1. Left-click the NetworkManager icon to show a list with available Interfaces on the left-hand side and Connections on the right-hand side. The connections currently being used are shown in bold in the Connections list.

2. For detailed information and statistics for an interface, click the respective Networking Interface entry on the left-hand side of the plasmoid. Switch back to the interface overview by clicking the blue arrow icon.

3. To disconnect an active connection, click the red icon next to the respective Networking Interface entry.

4. If you want to use a different configuration with the wired network, click Manage Connections and add another wired connection as described in Procédure 25.1, « Adding or Editing Connections ». Click the NetworkManager icon and select the newly configured connection to activate it.

5. To switch off all network connections, both wired and wireless, click the NetworkManager icon and uncheck Enable Networking.

Procédure 25.2. Connecting to a Wireless Network

1. Click Show More to display all visible wireless networks available.

2. Left-click on the network of your choice to open the network connection dialog. To connect to a network that does not broadcast its service set identifier (SSID or ESSID), click hidden network. Fill in the connection details and press Entrée.

3. Based on your security settings for NetworkManager (see Section 25.7.2, « Storing Passwords and Credentials » for details), you may have to provide your KWallet password.

4. NetworkManager automatically connects to the configured network.

Procédure 25.3. Managing Active Wireless Connections

1. Click a WLAN Interface listed in the right half of the plasmoid window to get detailed information and statistics for that interface.

   Figure 25.5. KDE NetworkManager— Connection Details and Statistics
   
   

   Switch back to the interface overview by clicking on the blue arrow icon.

2. To disconnect an active connection, click the red icon for the WLAN Interface.

3. To completely disable wireless networking, uncheck Enable Wireless. This can be useful if you are on a plane or in any other environment where wireless networking is not allowed.

1. Start the dialog for configuring network connections as described in Section 25.3, « Configuring Network Connections ».

2. Click Add+Shared.

3. On the Wireless tab provide a Connection name for the shared wireless network and a SSID.

4. Set the encryption on the Wireless Security tab.

   	Unprotected Wireless Networks Are a Security Risk
   If you set Security to None, everybody can connect to your network, reuse your connectivity and intercept your network connection. To restrict access to your access point and to secure your connection, use encryption. You can choose between various WEP and WPA–based encryptions. If you are not sure which technology is best for you, read Section 24.3, « Authentication ».

5. Confirm your configuration with OK.

1. Click the icon to show a menu with available networks. The currently used connection is listed on top of the menu, followed by other active connections.

2. Click Network Settings to get detailed information on all active interfaces.

3. To disconnect an active connection, click the OFF button next to Wired.

4. If you want to use a different configuration with the wired network, open the network configuration dialog and add another wired connection as described in Procédure 25.1, « Adding or Editing Connections ». Click the NetworkManager icon and select the newly configured connection to activate it.

5. To switch off all network connections, both wired and wireless, right-click the icon and uncheck Enable Networking.

Procédure 25.4. Connecting to a Wireless Network

1. To connect to a wireless network, click the NetworkManager icon and choose an entry from the list of available wireless networks.

2. If the network is encrypted, a dialog opens. It shows the type of encryption the network uses (Wireless Security) and holds a number of input fields according to the respective encryption and authentication settings. Enter the appropriate credentials.

3. To connect to a network that does not broadcast its service set identifier (SSID or ESSID), and therefore cannot be detected automatically, click the NetworkManager icon and choose Network Settings+Wireless+Other.

4. In the dialog that opens, enter the connection details and click Connect.

5. To disable wireless networking, click the icon and click the OFF button next to Wireless. This can be useful if you are on a plane or in any other environment where wireless networking is not allowed.

1. Click the NetworkManager icon and select Network Settings Wireless.

2. Click Use as Hotspot, confirm the pop-up and enter the root password to continue.

   A Network Name (SSID) and a Security Key are automatically generated and shown in the Network dialog. The network name will be based on the hostname of your computer. Other devices will need this information to connect to the hotspot that you have created.

   	Unprotected Wireless Networks Are a Security Risk
   To restrict access to your access point and to secure your connection, use encryption. Depending on the abilities of your network card, you can choose between various WEP and WPA–based encryptions. If you are not sure which technology is best for you, read Section 24.3, « Authentication ».

3. To change the SSID, encryption options (WEP, WPA, etc.) or the security key of the hotspot:

   1. Click Options next to the Stop Hotspot button.

   2. Enter the root password to continue.

   3. Change the SSID on the Wireless tab or the encryption details on the Wireless Security tab.

      	WEP 40/128-bit Key (Hex or ASCII)
      When using WEP 40/128-bit Key as encryption method, the Key length is restricted to either 5, 10, or 13 characters. Otherwise the Save button is inactive.

   4. Confirm your changes. After a short delay, the Network dialog will show your changes.

4. To stop the hotspot and disconnect any users, click Stop Hotspot and confirm your choice in the pop-up dialog.