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[STICKY] How to setup Wireless in Zorin 8

Swarfendor437

Fri May 09, 2014 9:37:26 pm

Firstly, you may need to install Windows Wireless Drivers for your wireless chipset/dongle - to do this go to:

Menu | System Tools | Administration | Windows Wireless Drivers

If you had a Windows disc or a driver file that came with your installation you need the file ending with the extension '.inf' - You launch Windows Wireless Drivers (your login password will be required) and click on 'Install New Driver' - hopefully this will start to attempt making a connection to your router - to make sure everything is as it should be, you need to 'Edit Network Settings' - I have 'Notification Area' running in my AWN Panel which indicates this - right-click and select 'Edit Connections' then select the 'Wireless Tab', then select the identified network (router) name and click on 'Edit' button.

1. Editing the General Page - this is what you should have:

Editing Wireless General.jpg


2. Editing the Wi-Fi:

Editing Wi-Fi.jpg


Please note that 'Connection name' can be left as the default - but you can change it to the name you gave your router - this should never be left as the one given by the manufacturer as it could lead to 'crackers' exploiting your Router.

SSID: This is the name you gave to the Router.

Mode: This should ALWAYS be 'Infrastructure' (managed network with password control - once set leave alone or change monthly - but remember you will need to change the password on all other devices - for security reasons this should be 24 characters long, containing no words, just a mixture of letters, numbers and special characters - if you have to - write it down and keep in a safe place - see 3. Security below.)

BSSID: This is the MAC (Machine Access Code) for your Router - it is usually printed or etched on the Router somewhere, or on a label stuck to it - it may also be on your Box that the router came in.

Device MAC address: This is the Hexadecimal code of your Wireless Chip Set - for Ultrabooks/Notebooks/Netbooks, open a terminal (Menu | Accessories | Terminal or Ctrl+ Alt+ T) and enter:

Code:
sudo ifconfig -a


This will list all your network devices - look for the one marked (wl) or (wlan0) - this will be the wireless device - on some Notebooks (old ones) I have come across where one was reported as (eth1)!
For dongles, the MAC address should be on the label down one side of the dongle.

[It is advisable to have both BSSID and Device MAC address fields completed as this binds the router to the wireless chipset/dongle]

Cloned MAC address: I am not a wireless expert for this part but I usually leave this blank.

MTU: This is regulated by the wireless regulations in force in your country, in the UK this is '1432' - Automatic = '1500' and if not altered to match what your ISP/Countries regs are can lead to negotiation failure between your machine and the Internet!

3. Editing Password Security:

Editing Password Security.jpg


You need to be sure you know which one is in use on your router - to make sure you know what that is, make a wired connection to the router (if possible) and log in to your router via a Web Browser of your choice, in the address bar enter the correct ip address of your router, e.g, for Netgear it would be http://192.168.0.1

For a complete listing to see what your router's ip address is see here: http://www.routeripaddress.com/brands/

For best security you should choose the on highlighted - WPA-WPA2 Personal with AES encryption. This is where your password should be 24 characters in length.

4. IPv4 Settings:

Editing IPv4 Settings.jpg


The default setting in the 'Method:' field is usually 'Automatic DHCP' - this should be left as is UNLESS you use a proxy service such as OpenDNS - in which case you would click on the down arrow and select 'Automatic (DHCP) addresses only' then you would enter the DNS Server details as given in the screenshot. (208.67.222.222,208.67.220.220) - Always separate DNS server addresses with a comma (,).

DHCP client ID: (This can be left blank but I have entered the name of the 'workgroup' in this field before for OpenDNS recognition.

BE SURE TO CHECK MARK: Require IPv4 addressing for this connection to complete.

5. IPv6 Settings - just leave as is.

See video tut for Windows Wireless Tool (pre-installed in Zorin OS) here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wchimaoe9KE

Hope this brief tutorial helps! :D