Question

258

How to connect to WiFi from the command line?

rated 0 times [ 258] [ 0] / answers: 1 / hits: 601840 / 3 Years ago, fri, october 15, 2021, 12:51:08

Other posts seems to be addressing more complicated network connection issues from the command line.

The Unity panel Network indicator/button doesn't respond too well sometimes - it keeps trying to connect to a network even when i click on "disconnect", stuff like that.

So I want to go command line for the control. I don't like GUIs anyway.

Is there not some simple command line tool which can do something like the following?

wifi connect MyNetworkNameA

wifi disconnect

wifi connect MyNetworkNameB

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lowstonnequ

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2 Years ago

answered 3 Years ago algicuade · Accepted Answer

I think you want to keep using managed interface (by NetworkManager). nmcli is a command‐line tool for controlling NetworkManager.

To see list of saved connections, use (<SavedWiFiConn>)
```
nmcli c
```

To see list of available WiFi hotspots (<WiFiSSID>)

nmcli d wifi list

or:

sudo iwlist <WifiInterface> scanning

To see list of interfaces (<WifiInterface>)
```
ifconfig -a
```

Just change <WifiInterface>, <WiFiSSID>, <WiFiPassword> in the following commands to reflect your setup. If WiFi info already saved, easier way using <SavedWiFiConn> name of connection as it was saved in NetworkManager.

Ubuntu 16.04

##disconnect

nmcli d disconnect <WifiInterface>



##connect

nmcli d connect <WifiInterface>

Another way:

##disconnect

nmcli c down <SavedWiFiConn>



##connect

nmcli c up <SavedWiFiConn>

Ubuntu 15.10 & previous

##disconnect

nmcli d disconnect iface <WifiInterface>



##connect

nmcli d wifi connect <WiFiSSID> password <WiFiPassword> iface <WifiInterface>

Another way:

##disconnect:

nmcli c down id <SavedWiFiConn>



##connect:

nmcli c up id <SavedWiFiConn>

If your password isn't automatically recognized type this:

nmcli -a c up <SavedWiFiConn>

Reference: man nmcli