Connecting to Wi-Fi in Ubuntu via Terminal: A Complete Guide with Commands and Examples

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 configure a network—especially when the graphical interface is unavailable or malfunctioning. Unlike the traditional network icon in the taskbar, the command line gives you full control over connection settings, allows you to diagnose problems, and even connect to hidden networks without any fuss.

This article is suitable for both users Ubuntu 22.04 LTS and newer, as well as those who work with older versions like 18.04 or 20.04We'll cover not only the basic connection commands, but also the nuances of working with drivers and encryption. WPA3, as well as common mistakes like "Device not readyIf you've ever encountered a situation where Wi-Fi suddenly disappeared after a system update or isn't detected at all, you'll find solutions here.

Before moving on to the commands, make sure that your Wi-Fi adapter is physically turned on (on some laptops there is a separate button or key combination for this, for example Fn + F2). Also check if the hardware switch on the device body is blocking the connection.

1. Checking the availability of a Wi-Fi adapter in the system

The first step is to make sure that Ubuntu your Wi-Fi module can be seen at all. To do this, use the command ip a or iwconfig, which displays all network interfaces. In the output, look for a device with a name like wlan0, wlp3s0 or similar (prefix w (indicates a wireless adapter).

If there are no wireless interfaces listed, the problem may be due to missing drivers. In this case, run:

lspci -knn | grep -iA3 net

This command will show all network devices, including Wi-Fi, as well as information about the drivers used (line Kernel driver in use). If the driver is not loaded or is marked as UNCLAIMED, its installation will be required.

⚠️ Note: On some laptops with hybrid adapters (e.g. Intel AX200 + Bluetooth) Wi-Fi may not be detected until the proprietary drivers are installed. For Broadcom-chips often require proprietary software from the repository restricted.

• 🔍 There is no interface wlan*? Check if the adapter is enabled in BIOS/UEFI or disabled in power saving settings.
• 🔌 The adapter is present but inactive? Try to enable it with the command sudo ip link set wlan0 up (replace wlan0 to your interface).
• 🚫 Driver missing? Install it via sudo ubuntu-drivers autoinstall or manually for a specific model.

2. Scanning available networks and obtaining information

If the adapter is recognized by the system, the next step is to scan the air for available networks. This utility is used for this. iwlist or more modern iwThe first one provides a detailed conclusion, the second one is compact and structured.

Run the command:

sudo iwlist wlan0 scan | grep ESSID

This command will display only the network names (ESSID). To see the full information (including channel, signal strength and encryption type), remove the part | grep ESSIDFor the utility iw the syntax will be like this:

sudo iw dev wlan0 scan | less

In the output, please note the following parameters:

• 📡 signal — signal level (the higher the value in dBm, the better).
• 🔒 RSN/WPA — encryption type (for example, WPA2-PSK or WPA3-SAE).
• 📶 channel — network channel (may be useful for manual configuration).

If the scan returns an empty list, try:

1. Restart the adapter: sudo ip link set wlan0 down && sudo ip link set wlan0 up.
2. Make sure there are active networks in the coverage area (check on your phone or other device).
3. Check if scanning is blocked rfkill (see next section).

3. Unlocking the Wi-Fi adapter (if it is disabled by software)

IN Ubuntu The service is responsible for blocking wireless devices rfkillIf the adapter is physically turned on, but the system does not see it or returns the error "Operation not possible due to RF-kill", check the blocking status:

rfkill list

In the output, look for the line with your Wi-Fi adapter. If it says Soft blocked: yes or Hard blocked: yes, unlock your device:

sudo rfkill unblock wifi

⚠️ Attention: Hardware lock (Hard blocked: yes) This means that the adapter is physically disabled—either by a button on the case or in the BIOS. In this case, unlocking it via rfkill won't help.

After unlocking, reboot the adapter:

sudo systemctl restart NetworkManager

If the problem persists, check if there is a conflict NetworkManager with other network services (eg wpa_supplicant (in manual mode). To do this, follow these steps:

sudo systemctl status NetworkManager

The status should not contain errors like “Failed to start» or port conflicts.

4. Connect to an open and secure Wi-Fi network

To connect to the network via the terminal in Ubuntu the utility is used nmcli (part of the package NetworkManager) or wpa_supplicant for manual configuration. We will consider both options, since nmcli easier for beginners, and wpa_supplicant gives more control.

