5.8 Frequently Asked Questions
In the following, nd some frequently asked questions about conguring special
network options with NetworkManager.
How to tie a connection to a specic device?
By default, connections in NetworkManager are device type-specic: they apply
to all physical devices with the same type. If more than one physical device per
connection type is available (for example, your machine is equipped with two
ethernet cards), you can tie a connection to a certain device.
To do so in GNOME, rst look up the MAC address of your device (use the Connec-
tion Information available from the applet, or use the output of command line
tools like nm-tool or ifconfig). Then start the dialog for conguring network
connections and choose the connection you want to modify. On the Wired or
Wireless tab, enter the MAC Address of the device and conrm your changes.
If you use KDE, start the dialog for conguring network connections and choose
the connection you want to modify. On the Ethernet or Wireless tab, use the Re-
strict to Interface option to select the network interface to which to tie the con-
nection.
How to specify a certain access point in case multiple access points with the same
ESSID are detected?
When multiple access points with dierent wireless bands (a/b/g/n) are available,
the access point with the strongest signal is automatically chosen by default. To
override this, use the BSSID eld when conguring wireless connections.
The Basic Service Set Identier (BSSID) uniquely identies each Basic Service
Set. In an infrastructure Basic Service Set, the BSSID is the MAC address of the
wireless access point. In an independent (ad-hoc) Basic Service Set, the BSSID is
a locally administered MAC address generated from a 46-bit random number.
Start the dialog for conguring network connections from the GNOME Control
Center with System > Network Congurations or in KDE 4 from the Personal
Settings with Network Settings. Choose the wireless connection you want to
modify and click Edit. On the Wireless tab, enter the BSSID.
How to share network connections to other computers?
The primary device (the device which is connected to the Internet) does not need
any special conguration. However, you need to congure the device that is
connected to the local hub or machine as follows:
1. Start the dialog for conguring network connections from the GNOME Control
Center with System > Network Connections or in KDE 4 from the Personal
Settings with Advanced > Network Settings. Choose the connection you want
to modify and click Edit. If you are using GNOME, switch to the IPv4 Settings
tab and from the Method drop-down list, choose Shared to other computers. If
you are using KDE, switch to the IP Address tab and from the Congure drop-
Using NetworkManager 67
