UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER
School of Computer Science
JTL's Fedora Tips
Setting up networks
Here are some tips for setting up networks on Fedora, without resorting to using the GNOME/KDE network GUI `patronage'. In particular, if you believe networks should be independent of desktop and user and whether anybody is even logged on, and should be able to be started from scripts, etc., then read on! ;-)
Please feel free to pass me any constructive feedback by email. jtl{at}cs.man.ac.uk (you will need to edit the abstraction of the at sign). You can also suggest other topics for me to give some hints about.
Section links
| Read first | General information |
| Multi-use devices | Having multiple network setups for the same device |
| Wired DHCP | Setting up a wired network: DHCP |
| Wired Fixed IP | Setting up a wired network: fixed IP |
| Wireless -- WEP | Setting up a wireless WEP network |
| Wireless -- WPA | Setting up a wireless WPA network |
| Search Google for Fedora network configuration |
Read first
On Fedora (and Red Hat), every network which `belongs' to the whole machine
(as opposed to an individual user) has configuration information stored in the
directory /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts.
Each network has a file called ifcfg-X where X is
the name of the network. Often the the name, X is the same as the
name of the device used by the network, but it does not have to be.
For example, you will probably find a file called ifcfg-eth0
which was placed there by the Fedora installation process. This probably
contains a configuration for using a wired network on device eth0
(the first wired ethernet port) that will work for a network using
Dynamic Host Control Protocol (DHCP).
Networks that need authentication keys (e.g. wireless ones) will also have
a file called keys-X where X is the name of the
network.
To start the network called X from the command line or within
a script, we run the command ifup X. And to shut it down we run
ifdown X.
The configuration may specify the network should be started at boot up, in
which case it is started when either of the network or the
NetworkManager services are started. Otherwise it is to be
started on demand by a user or a script.
The configuration may state that ordinary users are allowed to start and
stop the network. Otherwise only root can do so.
Multi-use devices
The name of a network does not have to be the same as the name of the device the network uses. You may wonder why that is useful.
For a mobile machine, you probably don't want any network started up at boot. Instead you want to start a network when you're ready, and you may need to start the right one for the location you are in. For example, you might have a wireless network for use at home, another for work, a third for when you visit your girl/boyfriend, your mum, etc.. Each of these will no doubt have different settings -- in particular different authentication keys.
So you set up ifcfg-home and keys-home to use
device wlan0 (the first wireless LAN card), and run ifup
home and ifdown home as you need to.
Then you pop to your work, and set up ifcfg-work and
keys-work also to use the same device. And you make another pair
of files for each of the places you frequent -- this way you never need to
re-enter the setup information when you go back to a place you have been to
before! ;-)
For a desktop machine, you might want to use the same wireless card sometimes to talk to a router, and sometimes to act as an ad-hoc network when the router is not available.
Back to topWired DHCP
Setting up a wired network: DHCP
Expand: Wired DHCP
Wired Fixed IP
Setting up a wired network: fixed IP
Expand: Wired Fixed IP
Wireless -- WEP
Setting up a wireless WEP network
Expand: Wireless -- WEP
Wireless -- WPA
Setting up a wireless WPA network
Expand: Wireless -- WPA
Search Google for Fedora network configuration
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