# Linux wireless help

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/linux-wireless-help/356839>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 15, 2006, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/linux-wireless-help/356839 "2006-05-15T16:10:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Jayrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Jayrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayrot)\
**Post date:** [May 15, 2006, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/linux-wireless-help/356839/1 "2006-05-15T16:10:15Z")

</div>

I’ve started using Ubuntu, and thankfully my wireless card is recognized and is working properly. However, how do I connect to a certain wireless network given the SSID? Using KISMET, I can see there are several APs visibile (including mine), but I can’t quite figure out how to choose the one I want to connect to.

Is there a terminal command for this?

Thanks.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\
**Post date:** [May 15, 2006, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/linux-wireless-help/356839/2 "2006-05-15T17:16:51Z")

</div>

Which wireless driver is it?

Host AP  
Orinoco  
wlan-ng

?

Determining that will at least lead you to the documentation, but I at least can’t help beyond that. wlan-ng I know doesn’t have a GUI interface and you can’t probe for networks or anything, you just have to manually add the network security information and hope it goes without you having to do any further configuration that is distribution specific and largely undocumented.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![DarrenS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DarrenS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarrenS)\
**Post date:** [May 15, 2006, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/linux-wireless-help/356839/3 "2006-05-15T17:49:00Z")

</div>

I use Mepis so I’ve no idea if it’s the same, but try iwconfig.

man iwconfig

from a terminal will get you the syntax, or look [here](http://linux.about.com/od/commands/l/blcmdl8_iwconfi.htm)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![DarrenS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DarrenS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarrenS)\
**Post date:** [May 15, 2006, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/linux-wireless-help/356839/4 "2006-05-15T17:50:21Z")

</div>

Oh, and I should also add that after many frustrating hours trying to get this to work, I finally figured out I had to edit the config file under (IIRC) /etc/network as well as using iwconfig.