How to connect to wireless network via terminal?

**tranduyhung** · December 28th, 2010

Hi!

I wonder how we can to connect a wireless network via terminal if we use a minimal *buntu in command line, without network manager. I've found some old threads in ubuntuforums but I still can't figure out.

Would you please explain to me?

Thank you

.

Best regards,
Hung

**spiky001** · December 28th, 2010

Hi to start you can scan from Terminal with the command

Code:

sudo iwlist wlan0 scan

Then try

Code:

iwconfig wlan0 essid NETWORK_ID key s:WIRELESS_KEY

Where NETWORK_ID is name of network, And WIRELESS_KEY is the key. Then

Code:

sudo dhclient wlan0

Wlan0 is your wireless device

**kevdog** · December 28th, 2010

I wrote a tutorial on this a ways back -- yes it is old if using computer standards, however the information contained in it still works and is truly a low level way of connecting that shouldn't change unless the wireless tools package is dropped from the linux kernel (which would be rather an outstanding event!!)

**tranduyhung** · January 4th, 2011

When I tried "iwconfig wlan0 essid network_name key s:network_password", I got this error:
Error for wireless request "Set ESSID" (8B1A) :
SET failed on device wlan0 ; Operation not permitted.

And then I used sudo, but there was something wrong:
$ sudo iwconfig wlan0 essid network_name key s:network_password
Error for wireless request "Set Encode" (8B2A) :
SET failed on device wlan0 ; Invalid argument.

What did I do wrong? How could I fix?

Thank you!

**tranduyhung** · January 7th, 2011

Help please

.

**aflyingturtle** · January 23rd, 2011

Don't suppose you ever figured it out? I'm trying to figure it out too.

**dennis1200** · June 16th, 2011

I've gotten that error as well, but only when trying to pass hexadecimal keys with the s: prefix. You may not need the s: prefix at all. It may also be related to trying to enter a WPA/WPA2 passphrase, which is described here:
http://www.cyberciti.biz/tips/howto-...iguration.html, which suggests using iwpriv as well (not familiar with it).

**tliimfee** · April 24th, 2013

Hey,

I don't know if it's still relevant but I was having the same problem and read in the manual that with iwconfig(8) ""Passphrase is currently not supported.", which was why I was getting the error.

This tread shows you have to connect via terminal with a passphrase:
http://askubuntu.com/questions/16584...ly-in-terminal