(frustrating) wifi - now trying to use network manager to get connected easily

userxbw

userxbw

I do not know where to start, (and keep out my frustrations one day it works the next day it does not). I tried wifimgr it worked for a little while, I have starbucks open network I use bit it is not conecting to the laptop, my phone I can get it to connect, just no this laptop, I can use my phone hotspot which I am using now. but that does not fix this. it MIGHT be not really sure but it might be there wifi is screwed up for whatever reason, maybe. I can conect on my phone though so that makes it a maybe.

1. the applet what is it called as nm-applet is not it. in xfce4 it shows the wifi applet , but I have e16 setup too and need an applet to show as well.

2. network-manager seems to work without having to assign myself to groups and such in xfce4 but is that system wide for whatever DT/WM I maybe running at any given moment?

3. ifconfig: SIOCIFCREATE2: Device not configured

what is that and what are the steps needed to configure it properly?
 
Try this:


I also have net-mgmt/wifimgr, but it doesn't work outside of my home... wifi is not covered in the Handbook, unfortunately. I'm considering trying the 2 command-line tools suggested by the wiki in Section 2.3...

Oh, and a heads up: FreeBSD plays best with Intel-branded wifi cards. I have a Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR laptop, and I had to swap out the original realtek 8821 card for an Intel-based one before wifi worked at all.
 
Funny, just using the term wifi in the Handbook's search function turns up nothing. Also, in my experience, dhclient connects, but does not prompt for authentication. Authentication needs to be either set up in advance of running dhclient (which is not always possible), or prompted for at time of connection. The Handbook covers:
  1. Setting authentication up in advance
  2. Setting up FreeBSD as an AP
Most public hotspots insist on prompting for authentication at time of connection, and that part is not covered in Handbook. Even net/wifimgr doesn't handle it well. FWIW, even when I did some research, and set up a LOT of authentication details in advance, even then net/wifimgr didn't work for me. net/wifimgr is somewhat useful once connection is actually established and I am actually on the Internet... 😩
 
I was using wpa_sup... only then went to wifimgr to network manager, still having to reissue restart over and over in a terminal elum until it might finally get an IP ... boot into Linux and vola ,there I have one toot sweet.

Wifi has only been around for what, 2 or 3 years now? :rolleyes: so Yeah I can see why they have not gotten around to figuring it out yet so put it in there how to book or making it auto connect like it should. :rolleyes:


force it to , should not have to force it to do anything, I have not tried what it says in that as I just found it.
 
Hello userxbw,
even in your initial post I was unsure if it is about Linux or FreeBSD. The tools network-manager, nmcli, nmtui and so on are (at least also) on Linux. Do you want to connect a Linux client to a FreeBSD server providing a DHCP service? Or is it different?
 
chrbr said:
Hello userxbw,
even in your initial post I was unsure if it is about Linux or FreeBSD. The tools network-manager, nmcli, nmtui and so on are (at least also) on Linux. Do you want to connect a Linux client to a FreeBSD server providing a DHCP service? Or is it different?
Click to expand...
If you read the opening post, it is different... OP is trying to connect to a public wifi hotspot at a starbucks. FreeBSD client, unknown server.
 
Yea that is my read too.

I don't have great knowledge here but I have findings.

When /etc/rc.conf sets up wifi with ifconfig you have two methods. With WPA or without.
#ifconfig_wlan0="WPA DHCP"
#ifconfig_wlan0="DHCP"

When I setup without WPA it will autoconnect to something. Strongest signal?

My local eateries are the only places I tried it.
Usually they have a landing page too.

I think you have to make a wpa_supplicant.conf entry for an open spot if you go the WPA route.
 
astyle said:
Funny, just using the term wifi in the Handbook's search function turns up nothing. Also, in my experience, dhclient connects, but does not prompt for authentication. Authentication needs to be either set up in advance of running dhclient (which is not always possible), or prompted for at time of connection. The Handbook covers:
  1. Setting authentication up in advance
  2. Setting up FreeBSD as an AP
Most public hotspots insist on prompting for authentication at time of connection, and that part is not covered in Handbook. Even net/wifimgr doesn't handle it well. FWIW, even when I did some research, and set up a LOT of authentication details in advance, even then net/wifimgr didn't work for me. net/wifimgr is somewhat useful once connection is actually established and I am actually on the Internet... 😩
Click to expand...
The chapter I linked to is called "33.3.1. Wireless Networking Basics". They never use the word wifi, that's why you don't find it.
And why is it a problem to setup authentication in advance? Either you know the credentials or you don't.

