Wireless tools for Linux: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Deprecated WiFi utilities for Linux}}

{{Infobox Softwaresoftware

| name = Wireless Tools

| logo =

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| genre = Network utilities

| license = [[GNU General Public License|GNU GPL]]

| website = [httphttps://wwwhewlettpackard.hplgithub.hp.comio/personal/Jean_Tourrilhes/Linuxwireless-tools/Tools.html LinuxWireless Tools for Linux]

}}

'''Wireless tools for Linux''' is a collection of user-space utilities written for [[Linux kernel]]-based operating systems to support and facilitate the configuration of device drivers of [[wireless network interface controller]]s and some related aspects of networking using the Linux Wireless Extension. The Wireless tools for Linux and Linux Wireless Extension are maintained by Jean Tourrilhes<ref>[http://www.hpl.hp.com/personal/Jean_Tourrilhes/Linux/Tools.html Wireless Tools for Linux]</ref> and sponsored by [[Hewlett-Packard]].

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== Frontends ==

Due to the relative complexity of requiring several separate commands for one task (e.g. iwlist and iwconfig to find and sync with a wireless access point), some<ref>[[Linux Journal]] Marcel Gagne's ''Cooking With Linux'' 2005-07-28 edition, http://www.linuxjournal.com/node/8355/print</ref> recommend using frontends provided by [[GNOME]] and [[KDE]], or an application called NetGo, to manipulate these settings.

== Alternatives ==

The Linux kernel authors consider wireless tools package deprecated;<ref>[[Arch Linux]] wiki, https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Wireless_network_configuration#Manual_setup</ref> the alternative being the more recent <code>iw</code> utility.<ref>iw utility homepage, https://wireless.wiki.kernel.org/en/users/documentation/iw</ref><ref>Replacing iwconfig with iw, https://wireless.wiki.kernel.org/en/users/documentation/iw/replace-iwconfig</ref> Especially the <code>iw dev wlan0 scan</code> output provides many additional details over the <code>iwlist scan</code> output.<ref>Xmodulo tutorial, http://xmodulo.com/manage-wifi-connection-command-line.html</ref>

== Package tools ==

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By default, interface names are dynamic, and each [[network card|network adapter]] is assigned the first available name (eth0, eth1...) while the order network interfaces are created may vary. Now ifrename allows the user to decide what name a network interface will have. It can use a variety of selectors to match interface names to the network interfaces on the system, the most common selector is the interface [[MAC address]].

ifrename must be run before interfaces are brought up, which is why it's mostly useful in various scripts ([[init]], [[hotplug]]®<ref name="Hot plug">{{cite web|url=http://tmsearch.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&state=4804:rmoy4x.2.8|publisher=Invented in the late 1980s by [[Hal Prewitt]], founder of [[Core International|Core]]|title=HotPlug® is a trademark of Core International registered under "Computer & Software Products & Electrical & Scientific Products" |website=www.uspto.gov|accessdate=2016-11-18}}</ref>) but is seldom used directly by the user. By default it renames all present system interfaces using mappings defined in <code>/etc/iftab</code>.

=== iwconfig ===

iwconfig is used to display and change the parameters of the network interface which are specific to the wireless operation (e.g. interface name, [[frequency]], [[Service set identifier|SSID]]). It may also be used to display the wireless statistics (extracted from <code>/proc/net/wireless</code>).

In the free [[Berkeley Software Distribution]] [[UNIX]] operating systems, the role of iwconfig is performed by an expanded [[ifconfig]] command.

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$ iwconfig eth1

eth1 IEEE 802.11g ESSID:"OSU_PUB"

Mode:Managed Frequency:2.427 GHz Access Point: 00:0D:9D:C6:38:2D

Bit Rate=48 Mb/s Tx-Power=20 dBm Sensitivity=8/0

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Cell 01 - Address: 00:12:17:46:E6:AF

ESSID:"prettyflyforawifi§"

[[Protocol (computing)|Protocol]]:IEEE 802.11bg

Mode:Master

Channel:1

Encryption key:off

[[bit rate|Bit Rate]]:1 Mb/s

Bit Rate:2 Mb/s

Bit Rate:5.5 Mb/s

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=== wpa_supplicant/hostapd ===

<code>wpa_supplicant</code> and <code>hostapd</code> come as a pair of complementary client and host for wireless access points.

That is hostapd allows us to create access points from the command line, which allows one to share one's internet connection wirelessly, while wpa_supplicant allows us to scan and to connect to access points as a client in order to get onto the Internet.

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** {{man|8|iwpriv|die.net}}

** {{man|8|iwspy|die.net}}

** {{man|8|iw|die.net}}

== References ==

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[[Category:Internet Protocol based network software]]

[[Category:Routing]]

[[Category:Linux-only free software]]