How to Connect to Wi-Fi Using the Terminal in Ubuntu: A Complete Guide

Connecting to Wi-Fi via a terminal in Ubuntu It may seem like a daunting task for beginners, but in practice, it's one of the most reliable ways to manage network connections. The graphical interface NetworkManager It sometimes crashes, especially when working with non-standard router configurations or after system updates. The terminal, however, allows for flexible connection configuration, troubleshooting, and even automation through scripts.

In this article you will find step-by-step instructions Connecting to Wi-Fi via the command line, including scanning available networks, saving passwords, managing profiles, and troubleshooting common errors. We'll cover standard tools like nmcli And nmtui, as well as low-level utilities like wpa_supplicant For experienced users. If you've ever encountered connection issues after a sleep or reboot, or simply want to understand how Linux networking works at a deeper level, this guide is for you.

Before you begin, make sure your Wi-Fi adapter is recognized by the systemTo do this, enter the command lspci | grep -i network (for PCI devices) or lsusb (for USB adapters). If the adapter isn't detected, you may need to install drivers—we'll also briefly cover this topic.

1. Checking the network adapter and drivers

Before connecting to Wi-Fi, you need to make sure that your network adapter correctly determined by the system and drivers are installed for it. Ubuntu Most modern adapters are supported out of the box, but some models (especially from Broadcom or Realtek) may require additional action.

To check if the adapter is present, run:

lspci -knn | grep -iA3 net

For USB adapters use:

lsusb

If in the output you see a line with Network controller, but it is indicated nearby Kernel driver in use: none, this means that the driver is not loaded. In this case:

• 🔧 Install proprietary drivers via Additional drivers (software-properties-gtk) or manually:
• 📦 For Broadcom: sudo apt install firmware-b43-installer
• 🔄 For Realtek (e.g. RTL8821CE): Clone the repository from GitHub and compile the driver.

⚠️ Attention: If the adapter is no longer detected after installing the drivers, try rolling back the changes or using an older kernel version. Some drivers conflict with the latest updates. Ubuntu.

After installing the drivers, reboot the system or manually load the kernel module:

sudo modprobe -r {module_name} && sudo modprobe {module_name}

2. Scanning available Wi-Fi networks

To see a list of available networks, you can use several tools. The easiest way is the utility nmcli (Part NetworkManager), which provides a convenient interface for managing connections.

Run the command to scan:

nmcli device wifi list

If NetworkManager disabled, activate it:

sudo systemctl start NetworkManager
sudo systemctl enable NetworkManager

An alternative method is to use iwlist (outdated, but works on all distributions):

sudo iwlist wlan0 scan | grep ESSID

Here wlan0 — the name of your Wi-Fi interface. You can find it using the command ip a or iwconfig.

⚠️ Attention: If the team nmcli device wifi list returns an empty list, check if Wi-Fi is blocked by a hardware switch (on some laptops) or software via rfkillYou can unlock it with the command sudo rfkill unblock wifi.

3. Connecting to Wi-Fi via nmcli

Utility nmcli — the easiest way to connect to Wi-Fi from a terminal. It allows you to save passwords, manage profiles, and even set up static IP addresses. Let's look at a basic scenario for connecting to a network with a password.

Step 1. Connect to the network (the password will be saved in NetworkManager):

nmcli device wifi connect "NETWORK_NAME" password "PASSWORD"

Step 2. If the network is hidden (does not broadcast SSID), add the flag hidden yes:

nmcli device wifi connect "NETWORK_NAME" password "PASSWORD" hidden yes

Step 3. To connect to a network without saving a password (one-time connection), use:

nmcli connection add type wifi con-name"TempWiFi" ifname wlan0 ssid"NETWORK_NAME"
nmcli connection modify TempWiFi wifi-sec.key-mgmt wpa-psk
nmcli connection modify TempWiFi wifi-sec.psk"PASSWORD"
nmcli connection up TempWiFi

To manage existing connections:

• 📋 View all saved networks: nmcli connection show
• 🔄 Reconnect to the network: nmcli connection up"CONNECTION_NAME"
• 🗑️ Delete a saved network: nmcli connection delete"CONNECTION_NAME"

Ping to the router (ping 192.168.1.1)

Ping to Google DNS (ping 8.8.8.8)

DNS Check (nslookup ubuntu.com)

Speed ​​test (speedtest-cli)

-->

4. Connecting via wpa_supplicant (for advanced users)

If NetworkManager is not available or you prefer manual configuration, you can use wpa_supplicant — a low-level utility for managing Wi-Fi connections. This method requires superuser privileges and basic knowledge of working with configuration files.

Step 1. Edit the configuration file:

sudo nano /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf

Add a block for your network (example for WPA2-PSK):

network={
ssid="NETWORK_NAME"
psk="PASSWORD"
key_mgmt=WPA-PSK
}

Step 2. Connect to the network:

sudo wpa_supplicant -B -i wlan0 -c /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf
sudo dhclient wlan0

Here dhclient Requests an IP address from the router. If you need to specify a static IP, use ifconfig or ip addr.

Step 3. To automatically connect on boot, add wpa_supplicant to startup:

sudo systemctl enable wpa_supplicant

⚠️ Attention: File wpa_supplicant.conf contains cleartext passwords. Make sure the file's permissions are restricted: sudo chmod 600 /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.confOtherwise, any user of the system will be able to see your network passwords.

