# Recommended Wireless managment GUI for FluxBox

## lyallp

I don't use KDE or Gnome as a desktop, I use Fluxbox.

I was wondering if there is a recommended GUI tool for managing my Wireless network on my HP EliteBook 8540w, whereby the Wireless can be disabled by a physical switch.

Currently, I use Kismet to find the networks and edit the /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf file for any new networks.

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## solamour

Have you tried NetworkManager (http://en.gentoo-wiki.com/wiki/NetworkManager)? I tried it with "nm-applet", and it worked well, although I ended up going back to the simple "/etc/conf.d/net".

__

sol

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## nlsa8z6zoz7lyih3ap

 *Quote:*   

> I was wondering if there is a recommended GUI tool for managing my Wireless network on my HP 

 

I like wicd (and it's wicd-gtk gui). It allows you to choose between the available connections, both wired and wireless.

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## John R. Graham

See the qt4 USE flag for wpa_supplicant and the supplied wpa_gui program, which doesn't depend on any particular DE.

- John

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## lyallp

I saw NetworkManager mentioned elsewhere.

What are it's supposed advantages?

Why did you give up on NetworkManager?

How does wicd compare?

I only have a laptop with switched wireless, which is usually disabled because it's connected to the corporate network 364 days a year.

I was hoping to find something along the lines of Windows, browse for networks, connect, enter password if required.

All a bit simpler than what I do, which isRun Kismet

Look for the network to find it's SSID

Update /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf

Turn off Kismet

/etc/init.d/net.wlan0 start

Cross fingers.

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## cach0rr0

wpa_gui, wicd, and networkmanager will all fit that criteria 

i personally dislike networkmanager, since it seems to sorta have its own way of doing things, demanding absolute wholesale control of your systems network settings to the point trying to do something outside of networkmanager, even without it running, is broken.

for me wicd or wpa_gui would be fine. I personally use wicd, and there's a 'wicd-gtk' if you have the 'gtk' use flag set when you merge wicd

wpa_gui is also nice, though it isn't as turnkey as wicd

if you need to do loads of fancy shit like setup a PPPoE connection, VPN, etc, networkmanager has stuff for this that's somewhat turnkey, but that's not worth it to me for the control it wants to have over my boxes.

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## solamour

As cach0rr0 mentioned, NetworkManager has its own way of doing things, which I didn't find agreeable. Other than that, it's fairly straightforward to use it. Just ask countless Ubuntu users.

As for the reason I don't use graphical configuration tools, my network configuration is dead simple, so I really don't need anything fancy.

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sol

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## cach0rr0

 *solamour wrote:*   

> 
> 
> As for the reason I don't use graphical configuration tools, my network configuration is dead simple, so I really don't need anything fancy.
> 
> __
> ...

 

i made this move myself recently. 

finally occurred to me, a good 80% of my wireless usage is at home, on my home wifi network, and manually starting wicd when im on the road just isnt a huge inconvenience. So while I *do* keep it around as a graphical tool, it no longer makes sense for it to be my primary.

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## nomilieu

Wicd has a curses interface as well, which is pretty convenient.

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