While Ubuntu is usually able to automatically detect the settings for your network, it is wise to make a note of relevant network settings in case the network you are trying to connect to cannot be handled automatically.
If you have a home network, perhaps connected using a router or switch, there are a few settings which you may need in order to connect to the network successfully. While most networks will be able to assign the correct settings to Ubuntu automatically, some networks cannot.
Follow the instructions below to obtain a copy of the network settings which you may need:
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Press → . Type cmd.exe into the box labelled Open: and press .
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A black screen called Command Prompt will appear. Into the screen, type
ipconfig /all
and press Return. This will list a set of network settings for each of the networking devices you have installed. You may have one or several networking devices.
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Now, type
ipconfig /all > C:\network_settings.txt
and then press Return. This will store the settings you have just seen in the file
C:\network_settings.txt. -
Locate and open
C:\network_settingsin a text editing program, such as Notepad. Print out a copy of the file if possible.
If you connect to a Windows network, you may need some additional information in order to be able to see documents placed in network shares. If you connect to a network administered by another person, ask that person for the relevant information on connecting to the network. Otherwise, ensure that you have access to the information listed below:
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Domain or workgroup name
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Your username and password on the network
There are a couple of important pieces of information which you should have to hand if you would like to connect to a wireless network:
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Network name (SSID)
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WEP encryption key or WPA passkey
There are numerous ways of discovering this information. If your wireless network uses a wireless router, you should be able to find this information from the configuration pages of the router. Consult the router manual for more information on where to find the relevant information.
Virtual Private Networks are a type of network which allow you to connect to a remote private network using a public network such as the Internet. There are many different types of VPN, which have varying degrees of support under Ubuntu. If you need to connect to a VPN, first identify the type of VPN which you are connecting to. If the VPN is supported under Ubuntu, it is possible that a document will be available from the website of the VPN vendor which can help you connect to the network.
Ensure that you have all of the VPN connection information that you think you may require.
