[CentOS] CentOS 5.2 -- how do I choose a wireless network?

Fri Aug 8 12:49:50 UTC 2008
Robert Moskowitz <rgm at htt-consult.com>

I have had a terrible time with NetworkManager.....

Johnny Hughes wrote:
> Aleksey Tsalolikhin wrote:
>> Any suggestions on how to make this work under CentOS?   I'd prefer to
>> have CentOS on my laptop, to keep it the same OS as our servers.    I
>> don't want to learn two flavors of Linux...
>>
>> Thanks,
>> -at
>
> It normally just works on most wireless cards (centos in general, not 
> necessarily the live CD).
>
> I will burn and boot the live CD on my Dell Inspiron 6000 laptop and 
> see how NetworkManager works here and get back to you.
>
> What kind of laptop is it?
I have pretty much given up on NetworkManager.  I try it time to time 
after a clean boot, but most of the time, it will just NOT connect.

I am an 'old had' at modifying /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf, 
and I have simple scripts (for themost part) to run things.  I have a 
script called wlan:

ifconfig eth1 up
/usr/sbin/wpa_supplicant wpa_supplicant -B -dd -K -D wext -i eth1 -c 
/etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf


That works well with the Intel card in my HP nc2400.  The ifcfg-eth1 is 
fairly simple:

TYPE=Wireless
DEVICE=eth1
HWADDR=00:1b:77:43:09:78
BOOTPROTO=dhcp
NETMASK=
DHCP_HOSTNAME=nc2400.htt-consult.com
IPADDR=
DOMAIN=
ONBOOT=no
USERCTL=no
IPV6INIT=yes

I do find that the BOOTPROTO=dhcp does not 'work' and I have to run 
dhclient eth1 to get a lease.

If I get into a new area (did that a LOT these past couple weeks), I run 
/usr/sbin/wpa_cli and do a scan and scan_results to get the SSID, edit 
the wpa_supplicant.conf file, the a reconfigure within wpa_cli.

All works; all manual.  But I clean everything out and NetworkManager 
just does not seem to work for me.....