NetworkManager to reconnect silently

[Misha Shnurapet]

19.05.2011, 21:12, "n2xssvv.g02gfr12930" <n2xssvv.g02gfr12930 at ntlworld.com>:
> On 19/05/11 09:55, Misha Shnurapet wrote:
>
>>  Hi.
>>
>>  I asked this question in NetworkManager mailing list, but everyone there seems to be busy, so I decided to ask here.
>>
>>  I run torrents on my notebook. On an electricity outage NetworkManager starts asking for a new password, so when I'm not around and the light goes back on (powering up the WLAN router), it just stands stalled with the dialog open.
>>
>>  Is there a way to tell NM not to ask for a new password ever? Because I use a 63-symbol passphrase once set up on all the (two) machines so to forget about it.
>>
>>  Thanks!
>>
>>  NetworkManager-gnome-0.8.4-1.fc14.x86_64
>>
>>  --
>>  Best regards,
>>  Misha Shnurapet, Fedora Project Contributor
>>  https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Shnurapet
>>  shnurapet AT fedoraproject.org, GPG: 00217306
>
>   As far as i can tell there is no easy, if any, solution that would not
> breach the security of your 63-symbol pass phrase. In my experience
> using knetworkmanager a password is required for each secure Wireless
> connection  and for security these are stored in a secure encrypted
> area, (kwallet in my case), which needs just a single password for
> access. Hence a password is always required for wireless access to
> reconnect after a power out.
>   This is not required for wired connections, so unless you can use some
> wired connection that restarts on power up to do the torrent downloads,
> you have little choice, without breaching the security provided by your
> pass phrase, but to accept the problem.
>   From what I can gather you use long random pass phrases for any
> external available access which I heartily recommend. Nearly all
> security breaches are made because it's easy to guess pass phrases that
> relate to the person who created it.
>
> Regards
>
> cpp4ever

Many thanks for your answer. However, the nm-applet in GNOME does *not* require you to enter passphrase *each* time you establish the connection you've *once configured*. And this behavior is absolutely correct. Also, makes it feel like with a wired connection.

What is not absolutely correct is that, when it can't get response from the router, it starts thinking the passphrase has changed (which is wrong because the router is simply off). As soon as power is back on, the AP is back online with the same settings and the same passphrase (how mean of a manufacturer would it be not to implement this). But the client device stands idle  waiting for a passphrase.

I tested a couple of possible scenarios lately. NetworkManager reconnects nicely on outages that last no more than ~1 minute. Beyond that, it starts asking the question. 

-- 
Best regards,
Misha Shnurapet, Fedora Project Contributor
https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Shnurapet
shnurapet AT fedoraproject.org, GPG: 00217306