I'm at a hotel with wifi and can not get online normally with the Network Manager applet. After trying numerous times, I decided to try Wicked network service. That didn't work either. But when I changed back to the Network Manager through yast, it connected immediately. I tried the Services Manager yast to turn wicked on and off and the network manager on and off and that doesn't work. The only way it works is if I turn wicked on through the network device section of yast to configure the wifi interface and then change it back to network manager.

I'm just curious as to why. What can be happening.

This is not normal for my computer and other people here are having connection issues too. It just seems weird that it only works buy reconfiguring the wifi interface this way.

cartrite

Hi Steve,
I can't tell you what precisely your problem is, but during a few days until two days ago, the connection to the CM site was quite erratic (probably due to some temporary server issue). As of yesterday morning everything was back to normal.

Another thing to remember in case of non-ethernet based networks (trains, hotels, cafes,...) is to try this command:

sudo /sbin/netconfig update -f

which rewrites your resolv.conf file and tries to find working DNS servers.

Cheers,
Fridger

_________________

Normally, I use the Network Manager and see the network ID and click the connect button. This place is having problems though and a number of people are having problems connecting. I tried the command you posted Fridger and it didn't work either. The only thing that works is going into yast2 Network Settings. Turn on Wicked Service. Go back into Network Settings and turn Network Manager back on and the connection is immediate. Other wise it gets stuck on setting the network address and never connects. I was wondering what is actually getting the wifi to work with the procedure I am using.
Oh well, mysteries of life
cartrite

Too bad, Steve,

I use the latest Open SuSE 13.2 (and used most previous SuSE releases in the past) and don't have such problems. I get perfect connections to the CM site and to any other place I want to go. Also on train rides etc.

But how does your /etc/resolv.conf file look like after you executed the command I told you??
Does it find a DNS server? Did you make sure that all needed tools are installed? The network manager has often been buggy in the past. It is important to always use the latest version.
How about testing URLs with 'ping'? Can you check whether a DNS server is active in your installation? You may use 'nslookup' for example...

Fridger

_________________

I don't think you understand. I can't connect with my phone either. Other people can't connect here either. I guess some people can. But when I start Wicked and then restart Network Manager and Wicked gets turned off, I get connected to the internet. There is something that works around the problem this hotel is having with their wifi network. I'm just wondering what it could be. It has something to do with starting the Network Manager with yast.

I never really looked at the file /etc/resolv.conf. I'll take a look at it after I post this. I have the feeling though that when I run the command, I'll get dropped from the network. And then I'll have to start Wicked and restart the Network Manager again. I'm gonna look at it now, run the command and look again. I'll post the results.

cartrite

Steve,

I think I did understand, but I cannot know what this hotel's problem is to connect most of their guests to the internet. What I was trying to do is to collect for you a semi-systematic list of checks that have a chance of uncovering the problem. But you really need to inspect the results of the checks I suggested to you .

Example: if resolv.conf does not contain the URL of a DNS (server), your Firefox browser will most probably tell you after a little while: Server not found. But then, if instead ping does a successful "roundtrip" to the URL and back with the numerical equivalent of the address, you know that the problem was the missing DNS. To do this test, you need to be connected briefly to the internet and use nslookup, which converts the given URL to its numerical equivalent.

Example: URL= forum.celestialmatters.org
then executing nslookup
> nslookup forum.celestialmatters.org

returns

Non-authoritative answer:
Name: forum.celestialmatters.org
Address: 152.19.134.41

then you do

> ping 152.19.134.41

PING 152.19.134.41 (152.19.134.41) 56(84) bytes of data.
64 bytes from 152.19.134.41: icmp_seq=1 ttl=46 time=122 ms
64 bytes from 152.19.134.41: icmp_seq=2 ttl=46 time=129 ms
64 bytes from 152.19.134.41: icmp_seq=3 ttl=46 time=125 ms
64 bytes from 152.19.134.41: icmp_seq=4 ttl=46 time=123 ms
64 bytes from 152.19.134.41: icmp_seq=5 ttl=46 time=122 ms
...

which looks perfect.

Here is a URL from a Google DNS server that you may add by hand into resolv.conf

nameserver 8.8.8.8

Good luck
Fridger

PS: my experience with failed connections over many many years => either it's a bug in the Network Manager or it's something wrong in the resolv.conf file!

_________________

I was in the process of responding and was dropped from the internet. so I copied and pasted my post into a text file.




cartrite

Trying to ping responds with Network unreachable.

cartrite

Steve,

nameserver 192.168.10.1

in your resolv.conf is most probably the local url of the hotel's router. My number is very similar. Usually, there is a DNS built into routers. So this looks OK. But you may try to comment out

search elnj060 site

in case this site is unknown to you.

Try to ping the hotel's router, i.e. ping 192.168.10.1
Do you see a fast roundtrip?

F.

PS: In case you have a Windows dual boot, try to connect via Windows.
It's more automatic than Linux and thus may work easier.

PPS:

Almost overlooked this. It's of course serious! Don't know what it could be from a distance.

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Yeah I get fast responses when I'm connected. In fact the network seems to work normally. I never get connected though unless I go though yast. Which requires super user privilege. I tried logging in as root and then connecting to the network. The first try was successful. The second time wasn't. So..........

cartrite

I'm not running windows any more. My hard drive in this laptop died long ago and that had windows 7. Now it has no hard drive. I just got suse 13.2 on a usb drive. The other people here that I talked to have windows 8 or 10 and they have problems too. People with MAC seem to have no problems. I haven't met anyone with a MAC who does.

cartrite

i run kde on suse leap

and with my cable i do find i need to restart the network service A LOT
-- the cable modem / wi-fi issues and not the OS
to restart wicked


but wicked dose cause boot delays

so i moved back to the "network manager" in the desktop
( faster boot times by about 15 seconds)

click on the icon in the tool bar for kde5-plasma and gnome3

Of note , suse defaults to ipv6 FIRST unless you have it disabled .

also you might want to use google dns
8.8.8.8
8.8.4.4

i find it rather stable

_________________
"I don't pitch Linux to my friends, I let Microsoft do that for me."
Using OpenSUSE 42.1 & Scientific Linux 6.7

The router here seems to run out of IP addresses. Probably a config problem with the router. I was knocked of the network yesterday and could not get back on. even with the procedure I mentioned earlier. Now set set up Wicked service with static address and ip4 gateway. Also manually edited resolv.conf with teh settings I had when I was connected. Seems to work now.

Still don't know why I got connected by restarting the Network Manager the way I did. Anyhow, checking out of here tomorrow so...............

cartrite