1.0 Differences between ifup and NetworkManager
If you use NetworkManager for network setup, you can easily switch, stop, or start your
network connection at any time from within your desktop environment using an
applet. NetworkManager also makes it possible to change and configure
wireless card connections without requiring root privileges.
For this reason, NetworkManager is the ideal solution for a mobile workstation.
Traditional configuration with ifup also provides some ways to switch, stop,
or start the
connection with or without user intervention, like user-managed devices,
but it always requires root privileges to change or configure a network
device. This is often a problem for mobile computing, where is not possible
to preconfigure all connection possibilities.
Both traditional configuration and NetworkManager can handle network connections
with a wireless network (with
WEP, WPA-PSK, and WPA-Enterprise access), dial-up, and wired networks both
using DHCP and static configuration. They also support connection through
VPN.
NetworkManager tries to keep your computer connected at all times using the
best connection available. If available, it uses the fastest wired
connection. If the network cable is accidentally disconnected, it tries to
reconnect.
It can find a network with the best signal strength from the list of your
wireless connections and automatically use it to connect. To get
the same functionality with ifup, a great deal of configuration effort is
required.
NetworkManager is currently not able to run multiple network interfaces at the
same time. If you need that functionality, you should use the traditional
ifup method for setting network connections. It is also generally not
intended for use on servers.
NetworkManager is not a suitable solution in the following cases:
-
You want to use more than one provider for dial-up for one interface.
-
You want to use more than one active network connection simultaneously.
-
Your computer is a router for your network.
-
Your computer provides network services for other computers in your
network, for example, it is a DHCP or DNS server.
NOTE: NetworkManager and SCPM
Do not use NetworkManager together with System Configuration Profile Management (SCPM)
when SCPM profiles also change network
settings. If you want to use SCPM and NetworkManager at the same time, disable the
network resource in SCPM configuration.
Traditional configuration is a suitable solution when you need entire
control over your connection and in the following cases:
-
You want to use more than one provider for dial-up for one
interface.
-
Your computer is a router for your network.
-
Your computer provides network services for other computers in your
network, for example, it is a DHCP or DNS server.
-
You want to use SCPM to control network configuration.
