Configuring Network Connections

After having enabled NetworkManager in YaST, configure your network connections with the NetworkManager front-ends available in KDE and GNOME. The network configuration dialogs for both front-ends are very similar. They show tabs for all types of network connections, such as wired, wireless, mobile broadband, DSL, and VPN connections. On each tab, you can add, edit or delete connections of that type. In the KDE configuration dialog, the appropriate tabs are only active if the connection type is available on your system (depending on hardware and software). By default, KNetworkManager also displays comprehensive tooltips for the input fields and options available on each tab.

To open the network configuration dialog in GNOME, open the main menu and click the Network entry at the right. Conversely, press Alt+F2 and enter nm-connection-editor (or in the GNOME Control Center select System+Network Configurations).

Figure 5.1. GNOME Network Configuration Dialog

If you use KDE, open the main menu and click Configure Desktop. In the Personal Settings then select Network Connections on the General tab to open the network configuration dialog.

Figure 5.2. KDE Network Configuration Dialog

Conversely, you can also start the configuration dialogs from the NetworkManager applet in the system tray. In KDE, left-click the icon and select Manage Connections. In GNOME, right-click the icon and select Edit Connections.

	Availability of Options
Depending on your system set-up, you may not be allowed to configure connections. In a secured environment, some options might be locked or require `root` permission. Ask your system administrator for details.

Procedure 5.1. Adding or Editing Connections

When configuring network connections with NetworkManager, you can also define system connections that can be shared by all users. In contrast to user connections, system connections are made available right after NetworkManager is started—before any users log in. For more details about both types of connections, refer to Section 5.7.1, “User and System Connections”.

Currently, the system connection option is not available in KNetworkManager. To set up system connections, you need to use YaST in this case.

	Hidden Networks
To connect to a “hidden” network (a network that does not broadcast its service) you have to know the Extended Service Set Identifier (ESSID) of the network because it cannot be detected automatically.

To add a new connection, click the tab for the connection type you want to use and click Add.
Enter a Connection Name and your connection details.
For a hidden network, enter the ESSID and the encryption parameters.
You can tie the connection to a certain device, if more than one physical device per connection type is available (for example, your machine is equipped with two ethernet cards or two wireless cards).
If you use KDE, do so by using the Restrict to Interface option. If you use GNOME, enter the MAC address of the device you want to tie the connection to and confirm your settings.
If you want NetworkManager to automatically use a certain connection, activate Connect Automatically for this connection.
To turn a connection into a system connection activate Available to all users (GNOME). For more information about user To create and edit system connections, root permission is required.

After having confirmed your changes, the newly configured network connection appears in the list of available networks you get by left-clicking the NetworkManager applet.

Figure 5.3. KNetworkManager—Configured and Available Connections

At the moment, bluetooth connections cannot be configured with NetworkManager. For a manual way of setting up a dial-up connection via Bluetooth, refer to http://en.opensuse.org/Configuring_Bluetooth_Dial-Up_Connections_for_openSUSE_11.2.