Networking

Configure Networking

Xubuntu comes with a graphical networking utility. Launch it with Applications->System->Networking.

This tool will allow you to configure all aspects of your network connection - setting up DHCP, static IP addresses, configuring modem dial-up, and more. It will also allow you to set up different profiles for use with a laptop. This is very convenient if you need location-dependent networking setups.


	You will need super-user privileges to run the Networking utility. See the section called “Root And Sudo”.

Connect to the Internet

This task is usually very simple, however it requires a minimum of involvement on your part. Of course, you will need to have subscribed to an Internet Service Provider, and that your Internet connection be installed and functional.

There are several ways to connect to the Internet, depending on what type of connection you have, you could have broadband (i.e. ADSL), dialup (i.e. a 56 kbit/s modem) or access to Internet directly via your Local Area Network for instance.

Go to the following section corresponding to your type of connection.

Broadband

If you have an ADSL or cable modem there are several possibilities, depending on the type of modem.

Ethernet Modem (pppoe)

If your modem connects to your PC with an ethernet network cable you probably want to setup a pppoe connection. However, nowadays many modems also integrate a router, in this case you should follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer, you may find extra help in the Local Area Network section below (if you configure the device via a web interface, it probably has an integrated router).

ADSLPPPoE

Prerequisites are:

A DSL account with an Internet Service Provider (ISP).
Username and password for that account.
A DSL modem to which you connect using an Ethernet network card.
Your Ubuntu box with its Ethernet card enabled for DHCP.
Possible knowledge of installing packages with synaptic.


	Make sure that your ADSL connection has been activated by your ISP before starting this procedure. Generally there is a "dsl" light on your modem that is lit showing your connection should be activated.

Ubuntu by default installs the "pppoeconf" package. If you are not sure if you have it you can check by typing this in a terminal window :

dpkg -s pppoeconf

If it is not installed yet, do it by yourself, following the hints in the section called “Adding, Removing and Updating Applications”.

Once you are sure that you have the package installed its time to configure your connection. Type in a terminal:

sudo pppoeconf

A text-based installer will take you through the setup. To manually connect using your configured setup, type:

pon dsl-provider

USB modem

This is probably the most demanding type of modem to set up, USB is far from the ideal medium for network access. If you have a modem that can connect both via USB and ethernet it will be best to use the ethernet connection.

If you have a USB modem, you should refer to https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UsbAdslModem

More support for installing a USB modem can be found at:

Dialup

If you have a dialup connection, a 56 kbit/s or slower modem, you should refer to https://wiki.ubuntu.com/DialupModemHowto.

Local Area Network

If you connect to the Internet via a Local Area Network (ethernet or wireless for example), the configuration depends entirely on your network.

Configuration information should be provided by your network administrator.

If you connect via a router on a home network, you should read the router's documentation.

You may have to configure the interface through which you connect to use DHCP (dynamic configuration, usually the default) or specify an IP address, default gateway and DNS server.

Change the Computer's Name


	You will need super-user privileges for this task. See the section called “Root And Sudo”.

Applications->System->Networking
Select the General tab. Enter the name of the computer in the Hostname field.
Click OK, close all open applications and reboot.


Managing Users and Groups		System Tasks