Laptop won't connect with router...again!
 

I thought I had solved this problem a month ago, but apparently not. My laptop has Xubuntu installed and it works fine when working from a hotspot facility such as Starbucks,etc. But at home, it usually works and then one morning--like today--I'll attempt to log on and the computer won't locate the router. This is what seems to be the problem: when I boot up the computer and enter my password to get to the desktop, the wireless symbol at the top will not come on. There are two arrows that spin in a circle as the laptop tries to find the router. Finally, a box will come up designating a failure to authenticate the router. A space is there to supply the encryption word but there is already one in place. That word is an old encryption word. The one I've used for years isn't recognized. If I delete
the old word and type in my current word, the computer doesn't recognize it. It goes back to the old one. I guess my question is, How do I get rid of that old encryption word that seems to keep wanting to assert itself and reinstate the present word which is the one that will connect with the router. There is some problem between the laptop and my router. Thank you in advance.

I should add here that this has happened before and I have posted about it on this website. The problem is, it's happening more often now, but I think I've identified the problem: the laptop is trying to connect via an old encryption code and even if I change it in the authentication box, it still wants to revert to the older password. Somehow I have to get deeper into the system to remove that persistent password so that the laptop recognizes the one I am now using. And, once again, it HAS recognized it and very nicely. Just sometimes it doesn't seem to want to "talk" to the router.

I would look at two things:



1. see if you can delete the wireless network profile from the network-manager interface, and then make a new one with our current password.

2. see if there is any configuration information in /etc/network/interfaces.

Thank you for that. Okay, my question then is how do I delete the wireless network profile from the network manager and then use my current password? I know how to get into the "Network Connections" box, but what do I need to do there to delete my existing wireless network profile? Thank you.

When I go to type in my password in "Authenticate Password" the "connect" switch is grayed out. Only when the incorrect password is in the box will the "connect" switch become active. So that's the problem: How do I delete that false word and replace it with the correct one?

On my install:

1. right click on networkmanager icon in system tray.

2. select "Edit Connections:

3. Click "Wireless" Tab.

4. You should see any saved wireless network profiles on this tab. select one and edit.


If that doesn't work, we need to take a look at your /etc/network/interfaces file, assuming there is one.

I tried that; it still doesn't work. When you say "edit," what precisely should I do? (Just to make sure I'm actually deleting and then reinstalling the rightful authentication.)

Well, in my network manager, I got a big friendly button on the wireless network tab called "edit". I also had a list of all the wireless networks that I routinely visit. I selected a network, clicked edit, and I was able to change the stored password for my wireless network.

If you can't do this on your system, then maybe you have something else going on.

All right...I did precisely that and found the wireless networks I visit. But when I click "edit" I see no space there for the stored password. Where do you see that?

I'm not at that machine at the moment, but I believe it was on the wireless security tab.

***edit*** just booted up the macine with network manager on it, and yes, once you click "edit" you should get a property sheet with a bunch of tabs, the last of which is wireless security.

I checked carefully in the "Network Connection" box: the name of my network is fine, the security word is fine, so I can't figure out why the router does not recognize the computer?

If you could post the contents of your /etc/network/interfaces file it may shed some light (if you have one anyway).

Whoa! Here's one for you: I'm online with my laptop! Don't ask me what I did to accomplish this; I doubt that it's anything stable. If I go offline I've no idea whether I can get back on. I typed in /etc/network/interfaces on a terminal
and received the message "Permission denied," so I doubt that tells you much. Anyway, this makes things even weirder, as far as I'm concerned, because this happened out of nowhere. The only thing I did was shut the lid to the laptop with the power still on. I had to run a few errands so when I got home, I just opened the lid, inserted my "unlock" password, and--voila!--I was online. Does this indicate anything??? Am I dealing with a bug here in Xubuntu?

don't know about a bug, but it is strange...

to post the contents of the interfaces file, open it up in text editor. You will have to be root to open the file.

so if you had mousepad as your text editor, you could run:

sudo mousepad /etc/network/interfaces

just don't make any changes to it!

How do I determine what is my text editor? Thanks for your help!