Method 1: Connecting via nmcli

If NetworkManager active (checked by command systemctl is-active NetworkManager), use:

nmcli dev wifi connect "NETWORK_NAME" password "PASSWORD"

Replace NETWORK_NAME And PASSWORD to the current values. For an open network (without a password), skip the parameter password:

nmcli dev wifi connect "FreeWiFi"

To specify a specific interface (if there are several), add the flag ifname:

nmcli dev wifi connect "NETWORK_NAME" password "PASSWORD" ifname wlan0

Method 2: Manual connection via wpa_supplicant

If NetworkManager disabled or not working, configure the connection manually:

1. Create a configuration file for wpa_supplicant:

   sudo nano /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf

2. Add a network configuration block to the file (example for WPA2-PSK):

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

3. Connect to the network:

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

4. Request an IP address from the router:

   sudo dhclient wlan0

For networks with WPA3 replace key_mgmt=WPA-PSK on key_mgmt=SAEIf the network is hidden, add the line scan_ssid=1.

Ping to the router: ping 192.168.1.1|IP address check: ip a show wlan0|Internet access test: ping google.com|View routes: ip route

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5. Connecting to a hidden Wi-Fi network

Hidden Networks (hidden SSID) do not broadcast their name on air, so connecting to them requires an explicit indication SSID and additional parameters. In nmcli the syntax will be like this:

nmcli dev wifi connect "HIDDEN_NETWORK_NAME" password "PASSWORD" hidden yes

For wpa_supplicant add the line to the configuration file scan_ssid=1:

network={
ssid="HIDDEN_NETWORK_NAME"
psk="PASSWORD"
key_mgmt=WPA-PSK
scan_ssid=1
}

If the connection fails, try:

• 🔄 Specify the network channel manually (find it by scanning on another device and add the line channel=6 in the block network).
• 📡 Make sure that the router is actually broadcasting the network in stealth mode (sometimes the problem is on the access point side).
• 🔧 Check if a firewall is blocking the connection (sudo ufw status).

⚠️ Attention: Some routers with "AP Isolation" enabled may block new devices from connecting, even if the password is correct. In this case, temporarily disable this option in the router settings.

6. Troubleshooting common errors

Even if you enter the commands correctly, connecting to Wi-Fi via the terminal can still result in errors. Let's look at the most common ones and how to resolve them.

If there is no internet access after connecting, but the IP address has been received, check:

1. Default routes: ip route (there should be a line with default via).
2. DNS servers: cat /etc/resolv.conf (if empty, add nameserver 8.8.8.8).
3. Firewall: sudo iptables -L (there should be no rules DROP for outgoing traffic).

7. Automatic connection at system boot

To Ubuntu connected to Wi-Fi automatically at startup, it is enough to connect successfully once through nmcli — NetworkManager saves settings in /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/. For manual configuration (for example, if you are using wpa_supplicant) add it to startup:

sudo systemctl enable wpa_supplicant

Then edit the file /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf, adding the line:

ctrl_interface=DIR=/var/run/wpa_supplicant GROUP=netdev
update_config=1

To obtain IP automatically, add to /etc/network/interfaces:

auto wlan0
iface wlan0 inet dhcp
wpa-conf /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf

After this, reboot the system or restart services:

sudo systemctl restart networking wpa_supplicant

8. Additional tips and optimization

If Wi-Fi is unstable (drops, low speed), try the following settings:

• 📶 Change channel: If the router automatically selects a channel, manually set it to a less busy one (for example, 1, 6 or 11 for 2.4 GHz).
• 🔄 Disabling power saving: Some adapters reduce performance to save battery life. Disable these:

  sudo iw dev wlan0 set power_save off

• 🛡️ Updating drivers: For adapters Realtek or Broadcom Install the latest drivers from the repository:

  sudo apt install firmware-realtek

• 🌐 Using 5 GHz: If your adapter supports 802.11ac, connect to a network at a frequency of 5 GHz for higher speed (specified in the router settings).

The following commands are useful for diagnosing problems:

• dmesg | grep -i wifi — kernel logs related to Wi-Fi.
• journalctl -u NetworkManager - magazines NetworkManager.
• iwconfig wlan0 — current adapter status (signal level, transmission errors).

If you frequently connect to different networks, save configuration templates in separate files (for example, /etc/wpa_supplicant/home.conf, work.conf) and switch between them using symbolic links.

FAQ: Frequently asked questions about setting up Wi-Fi in Ubuntu

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

sudo iw dev wlan0 connect "NETWORK_NAME" key 0:PASSWORD