Again, just follow the handbook.
 
SKull said:
And why is it a problem to setup authentication in advance? Either you know the credentials or you don't.
Click to expand...
Some setups are not good at prompting you for credentials. Setting them up in advance means entering (and tagging them) correctly in .conf files without typos. And even then, the connection may get refused anyway.
 
astyle said:
If you read the opening post, it is different... OP is trying to connect to a public wifi hotspot at a starbucks. FreeBSD client, unknown server.
Click to expand...

chrbr said:
Hello userxbw, even in your initial post I was unsure if it is about Linux or FreeBSD. The tools network-manager, nmcli, nmtui and so on are (at least also) on Linux. Do you want to connect a Linux client to a FreeBSD server providing a DHCP service? Or is it different?
Click to expand...

it all started when this public WiFi decided to not work as it should? FreeBSD was not getting an ip but Linux was. My phone was, just not FreeBSD. (multi-boot laptop). so when I finally got one on FreeBSD I deced to try a "net work manager" for the wifi, wifimgr it was onlsy working sometimes, I still had to use the CLI and run the command for it to restart the service to over and over again until I got an IP the only good thing wifimgr was doing was updating the wpa_supplcant.conf so I then went to trying my phone that requires a password. then I had to change the rc.conf adding the WPA to the "WPA HDCP" which worked but only with my hot spot on my phone.

then I decided to see if I could wifi pass through using my phone and the public wifi which did work this is after I posted, somewhere in there between the how would I get FREEBSD to work either way , as FreeBSD 12 in the rc.conf it was WPA HDCP and it work on public wihtout any issues went away came back FBSD was at 13 now it upgrade went to crap on me lost that, could not get FBSD 13 to work so I left it for a while not its 13.1 found out it has my wifi drivers inclued so I did not leave and struggled on wifi until someone told my open line you have to remove the WPA part si I did it worked. that is the part I forgot I changed in the file that put when that public wifi was no longer an issue.

So now we have another design flaw. how to set FBSD up to allow both again without having to change the rc.conf file whenever someone is now using a pass word wifi connection that needs WPA in the conf and no passwd has to have WPA now removed from the conf file. which was not the case in FBSD 12x and prior.

the reason for the wifi manager was to use that to hopefully remove that issue so one can eaily log in on a passwd or no passwd wifi connection. which again I still found myself having to restart the service until I got a ip with wifimgr and network manager was not alway showing my phone when I tured that on the update to see what is out there must not have been used.

anyways there is still much work needed to somethin that sould already have been worked out by now. If them that control this OS really wants to make their OS a user OS and not strictly a Server OS . beause that is what UNIX is a server that was desined to have dummy terminals attacted to it, and so is LINUX . and now we go into the whos is better argument, and how l0ng has FBSD been around etc...

but as it is yesturday I got to thinking what was different becuae it worked before then remembered that WPA part and removed it from rc.conf and got the public WIFI back but is I needed to use my phone hotspot then that issuse starts again having to fix the rc.conf . so its like this SYSTEM it is either one way or the other whereas Linux is it does not matter using Network manager which FBSD ports linux into their system that LInux got from GNU and GNU was using UNIX when they decided to go open source .

how come no one is playing well together?
 
userxbw said:
...
So now we have another design flaw. how to set FBSD up to allow both again without having to change the rc.conf file whenever someone is now using a pass word wifi connection that needs WPA in the conf and no passwd has to have WPA now removed from the conf file. which was not the case in FBSD 12x and prior.
...
Click to expand...
This is an implementation flaw, not a design flaw. I'm not sure what the first "design" flaw is?

In any case, it does appear that you have to change /etc/rc.conf in order to switch back and forth between open and WPA-protected networks, as Phishfry says. This is my experience as well.
 
I was just thinking about this problem and I think you can add an SSID to rc.conf that would limit where it connects without WPA enabled.

Here is an alternative to try:
github.com

GitHub - gihnius/freebsd-wifi

Contribute to gihnius/freebsd-wifi development by creating an account on GitHub.
github.com github.com
 
Jose said:
This is an implementation flaw, not a design flaw. I'm not sure what the first "design" flaw is?

