Network manager & dialup

[LindseyD.]

New to Mint & KDE 4, so this is the first time I've seen the network manager applet in the system tray.

Although my only internet connection is dialup, I have 2 computers "networked" with a crossover cable & use static IP addresses on both boxes so I can transfer files from one to the other (The other is basically a backup drive in a really big enclosure.)

Currently I activate the ethernet card with sudo ifconfig eth0 up, but it would be very handy to do it through the applet. Is it possible? Could someone point me to some instructions? I went to the Gnomelive site about Network Manger configuration, but it wasn't helpful.

Thanks.

[feed3]

If i'm not mistaken, you are asking on how to activate a certain net interface thru nmapplet isnt it? Try left click on it, you will get an option of available interface to be activated (wired,mobile broadband etc) while left clicking on it, you are presented with an option to view your active connections info, to edit connection, to enable/disable connection etc. hope this help.. If it isn't, sorry.. and happy MINTing..

[LindseyD.]

Thanks for the reply.

If i'm not mistaken, you are asking on how to activate a certain net interface thru nmapplet isnt it?

Yes.

Try left click on it, ... you are presented with an option to view your active connections info

All I see is Wired network. Presumably they mean my modem?

If I right click for connection information I get:
Error displaying connection information:
No valid active connections found! even though I'm online!

I have to confess, I have no idea what to fill in in the Edit Connections box.

[feed3]

I had to confess, those thing started to confusing me now especially when considering the fact that i am considerably new to linux and not that good in networking technically. So, until some mint/linux guru come here and explain on it to both of us, lets see if we can learn something new here..

I'm a bit confuse as you want to activating eth0 from nmapplet for your dial-up internet or for your LAN?

Although my only internet connection is dialup, I have 2 computers "networked" with a crossover cable & use static IP addresses on both boxes so I can transfer files from one to the other (The other is basically a backup drive in a really big enclosure.)
Currently I activate the ethernet card with sudo ifconfig eth0 up,

And i am not so sure if we can activating and connecting to two different connection (your internet dial up and your LAN) at the same time.

If you set the wired "auto eth0" to start automatically in nmapplet, (nmapplet in the systray->right click on it->edit connections->auto eth0->edit->check the box for "connect automatically) is it connected automatically or you still have to use sudo ifconfig eth0 up? (unplug your crossover cable and plug it back if nothing happen after you edit it or simply log out and log in back)

[LindseyD.]

I had to confess, those thing started to confusing me now especially when considering the fact that i am considerably new to linux and not that good in networking technically.

Not terribly new to Linux (5 years) but I consider myself a beginner--especially with networking!

I'm a bit confuse as you want to activating eth0 from nmapplet for your dial-up internet or for your LAN?

Sorry I wasn't clear. 95% of the time, I use my dialup modem. But if I want to back something up, I have to type
sudo ifconfig eth0 up in Konsole (terminal emulator), and that brings up the ethernet card. Then the 2 boxes are connected and I ftp files to the other machine.

Then, when I want to go online, I type sudo ifconfig eth0 down in Konsole to take down the ethernet card.

And my password each time. It's fiddly.

Sometimes I forget to take down the ethernet card, and the modem dials and handshakes, but I can't go anywhere--I think it's trying to go through the ethernet card, instead of my ISP. So it would be nice if I could put the ethernet card up and down with a mouse click, and know just by looking at the icon if it's up or down.

I don't know if it's possible, though.

And i am not so sure if we can activating and connecting to two different connection (your internet dial up and your LAN) at the same time.

If I'm using the modem, I can bring up the ethernet card, but I have no reason to. But if the ethernet card is up, I can't connect to my ISP, which is what I want to do 95% of the time.

If you set the wired "auto eth0" to start automatically in nmapplet

I tried that, and it wasn't happy. I have to use a static IP address in order to connect the 2 computers, and I don't know how to configure nmapplet to do that. In fact, I haven't a clue what the options mean--except for Auto DHCP, which I don't have.

But:
Manual
Linked local only
Shared to other computers
all sound like the same thing to me.

[feed3]

I tried that, and it wasn't happy. I have to use a static IP address in order to connect the 2 computers, and I don't know how to configure nmapplet to do that. In fact, I haven't a clue what the options mean--except for Auto DHCP, which I don't have.

But:
Manual
Linked local only
Shared to other computers
all sound like the same thing to me.

You can try experimenting with the "manual" and "linked local only". I wish i can help you more but i can't, sorry. i dont even have another computer to test it out for you.. Maybe you can create a script file to executing the command so that it would be a matter of mouse clicking,no need for you to run the commands through konsole anymore. Wish you best luck.. cheers..

[LindseyD.]

You can try experimenting with the "manual" and "linked local only".

