How to set up your wireless network in Ubuntu

By richardbaxterseo | Published June 23, 2008

Part 2 of my Ubuntu installation guide is all about setting up your wireless network. By now you should have correctly installed Ubuntu and after a restart and a login, you’ll see a desktop a little like this:

What next? Before you do anything else you’ll need to connect your PC to a wireless network.

How to connect to your wireless network in Hardy Heron

Connecting to your wireless router so you can access the internet is pretty easy. Here are the steps:

In the top menu, click System>Administration>Network – you’ll see a dialogue box like this:

Setting up your wireless connection with Ubuntu

The network settings dialogue will appear (that’s the box on the right). Click “unlock” and key in your password. Now, highlight the wireless connection, and click the properties button on the right.

The dialogue on the left should appear (wlan0 properties). Click “enable roaming mode” and click ok. Now close the network settings dialogue.

Next, you need to click the wireless logo in the top right hand of your scree. A small menu will appear. Click the wirless network you want to join and you’ll see this dialogue appear:

Just key in the WPA details of your wireless lan and click connect. Ubuntu should connect to the network straight away :-)

Next up, the video driver!

8 Responses to “How to set up your wireless network in Ubuntu”

Leave a comment
  1. dave savage
    Posted October 21, 2008 at 2:22 am | Permalink

    I think I need more help. In the dialog box the box Click “enable roaming mode” s already checked so I just close the dialog and try go to the next step but no wireless networks to choose from ? I think I missed something important.

    Reply
  2. K Cochran
    Posted October 31, 2008 at 10:10 pm | Permalink

    I have the same problem, can any1 help?

    Reply
  3. Andrew Bruce
    Posted November 17, 2008 at 4:04 am | Permalink

    Same problem here. No wireless icon.

    Reply
  4. innocent
    Posted October 15, 2009 at 9:31 am | Permalink

    I have intetrnet connection in Windows, but in Ubuntu i do not have and I have never been connected to internet in ubuntu. Would you help me please?

    Reply
    • richardbaxterseo
      Posted October 15, 2009 at 10:03 am | Permalink

      Hi Innocent – are you using Ubuntu on a separate partition to Windows or via VM Ware?

      Sounds like you’re missing the driver for your wireless card. What brand / model is it?

  5. Foudi
    Posted November 21, 2009 at 5:13 am | Permalink

    I have a laptop HP Pavilion and I could not setup a wireless network. I’m using Ubuntu 9.04

    Please help

    Reply
  6. Huzefa
    Posted January 11, 2010 at 2:04 pm | Permalink

    i tied everythin but it does not connect
    it displays all the available networks
    my encription is wep type please help

    Reply

One Trackback

  1. By How to install Ubuntu : The Ubuntu Installation Guide « Hello! Linux on February 5, 2010 at 9:53 am

    [...] little annoying. Here’s how to turn it off. Having problems setting up your wireless network? Use this guide to set it up. Want to run Office 2007 or Windows XP from inside Ubuntu? Use this guide to install [...]

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