In any case, it does appear that you have to change /etc/rc.conf in order to switch back and forth between open and WPA-protected networks, as Phishfry says. This is my experience as well.
Click to expand...
It took me weeks of struggling and figuring out how enter correct details in correct places before I could connect to a public hotspot outside of home. Once connected, wifi works fine. But trying to connect the dots between (the details of public connections) and (the documentation of FreeBSD drivers and .conf files) requires an engineering degree (which I do have, BTW).

Wifi hotspots do have certain requirements to connect. SSL certs, WPA-PSK, and the like... FreeBSD has lots of places where they can be specified, like in /etc/rc.conf, /etc/wpa_supplicant.conf, and the like. If I read the documentation, I can piece together how to connect to a public hotspot.

Trouble is, it's a bit of a crapshoot. Some hotspots offer very little security, and will let you connect even if you don't provide a lot of detail about yourself (empty config files from the FreeBSD client). Then there are hotspots that wil prompt you for credentials via a portal web page. But if you come in with your own misconfigured .conf files, your connection will be rejected, and you're left with no idea exactly which detail was misconfigured, and where.

Long story short, you gotta know what the server wants, and translate that into LOTS of setup details on your own machine. Just way too many places that need to be set up correctly, way too many places where one can make a mistake and end result, no connection.

Ethernet connections are much better on FreeBSD in that regard: No need to worry about the brand name of the chipset, or even if you have a USB adapter, just plug the cable in and send a dhclient request down the wire.
 
Jose said:
This is an implementation flaw, not a design flaw. I'm not sure what the first "design" flaw is?

In any case, it does appear that you have to change /etc/rc.conf in order to switch back and forth between open and WPA-protected networks, as Phishfry says. This is my experience as well.
Click to expand...
design flaw, how something is design to work, as it is design to only be one or the other, the flaw being not both together either way by design

I do remember 12 being wpa hdcp in the rc.conf and it worked for open networks and i do supposed ones that need a passwd too.

now it has to be no WPA in that line to get an open wifi connection ...

therefore it suggests something got screwed up somewhere in my option if it worked both way on 12 and no longer on 13


implementation refers to the building process rather than the design process.
Design thinking is an innovative problem-solving process rooted in a set of skills
A design flaw is a design that fails to meet requirements or to serve customer needs
 
userxbw said:
I do remember 12 being wpa hdcp in the rc.conf and it worked for open networks and i do supposed ones that need a passwd too.
Click to expand...
Well then it's a regression and you should file a bug. I've never attempted wifi config on 12. All my 12 machines have wired interfaces.
 
Another thing that hard-wired connections have always been well reputed for is having darn near bulletproof uptime and security whereas, with a WiFi connection, you have all kinds of different open attack vectors or threat surfaces. Wifi Connections have always been more susceptible to packet interception by ill-meaning parties, which is pretty darn easy to do with a little technological know-how and a program like Wireshark or a similar software package. One of the main reasons that spawned all of the different types of security schemes for WiFi networks was that different corporations and organizations had different security requirements a great example of this phenomenon is Medical institutions where one of the last sectors of the economy to adopt WiFi networking because of the incredibly strict HIPPA laws here in the United States. This was also very much hampered by the fact that WEP was practically hacked within 6 months after its initial release. Then the security researchers conceived the first generation of Wifi protected Acess which lasted a bit longer than its predecessor, however, it was a short-lived fix, and the security flaws where soon exposed WPA-2 was soon released.
 
swimmerfish8827 said:
One of the main reasons that spawned all of the different types of security schemes for WiFi networks was that different corporations and organizations had different security requirements a great example of this phenomenon is Medical institutions where one of the last sectors of the economy to adopt WiFi networking because of the incredibly strict HIPPA laws here in the United States
Click to expand...
I live in US, and I can tell you, that part is kind of bonkers. A major hospital in my area was actually an early adopter of wifi. Imagine being confined to wall outlets or dragging long cables around on the floor. The tradeoffs between having a messy nest of cables to get past and quickly entering patient data as needed (so that a patient can get lifesaving services in a hurry) led the hospital to realize that maybe wifi makes more sense than cables. Yes, cables have their place in the infrastructure, but wifi needs to be there, too. HIPAA laws still need to be followed, but they are more about data privacy, and who has any business seeing that data. Data security should not be confused with data privacy.
 
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