== 2025-07-21 : Laptop Networking ==

I didn't like "Connman" or "Ceni" to set-up my ethernet or wifi 
connections... too intrusive/complicated.

I decided to go back to old-school ways and edit the files
manually.

== /etc/network/interfaces ==



# The loopback network interface
auto lo
iface lo inet loopback

#auto wlan0
#iface wlan0 inet dhcp
#       wpa-ssid g4slv
#       wpa-psk  oldtrout

#allow-hotplug eth0
#iface eth0 inet static
#       address 192.168.0.99
#       broadcast 192.168.0.255
#       gateway 192.168.0.24
#       netmask 255.255.255.0
#       network 192.168.0.0

allow-hotplug eth0
iface eth0 inet dhcp
metric 100

auto wlan0
iface wlan0 inet manual
metric 1
wpa-roam /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf


iface default inet dhcp




== /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf ==

ctrl_interface=/var/run/wpa_supplicant
ap_scan=1
update_config=1

network={
        ssid="g4slv"
        psk="xxxx"
        priority=10
}

network={
        ssid="Greenmeadow"
        psk="xxxx"
        priority=100
}

network={
        ssid="PoliceSurveillanceVan2"
        psk="xxxx"
	priority=50
}



== metrics ==

to make sure that the wifi interface (if up & connected) would be
the default route in the routing table I installed "ifmetric" and
added the metric stanza to each interface in
/etc/network/interfaces


This allows me to have an ethernet connection to a private LAN (eg.
when setting up a device for work) and maintain internet access via
Wifi.


== wpa network selection ==

the "priority" figure in the wpa_supplicant.conf makes sure I'll be
connected to the "best" wifi available from the 3 Access Points I
have at my disposal - 

Greenmeadow = Home
PoliceSurveillanceVan2 = portable MiFi hotspot
g4slv = tethering hotspot to my 'phone

It all seems to work.

If I want to set a static Ethernet IP address - usually when
working on equipment for work - I am happy to re-edit
/etc/network/interfaces to set a static IP - it's no more
problematical than running a config app/daemon.

--g4slv