Here's one for the wish-list (unless it already exists, in which case
someone please let me know!); in Windows, when I take my laptop to
hotel A, or cafe B, and fire it up, it 'knows' the access point has been
used before and its key, if any, and can automatically connect. In
Mandriva I have to either edit config files, or fire up a console to
connect to the access point, and I have to remember the key for each one.

Doesn't sound like it would be a major deal to hang a modest database
off the back of the wifi management tools, no?

On 2008-06-26, Keith <me@privacy.net> wrote:
>
> Here's one for the wish-list (unless it already exists, in which case
> someone please let me know!); in Windows, when I take my laptop to
> hotel A, or cafe B, and fire it up, it 'knows' the access point has been
> used before and its key, if any, and can automatically connect. In
> Mandriva I have to either edit config files, or fire up a console to
> connect to the access point, and I have to remember the key for each one.
>
> Doesn't sound like it would be a major deal to hang a modest database
> off the back of the wifi management tools, no?

I have only used it in one other location apart from at home, but
'roaming' seems to work for me with Mdv2008.0 Powerpack.

The 'netapplet' in the 'system tray' provides a neat GUI for managing and
configuring wireless networks - left click to get the 'Network Centre'
where all your NICs should appear, or right click for a menu which
includes 'Wireless Networks'.

--
-- ^^^^^^^^^^
-- Whiskers
-- ~~~~~~~~~~

Keith wrote:
>
> Here's one for the wish-list (unless it already exists, in which case
> someone please let me know!); in Windows, when I take my laptop to
> hotel A, or cafe B, and fire it up, it 'knows' the access point has been
> used before and its key, if any, and can automatically connect. In
> Mandriva I have to either edit config files, or fire up a console to
> connect to the access point, and I have to remember the key for each one.

Winblows makes a deliberate effort to connect to anything anywhere,
regardless of how (mis)configured the machine may be. In doing so,
it trades security for convenience. This is very convenient for
salesmen wishing to swap pr0n at the airport, but is not a real
good thing for most people.

Linux does not (by default) connect in that manner.

That said, you should be able to configure for connection to a
wireless access point once, and save it. You may have to do this
deliberately (choose "save this configuration or setting or
something), but the next time you choose that access point for
your connection, the settings should be invoked automatically.

Look around a bit in the help files, man pages, info documentation,
etc.

Cheers!

jim b.

--
UNIX is not user unfriendly; it merely
expects users to be computer-friendly.

On Thu, 26 Jun 2008 09:27:00 +0100, Keith wrote:

> when I take my laptop to hotel
> A, or cafe B, and fire it up, it 'knows' the access point has been used
> before and its key, if any, and can automatically connect.

2008.0 PP 64-bit does that for me on my laptop - at last for
the last connection made.

(Vista seems to remember all previous conections...)

--
/\/\aurice

(Remove 'removethis.' to reply by email)

On Thu, 26 Jun 2008 09:27:00 +0100, Keith wrote:

> Here's one for the wish-list (unless it already exists, in which case
> someone please let me know!); in Windows, when I take my laptop to
> hotel A, or cafe B, and fire it up, it 'knows' the access point has been
> used before and its key, if any, and can automatically connect. In
> Mandriva I have to either edit config files, or fire up a console to
> connect to the access point, and I have to remember the key for each
> one.
>
> Doesn't sound like it would be a major deal to hang a modest database
> off the back of the wifi management tools, no?

I have never had a problem with Mandriva 2006-2008 in regards to wireless
roaming. I just needed to bring up the wifi-config utility and connect
to the available source. Next time in, it connected on boot.