Best Network Pickings

Netapplet is a neat little network interface control applet that lets users select networks and interfaces. Since the air in most civilized places is now thick with Wi-Fi signals, available networks are represented by horizontal bars, representing signal quality, and handy little padlock icons representing WEP locks. That means you can warwalk (or wardrive, or warfly) and select open networks on the fly. Which makes it a must app for every mobile linux users.

It was written, coincidentally, by contributing editor Robert Love, but I discovered it while walking the floor at the latest Linux World Expo, looking for Cool Stuff. It was the coolest thing I saw at the show.

Robert (who wrote Linux Kernel Development and works for Novell) wrote netapplet for SUSE, but hacks are available for other distros.

More info at http://primates.ximian.com/~rml/.

- Doc Searls