5. Eliminating typical errors

Even if you enter the commands correctly, connecting to Wi-Fi via the terminal may still result in errors. Let's look at the most common issues and their solutions.

Error: "Device not managed" or "unmanaged"

This means that NetworkManager does not control your Wi-Fi interface. Solution:

sudo nmcli device set wlan0 managed yes
sudo systemctl restart NetworkManager

Error: "Activation of network connection failed"

Most often caused by an incorrect password or incompatible encryption type. Check:

• 🔐 The password is correct (enter it in quotation marks if it contains special characters).
• 📡 Network security type (e.g. WPA2-PSK vs WPA3).
• 🔄 Reboot your router (this sometimes helps clear temporary blocks).

Error: "No secrets were provided"

This means that wpa_supplicant or nmcli Didn't receive your password? Make sure:

• 🔑 The password is transmitted in the correct format (for example, for nmcli use the flag password).
• 📄 Configuration file wpa_supplicant.conf edited without syntax errors.

6. Automating connections via scripts

If you frequently connect to the same network, you can automate the process with a bash script. This is especially convenient for servers or systems without a graphical interface.

Example script for connecting via nmcli:

#!/bin/bash
SSID="MyWiFi"
PASSWORD="mysecurepassword"

Let's check if we're already connected.
if nmcli connection show --active | grep -q"$SSID"; then
echo "Already connected to $SSID"
exit 0
fi

Let's connect
nmcli device wifi connect"$SSID" password"$PASSWORD"

We check the result
if ip a show wlan0 | grep -q"inet"; then
echo "Successfully connected to $SSID"
echo "IP address: $(ip a show wlan0 | grep"inet" | awk'{print $2}')"
else
echo "Connection error"
exit 1
fi

Save the script to a file (eg. connect_wifi.sh), make it executable and run it when needed:

chmod +x connect_wifi.sh
./connect_wifi.sh

To automatically run on boot, add the script to crontab:

crontab -e

Add the line:

@reboot /path/to/script/connect_wifi.sh

Important: Storing cleartext passwords in a script is not secure. For production systems, use wpa_supplicant with encrypted configuration files or tools like pass to manage passwords.

7. Alternative tools: nmtui and iwd

Besides nmcli And wpa_supplicant, V Ubuntu Other Wi-Fi management tools are available.

nmtui (Text User Interface for NetworkManager)

It is a text-based interface, convenient for users who don't want to remember commands. nmcliRun it with the command:

nmtui

In the menu, select Activate a connection, then find your network and enter the password.

iwd (Intel Wireless Daemon)

A lightweight Wi-Fi management daemon developed by IntelIt consumes fewer resources than wpa_supplicant, and supports modern standards such as WPA3. Install it:

sudo apt install iwd

Turn it off wpa_supplicant and activate iwd:

sudo systemctl disable wpa_supplicant
sudo systemctl enable iwd
sudo systemctl start iwd

Connection via iwd:

sudo iwctl
station wlan0 scan
station wlan0 get-networks
station wlan0 connect"NETWORK_NAME"

Comparison of tools:

8. Security: How to protect your connection

Connecting to Wi-Fi via a terminal requires special attention to security, as passwords can be stored in cleartext in configuration files. Here are some recommendations:

1. Encryption of configuration files

If you use wpa_supplicant, encrypt the file with passwords:

gpg -c /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf

This will create an encrypted copy that can only be decrypted using your GPG key.

2. Restricting access rights

Make sure that configuration files are accessible only to root:

sudo chmod 600 /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf
sudo chown root:root /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf

3. Using a VPN

If you connect to public networks, always use a VPN to encrypt your traffic. Install OpenVPN or WireGuard:

sudo apt install openvpn
sudo openvpn --config client.ovpn

4. Disabling unnecessary networks

Regularly clear your list of saved networks to avoid automatically connecting to unsafe access points:

nmcli connection delete "UNNECESSARY_NETWORK"

Additional measures:

• 🔒 Use complex passwords (at least 12 characters with letters, numbers, and special characters).
• 🛡️ Turn it off WPS on the router - this protocol is vulnerable to brute-force attacks.
• 🔄 Update your router firmware and packages regularly NetworkManager/wpa_supplicant.

⚠️ Attention: Never connect to networks with suspicious names (eg. Free_WiFi or Starbucks_Free) without additional protection. Attackers often create fake access points to intercept traffic.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions

nmcli device wifi connect"NETWORK_NAME" --ask

network={
ssid="NETWORK_NAME"
key_mgmt=NONE
}

nmcli connection add type wifi con-name"EnterpriseWiFi" ifname wlan0 ssid"NETWORK_NAME"
nmcli connection modify EnterpriseWiFi wifi-sec.key-mgmt wpa-eap
nmcli connection modify EnterpriseWiFi 802-1x.eap peap
nmcli connection modify EnterpriseWiFi 802-1x.phase2-auth mschapv2
nmcli connection modify EnterpriseWiFi 802-1x.identity"YOUR_LOGIN"
nmcli connection modify EnterpriseWiFi 802-1x.password"YOUR_PASSWORD"
nmcli connection up EnterpriseWiFi