wireless networks, you need DHCP to get an IP speech and DNS information. However, the second selection in the drop-down, Automatic (DHCP) addresses only, only gets an IP address from the network, and requires you to set upbound your own DNS information. After selecting the bit option, the option in the yellow journalism Additional DNS servers will change to DNS servers. Merely type or paste the DNS servers of your choice into the box seat and clack Save.

For cite, Google's IPv4 DNS servers are 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4. Google's IPv6 host IPs are 2001:4860:4860:0:0:0:0:8888 and 2001:4860:4860:0:0:0:0:8844.

Conclusion

There are a couple of past options and features you can use to tweak your Wi-Fi connections, but these four should give you a important put away to start. If somehow anything goes wrong, remember that you can simply delete the connection and reconnect to the network (you'll have to re-go in authentication details, of path).

While most Wi-Fi works fair seamlessly without much configuration, a little attention tush help you get the most out of your Wisconsin-Fi scorecard.