My Ubuntu Laptop Can't Connect to a Particular Wireless Network, while Windows Laptops do

The wireless on my Ubuntu works on all the other wireless networks. But on this university network it never forms a connection. But I can see the signal at 80% (indeed I see several signals at 80%, 40% and 20% by the same name university-network name). On a Windows XP laptop, the connection is formed as usual, and there is only one network visible to Windows.

PS: The wireless connection on my Ubuntu works at other places within the university with a network with the same SSID.

amit

Posted 2010-03-15T09:29:04.420

Reputation: 111

Is the Network encrypted? Any other control mechanisms you know of? – Bobby – 2010-06-12T08:28:54.607

2@taspeotis: quit your trolling please. – Jarvin – 2010-06-14T17:44:22.297

A lot of campuses have an Tech support number to call. They may be able to help better because it sounds like there is something odd with the way they configured their network. – Jarvin – 2010-06-14T17:50:44.527

Are they on the same laptop? Perhaps the ubuntu laptop has a wireless card that doesn't support WPA2. – crasic – 2011-04-13T06:03:30.153

Answers

The reason that Ubuntu shows more than one connection is probably that there are more than one access point. Because the SSID is the same, Windows shows it as one network, because it is. But Ubuntu shows the different access points. Thats why you see different signal strength ( 80%, 40% and 20%).

Is it an open network? How works verification on that network? By key, or MAC address? Maybe you can give us little bit more information about the network itself.

JordyOnrust

Posted 2010-03-15T09:29:04.420

Reputation: 273

Yes it is an open network. Not sure about how the "verification" (or do you mean authentication?) works. – amit – 2010-03-16T10:39:49.023

At my university we linux users have to call in the MAC. A student worker then manually adds our MAC address to the system and bingo, we're online.

user31209

Posted 2010-03-15T09:29:04.420

Reputation:

Are you sure your University doesn't require users to install a certificate before connecting?

Check with Windows users if they had to install something before being able to connect. A lot of Universities are now requiring EAP-TTLS for wireless access, which is not available by default on Windows/Linux.

Andrew Moore

Posted 2010-03-15T09:29:04.420

Reputation: 4 375

No, the ubuntu connects to other network access points in the university with the same SSID. I should have mentioned that already. Thanks for your suggestion. – amit – 2010-03-16T10:42:43.947

I'm going to go ahead and guess that the reason behind this is that your university uses 802.1x authentication, and that on windows you are required to use a username and password combination.

Ubuntu detects the wireless security requirement incorrectly. If you go to network settings, and edit the connection, you should be able to set it right.

You probably want to choose the entry PEAP. Then have another setting to be MSCHAP v2

Wish I could tell you which settings they were, but I don't remember what properties this defines.

Hope that helps.

Varun Madiath

Posted 2010-03-15T09:29:04.420

Reputation: 383