How to connect to UOBWLAN and EDUROAM with ArchLinux.

I'm now using ArchLinux, and having got a configuration which connects nicely to the wireless network at the University of Birmingham, I thought I'd post it here. This also provides the ability to connect to the EDUROAM network, so if you have a login for that, or are at another university where it's used, this might be of use to you.

Firstly, install netconfig and wpa_supplicant:

pacman -S netcfg wpa_supplicant

Then, add a profile for UOBWLAN. To do this, create the file in /etc/network.d/uobwlan and put the following in it:

CONNECTION="wireless"
INTERFACE=wlan0
SCAN="no"
SECURITY="wpa-config"
ESSID="UOBWLAN"
IP="dhcp"
TIMEOUT=30
WPA_CONF="/etc/wpa_supplicant.conf"


Then do the same for EDUROAM; create the file /etc/network.d/eduroam, containing the same as the above, but replace the ESSID line with:

ESSID="eduroam"

Note the lower case letters. Oh, and make sure that you replace wlan0 with the name of your wireless networking device. If you're not sure, typing iwconfig at the terminal should show you.

Now, create (or open) the file /etc/wpa_supplicant.conf and add the following to it:

ctrl_interface=/var/run/wpa_supplicant
eapol_version=1
ap_scan=1
fast_reauth=1

network={
ssid="UOBWLAN"
key_mgmt=IEEE8021X WPA-NONE WPA-EAP
eap=PEAP
identity="abc123"
password="XXXXXXXXXX"
ca_cert="/home/username/bhamuni.pem"
phase2="auth=MSCHAPV2"
priority=2
auth_alg=OPEN
}

network={
ssid="eduroam"
key_mgmt=IEEE8021X WPA-NONE WPA-EAP
eap=PEAP
identity="abc123@bham.ac.uk"
password="XXXXXXXXXXXX"
ca_cert="/home/username/bhamuni.pem"
phase2="auth=MSCHAPV2"
priority=2
auth_alg=OPEN
}


Now, download the Birmingham certificate file, and make sure that the line "ca_cert" in each entry points to where you've put it. Also remember to edit it with your correct username and password. This is the same as the your central university one.

You should be able to test that this works by just running 'netcfg-auto-wireless wlan0' (again subsitituting in your correct interface name for wlan0). It should then be connected.

To automate the process, add 'net-auto' (without the quotes) to the DAEMONS line in /etc/rc.conf, and then make sure that the line 'AUTO_NETWORKS=(auto-wireless wlan0)' is also somewhere in the file (mine is just above the DAEMONS line). This should then automatically connect if you boot up within range of the network.