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Thread: Need help changing metric

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
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    38

    Question Need help changing metric

    I am trying out Ubuntu 9.04 and am new to the linux sceen. I have been able to get it connected to my wireless router (didn't work out of the box), and even now have it working with my usb EVDO aircard. My problem is that I can't get internet though the usb modem when the wireless is connected to my local network. I have had similar problems before with windows and solved the problem by manually changing the metric of the network adaptors. Below is what I have tried so far without success.

    From the terminal- "sudo ifconfig wlan0 metric 20"
    Result- "SIOCSIFMETRIC: Operation not supported"
    I get the same result when trying to change the metric on any interface.

    Added this to the etc/network/interfaces file-
    auto wlan0
    iface inet wlan0 static
    address 192.168.0.177
    netmask 255.255.255.0
    network 192.168.0.0
    broadcast 192.168.0.255
    gateway 192.168.0.1
    metric 20

    Result- wlan0 remains in dhcp mode and gets its ip address from the router and the metric remains at 1. It doesn't seem to look at the interfaces file.

    I would really like to be able to change the metric from the command line if possible, so that way I could put it in a .sh file and run it when I want to use the usb modem (since I have to start the modem manually anyway). But I would be happy if I could get the interfaces file to work too.
    Last edited by maximus57; July 27th, 2009 at 04:49 AM. Reason: changed wording

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Beans
    18
    Distro
    Ubuntu 9.04 Jaunty Jackalope

    Re: Need help changing metric

    Have to ask, did you restart the networking init script after you changed the metric in the interfaces file? What does route -n give you for the interface metrics?

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Beans
    38

    Re: Need help changing metric

    No, I did not restart init.d. However I was under the impression that a reboot would reset it, and have done many reboots.

    Ok, now I try to reset it and get an error.

    sudo /etc/init.d/networking stop
    * deconfigering network devices
    /etc/network/interfaces:1: misplaced option
    ifdown: couldn't read interfaces file "/etc/network/interfaces"

    Does this mean that I have something wrong in the file? My next post I will post the whole file exactly as it is, as I am not posting from that computer right now and am typing all of it out.

    Edit: I took out everything I changed in the file and put it back to original and still get the same error.

    Edit again: the first entry was "-e auto lo", that was the origianal default interfaces file. I got rid of the "-e" and the error went away. Was it supposed to be something else? Or was it something that got changed in this version? Possibly a bug?

    I had a couple things switched around myself, but now it uses the interfaces file. All of this has now got me to realize that part of my problem is that the usb modem does not create a gateway when it connects. If it's not one thing it is another.
    Last edited by maximus57; July 27th, 2009 at 04:37 PM. Reason: add more info

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Beans
    18
    Distro
    Ubuntu 9.04 Jaunty Jackalope

    Re: Need help changing metric

    You could create routes with the metrics instead. For example. a default route:

    route add default dev wlan0 metric 20

    Not familiar with the particular error message you're getting, maybe a Google search will shed some light on that.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Beans
    38

    Re: Need help changing metric

    The error I was having with the interfaces file was that "-e" in the first line. I couldn't find anything about it in the man interface. A quick search brought up a few references, and everything had "echo" in front of the "-e" being used from the command line. That is what makes me think it is a bug of sorts.

    -e auto lo
    iface lo inet loopback

    Is that how your original interfaces file looks? Most of the references I found online do not have that "-e" in front.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
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    38

    Re: Need help changing metric

    And yes, I am playing around with the route command now to see if it can work some magic.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Beans
    38

    Re: Need help changing metric

    Ok, first off the error with the interfaces file must have been created when I was setting up my wireless card. It is not there on a fresh install.

    Second, I seem to have problems that go deeper than just needing to change any metrics. Anytime I turn the wireless on it kills the EVDO, and turning the wireless back off doesn't get it back. Not to mention that twice now the wireless seemed to turn off and not come back on at all. Thank goodness for Acronis True Image and making backups along the way!

    I will do some more reading, and make new posts when I figure out what I need to ask.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    UK
    Beans
    878
    Distro
    Ubuntu 11.04 Natty Narwhal

    Re: Need help changing metric

    Did you get this resolved? I'd like to use metrics to give my wireless connection a higher priority than my lan connection.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Beans
    38

    Re: Need help changing metric

    No, I never got it working. My solution was to buy a router for my usb aircard.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Riga
    Beans
    5
    Distro
    Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx

    Re: Need help changing metric

    For very simple control of metric i use ifmetric tool:

    apt-get install ifmetric
    ifmetric device 100
    Last edited by Wieshka; October 18th, 2010 at 04:17 PM. Reason: grammar mistakes

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