With the right settings and driver, you should be able to connect to open and closed wireless networks with Linux. Closed wireless networks will require a passkey to access, a specific authentication encryption type, and possibly even further site-specific settings. Some general issues can affect your connection and also Linux-specific things you will want to keep in mind.
First do some basic troubleshooting to see if the issue may involve something other than your Linux system itself. First, make sure you are within workable range of the wireless point. If your reception with the wireless is faint or spotty then you may have problems actually connecting with it. Also check for nearby interference which may impact your reception of the wireless point. It's possible to pick up a wireless connection but not be able to connect or authenticate because of signal or interference issues. The "sudo iwlist scan" command can display information about local wireless points and reception strength.
Closed wireless networks require authentication which is managed over a specific encryption protocol. The connecting computer's wireless card and driver has to be able to support the encryption protocol used on the access point. Most newer access points use WPA2 encryption, so your system and card must support that. You can find this information by running the command "nm-tool" in a terminal window. This command displays the encryption capabilities supported by your wireless card. Make sure the specific protocol used by the access point is supported on your system.
You need to make sure your Linux system has the appropriate driver for your wireless card or dongle. Wireless functionality in Linux can be finicky because the manufacturer may have limited or no support for Linux, and any drivers may have been mostly reverse-engineered and developed by third parties. Wireless functionality on Linux often lags behind Windows and Mac due to the issue of proprietary drivers, and the potentially limited feature set available among open source drivers. The "lsmod" terminal command displays which driver modules are loaded, and the "sudo lshw -C network" command shows information about your network hardware, including loaded drivers and their version.
Help and Support
If you're still having difficulty getting wireless authentication to work, try your Linux distribution's community website and forums. The Ubuntu website has extensive documentation and setup information for wireless configuration and troubleshooting. The website also has an extremely active forum community where you can post your issue and get some ideas and assistance for further troubleshooting. Have the model information of your wireless hardware, and be familiar with working in a terminal and inputting basic commands.
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