network-manager-gnome needs a "default network" checkbox

[Lee.Tambiah]

Binary package hint: network-manager-gnome

Feature Request

The network-manager automatically connects to open wireless networks before any WEP/WPA protected wireless networks. Network-manager-gnome needs a "checkbox" on the interface so a default network can be selected and network-manager will always connect to your chosen wireless network every time.

[Sika (sikamikaniboots)]

I confirm. This is really annoying to change the network at every startup.

[Alexander Sack (asac)]

this is a wishlist bug. Lets review it after network-manager 0.7 is out.

[Carl (carllivitt)]

Does that mean it won't be considered until after the 0.7 release? This is at best annoying and has pretty dire consequences: for example, if I don't realize that my laptop has connected to my neighbour's wireless I could use it all day long, technically committing a crime by connecting to another person's computer network without permission! I have to remember to switch from my neighbour's unencrypted wlan to my own WPA2 encrypted wlan, if I don't then I am breaking the law.

Please reconsider the 'wishlist' status of this, it really is a serious bug.

[Sika (sikamikaniboots)]

You can disable a wireless network using this command (replace <ESSID> by the essid you don't want to connect to):

gconftool-2 --recursive-unset /system/networking/wireless/networks/<ESSID>

With this, network manager won't try to connect to it unless you tell it to do so.
It works fine for me though it is not really user friendly. An option in network manager would be really better.

[Ricky Reveen (rickyreveen)]

I'd like to see this added/changed sooner rather than later as well.

Thanks.

[Vladimir Makarov (vlad-umn)]

Yeah, this is definitely an annoying problem. It seems like it would be an easy thing to fix too. I'd be very pleased to see it fixed in the next version.

[Alexander Jones (alex-weej)]

Can anyone verify if this affects Hardy?

I am using Hardy, and there are exactly two networks in range, one of which is mine, and WEP secured (I know, I know), the other is a neighbour's and is insecure. I have never had my system connect to anything other than my network here.

[muszek (muszek)]

It's been happening to hardy. I used a workaround posted by Sika above ( https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/network-manager/+bug/102555/comments/4 )

[Alexander Jones (alex-weej)]

In Hardy, run nm-editor for a utility to manage wireless networks NM
uses. The only networks listed should be the ones you use.

[Motin (motin)]

Thanks about the tip nm-editor tip - that really helped me.

However, it would be great if there was an option not only to choose a preferred network, but instead include weighting of the networks - preferably in the order they are listed in nm-editor.

If no-one objects, I'd like to mark this report as a duplicate of Bug #112789: "network manager should have weighting" , so that we can focus on that report, since such a feature also would include the feature suggested here.

[Motin (motin)]

Found an even earlier bug #46123 which addresses the same issue. Marked as duplicate.