I suppose I could. Thing is, trying out something else I totally hosed my internet connection, and had to reinstall. So I'm reluctant to try anything without knowing more about it.

I wish i can help you more but i can't, sorry.

Oh, hey! I appreciate the response--even if all it does is bump the thread.

[Mik3e]

The original question, as I understand it, was how to implement 'sudo ifconfig eth0 up' with an applet, for the convenience of it. I believe you can run commands with a link, which would accomplish what you want.

My question is how to get the crossover connection to work in the first place.

[LindseyD.]

The original question, as I understand it, was how to implement 'sudo ifconfig eth0 up' with an applet, for the convenience of it.

Yes, exactly.

I believe you can run commands with a link, which would accomplish what you want.

Do you mean a script? The reason I wanted the network applet is, if the ethernet card is up, the dialup modem can't access the 'net. What happens is, the modem dials, I hear the handshake, and it's only when I can't go anywhere on the 'net that I remember the ethernet card is up. I'm assuming there'd be an icon in the system tray if I use the network manager, which may preclude some frustration.

My question is how to get the crossover connection to work in the first place.

That part was easy in the old days of KDE 3.5:

1. Assign a static IP address to each card in each computer (different addresses). Also
netmask 255.255.255.0
hostname=whatever your computer's called.

2. Install ProFtpd on the box you want to use as the server--or on both boxes, it's not a huge program.

3. Plug the in cable.

4. sudo ifconfig eth0 up

5. Use Konqueror to connect. ftp://IP Address of server box.

I still haven't figured out how to do this on the new computer using KDE4, though. But if I've given you any ideas, please share them. Maybe we can work this out together.

[Mik3e]

I didn't mean a script file. When I right-click on the desktop one of the choices in the pop-up is 'create launcher'. That dialog box has a control to enter a command. That's what I was talking about.

[LindseyD.]

I didn't mean a script file. When I right-click on the desktop one of the choices in the pop-up is 'create launcher'. That dialog box has a control to enter a command. That's what I was talking about.

The light is slowly dawning. Thanks for this. I haven't done much exploring of desktop possibilities, probably because I can never see mine--too covered in applications

I shall pursue this.

[feed3]

That part was easy in the old days of KDE 3.5:

1. Assign a static IP address to each card in each computer (different addresses). Also
netmask 255.255.255.0
hostname=whatever your computer's called.

2. Install ProFtpd on the box you want to use as the server--or on both boxes, it's not a huge program.

3. Plug the in cable.

4. sudo ifconfig eth0 up

5. Use Konqueror to connect. ftp://IP Address of server box.

I still haven't figured out how to do this on the new computer using KDE4, though. But if I've given you any ideas, please share them. Maybe we can work this out together.

I only have one machine so cant test for you but you might want to try that steps with some modification in kde 4. you might want to try this apps; http://kasablanca.berlios.de/

in kde network manager, add one new connection and set the static ip for it, i believe once done, you can see newly added when you click on the net applet. clicking on it will activate that connection.

[LindseyD.]

I only have one machine so cant test for you but you might want to try that steps with some modification in kde 4. you might want to try this apps; http://kasablanca.berlios.de/

That website says "Kasablanca is an ftp client..." I don't know about Gnome, but KDE has an FTP client built in, which works seamlessly with Konqueror. It's the Knetworkmanager app that's confusing me

Setting up the static was fairly easy, although I haven't tested it yet. But I did some googling, and knetworkmanager is supposed to have an option for setting up dialup accounts. It doesn't. So using it to switch from dialup to the ethernet card can't work.

Thanks for the graphic. It gives me hope I may find one that shows me where the dialup connection setting is supposed to be

[feed3]

...It's the Knetworkmanager app that's confusing me ... I may find one that shows me where the dialup connection setting is supposed to be

which i strongly believe is looks like this;

1.jpg

[LindseyD.]

...It's the Knetworkmanager app that's confusing me ... I may find one that shows me where the dialup connection setting is supposed to be

which i strongly believe is looks like this;

Wow! It never occurred to me to look under DSL for a dialup connection. I see the PPP option, but it isn't at all what I expected.

One of the sites I found :http://www.mpipks-dresden.mpg.de/~muell ... et.nm.html

says:

To access dial-up connections, choose Dial-Up Connections. When dial-up connections have already been defined, start the connection by clicking the connection to use. Configure Dial-Up Connections opens YaST where you can define a new dial-up connection.

And other sites refer to there being a Dial-Up Connections tab or button (they never say which). I'll assume my dialup connection has already been defined, otherwise how could I be connecting? But there's no Configure Dial-Up Connections option to verify. I once hosed my dialup connection so badly I had to reinstall, and am reluctant to do that again. feed3, thanks for trying to help, but I think I'd better stick to what I understand