The KDE front-end for NetworkManager is the KNetworkManager applet. If the network has been set up for NetworkManager control, the applet usually starts automatically with the desktop environment and is shown as an icon in the system tray.
If your system tray does not show any network connection icon, the applet is probably not started. Press Alt+F2 and enter knetworkmanager to start it manually.
KNetworkManager only shows wireless networks that you have configured a connection for. It hides connections when you are out of range of a wireless network, or when the network cable is disconnected, thus always giving you a clear view of which connections may be used.
If your computer is connected to an existing network with a network cable, use KNetworkManager to choose the network connection.
Left-click the applet icon to show a menu with available networks. The connection currently being used is selected in the menu and marked as .
If you want to use a different configuration with the wired network, click and add another wired connection as described in Procedure 5.1, “Adding or Editing Connections”.
Click the KNetworkManager icon and select the newly configured connection to activate it.
By default, KNetworkManager only shows wireless networks that you have configured a connection for—provided they are both available and visible. To connect to a wireless network for the first time, proceed as follows:
Left-click the applet icon and select . KNetworkManager shows a list of available visible wireless networks.
To connect to a visible network, select the network from the list and click . If the network is encrypted, a dialog opens. Choose the type of the network uses and enter the appropriate credentials.
To connect to a network that does not broadcast its service set identifier (ESSID) and therefore cannot be detected automatically, select .
In the dialog that opens, enter the ESSID and set encryption parameters, if necessary.
Confirm your changes and click . NetworkManager now activates the new connection.
To terminate a connection and to disable wireless networking, click the applet icon and uncheck . This can be very useful if you are on a plane or in any other environment where wireless networking is not allowed.
A wireless network that has been chosen explicitly will remain connected as long as possible. If a network cable is plugged in during that time, any connections that have been set to will be connected, while the wireless connection remains up.
If your wireless card supports access point mode, you can use NetworkManager for configuration.
![[Note]](admon/note.png) | 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 | |
Click the KNetworkManager applet and select +.
In the following configuration dialog, enter a name for your network in the field.
Set the encryption on the tab.
![[Important]](admon/important.png)
Unprotected Wireless Networks Are a Security Risk If you set to
None, everybody can connect to your network, reuse your connectivity and intercept your network connection. To restrict access to your access point and to secure your connection, use encryption. You can choose between various WEP and WPA–based encryptions. If you are not sure which technology is best for you, read Section “Authentication” (Chapter 32, Wireless LAN, ↑Reference).On the tab, make sure the option is set to (which is the default option for ad-hoc networks).
Confirm your configuration with .
You can customize some aspects of KNetworkManager: the number of icons displayed in the system tray, which tool tips to show and how to store your password and credentials for network connections. For more information about the last aspect, refer to Section 5.7.2, “Storing Passwords and Credentials”.
To explore the options available, start the from the main menu, select on the tab and click on the left-hand side of the configuration dialog.
Procedure 5.2. Configuring Multiple Tray Icons for KNetworkManager
As KNetworkManager can keep multiple connections active at once, you might wish to be informed about the connection status for several connections at one glance. You can do so by using multiple NetworkManager icons in your system tray, each representing a different group of connection types (for example, one icon for wired connections, another icon for wireless connections).
In the configuration dialog, switch to the tab.
Click . A new icon entry appears in the list.
Select the network connection types you want to be represented by this icon and group them under the respective icon.
Confirm your changes.
Now the system tray shows multiple NetworkManager icons from which you then can access the connection types tied to that icon.
When configuring a network connection as described in Procedure 5.1, “Adding or Editing Connections”, KNetworkManager also allows you to customize the icon displayed for this connection. To change the icon, click the icon button next to and in the following dialog, select the icon of your choice. After confirming your changes, the new icon is displayed in the list of available connections you get by clicking the KNetworkManager icon in the system tray.