gutsy wireless connection problems when using static IP address

Version: nm-applet 0.6.5

I have exactly identical problem on my IBM x40.

I noticed the following in the Release Notes for Gutsy:

Network Manager
* In Ubuntu 7.10, network-manager only manages interfaces that are marked for roaming. Thus, all interfaces that were previously managed by network-manager will be set to roaming mode during upgrade. Technically, this takes any interface stanzas using the dhcp method with no options and that are marked auto, and removes them from /etc/network/interfaces. If you rely on your interfaces being started by ifupdown when the system starts up, you need to re-enable them in /etc/network/interfaces manually, or disable roaming in System -> Administration -> Network.

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I still think that network management for wireless needs to be a lot easier, hopefully including a Wi-Fi Radar and easy setup for connecting to new wireless networks.

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. However, NetworkManager by design will not manager network interfaces that require a static network configuration.

Thanks Brian. I can understand what you're saying, but here's my quibble:

Regardless of whether Ubuntu or its variants use Network Manager or some other tool, I think that managing both wired and wireless connections with and without security needs to be drop-dead easy. I hope that the next LTS version (Hardy) makes this simple as can be.

I'm an experienced (I'd say intermediate) linux user (using Ubuntu since Hoary) and, while I have wireless networking working now on two laptops and two desktops, the wireless needs to be much easier.

I believe Ubuntu should have one default networking tool that provides:

1. easy access to wired networks (network manager seems to do fine)

2. easy access to roaming or static wireless networks

3. easy setup of security for WPA, WPA2, WEP and all other standard wireless security protocols

4. easy wi-fi radar capabilities so you can browse the broadcasted networks, select one, and click connect so you're automatically connected if there's no security, or prompted for the appropriate security keys if it's encrypted

5. default view of signal strength for whatever wireless network that you're connected to, no matter if you're using a static or dynamic IP.

6. ability to connect to wireless networks that don't broadcast their SSID. I've had to turn on SSID broadcast in order to connect to some wireless networks with Gutsy, but it worked fine with Feisty.

I've heard some people get so frustrated with Network Manager in Gutsy that they've had to install wicd or some other package to handle their wireless, and that's not right. I could do the same, but I'd like to see Ubuntu make it so easy that you don't have to look for other packages or use multiple tools.

Thanks for your time and consideration and please let me know if you have any questions.