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Asked: 2024-09-27T04:25:28+05:30 In:

How can I prevent my Ubuntu system from automatically connecting to Wi-Fi networks, as I’m experiencing issues with unintended connections?

I’ve been having some serious frustrations with my Ubuntu system lately, and I really need some help from you all. So, here’s the deal: my laptop has this annoying habit of automatically connecting to Wi-Fi networks, and it’s driving me crazy! I’ve tried tinkering with the settings a bit, but no luck so far. I really don’t want it jumping onto random networks without me knowing, especially when I’m out and about.

You know how sometimes you’ll see a list of available networks pop up, and you think you’re connected to one that you trust? Then your laptop suddenly decides to switch to a different one with a similar name? Yeah, that happened to me the other day at a coffee shop. I thought I was connected to their Wi-Fi, and all of a sudden, my laptop switched to a hotspot called “CoffeeShop_2.4G”. I didn’t even realize it until I started having issues loading websites. I felt so exposed, like I was just floating around in the internet abyss!

I’ve gone into the settings, looking for something that lets me turn off this auto-connect feature, but everything I’ve tried hasn’t worked. I want to be the one deciding when and where my laptop connects to the internet, and I don’t want to have to babysit it all the time. It’s just so annoying when I’m trying to work or browse, and it jumps onto unreliable connections.

Does anyone out there know how I can make sure my Ubuntu system stops trying to play this sneaky game of musical chairs with Wi-Fi networks? Any tips or tricks would be super appreciated! I wouldn’t want to be connected to some random network that could potentially be sketchy. I want to be able to choose the network manually rather than have my laptop decide for me. If you’ve had similar issues or know of a way to fix this, I’d love to hear your thoughts! Thanks in advance!

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    2 Answers






    1. Ubuntu Wi-Fi Auto-Connect Help


      How to Stop Ubuntu from Auto-Connecting to Wi-Fi

      So, it sounds super annoying dealing with all those random auto-connections. 😩 Here’s a couple of things you could try to get your Ubuntu system to stop that sneaky auto-connect game:

      Check Your Network Settings

      1. Click on the network icon in the top panel.

      2. Select “Settings” (or “Network Settings”).

      3. In the Wi-Fi section, look for the networks you’ve connected to.

      4. Click on the network that keeps auto-connecting and then look for a checkbox that says something like “Connect automatically” or “Automatically connect to this network.” Uncheck that box!

      Forget Networks You Don’t Want

      If there are networks you don’t want to connect to at all:

      1. Go back to the Wi-Fi settings.

      2. Select the network and hit “Forget” or “Delete”.

      Try Using Terminal (if you’re comfortable)

      Open Terminal and use these commands:

          nmcli connection show        # This shows all your connections
    nmcli connection delete name_of_network  # Replace with the network name you want to forget

      This helps you get a list of all your wi-fi connections. Just replace name_of_network with the network name you want to remove!

      Last Resort: Disable Wi-Fi Auto-connect Globally

      If it’s still being annoying, you can disable auto-connect for all networks:

          sudo nmcli networking off

      But be careful with this one; you’ll have to turn it back on whenever you want to connect again!

      Hopefully, this helps you get control over your Wi-Fi connections! 🙌 If you’re still having trouble, don’t hesitate to ask more clarifying questions!


    2. If you’re experiencing issues with your Ubuntu system automatically connecting to Wi-Fi networks, you can easily modify its network settings to regain control. Start by clicking on the network icon located in the top-right corner of your screen. From the dropdown menu, select “Wi-Fi Settings.” Next, find the available networks and look for the one you’re concerned about. Click on the network and uncheck the “Connect automatically” option. This will prevent your laptop from automatically joining that network in the future. If you want to ensure that it doesn’t connect to any unknown networks without your consent, you can also choose to remove any saved networks that you no longer wish to automatically connect to.

      Additionally, you can limit your connections further by accessing the Network Manager settings through the terminal. Open a terminal and type `nm-connection-editor`. This will bring up a window displaying all your network connections. Select the Wi-Fi network you want to adjust and click on “Edit.” Look for the “IPv4 Settings” and “IPv6 Settings” tabs, and ensure that the method is set to “Automatic (DHCP)” only when you explicitly want to connect to that network. By making these adjustments, you can take back control over your Wi-Fi connections and avoid any unwanted interruptions while you’re out and about. This way, you can establish a manual connection only to trusted networks, leaving behind the uncertainties of automatic switching.

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