Connecting to the Internet With Ubuntu

Updated August 14, 2019

The Ubuntu open-source operating system is the most popular Linux distribution on personal desktop and laptop computers. Just like other operating systems, Ubuntu allows operators of wireless-enabled computers to connect to the internet wirelessly.

How to Connect to a Wireless Network With Ubuntu

If you have a wireless-enabled computer running the Ubuntu operating system, you can connect to a nearby wireless network to get to the internet. To do this:

Open the System Menu on the right side of the top bar.
Click on Wi-Fi Not Connected to expand the menu.
Click on Select Network.
Look through the names of the nearby networks. Select the one you want. If you don't see the name of the network you want, click More to see additional networks. If you still don't see the network you want, it may be hidden or you may be out of range.
Enter the password for the network and click Connect.

Connect to a Hidden Wireless Network or Enter a New One

With Ubuntu, the operator can set up a wireless network and set it to be hidden. It won't show up in the list of available wireless networks. If you know or suspect a network is hidden, you can look for it. You can also establish a new hidden network. Here's how:

Open the System Menu on the right side of the top bar.
Click on Wi-Fi Not Connected to expand the menu.
Click on Wi-Fi Settings.
Click the Connect to Hidden Network button.
Select the hidden network from the entries in the window using the Connection drop-down list, or click New to enter a new hidden network.
For a new connection, enter the network name (the SSID) and select the wireless security from the options in the drop-down list.
Enter the password.
Click Connect to go online.