How to connect CentOS 6.3 CLI server to wireless LAN?

Question

I'm migrating from an openSUSE (12.x) CLI home office server to CentOS 6.3.

I can install the CLI CentOS 6.3 fine, but then how do I connect that to my home wifi?

There is a "Configure network" button during the anaconda graphical install, and it has options for wifi, but even setting the wifi here results in no connection when the install finishes and I log into the CLI.

openSUSE has Yast (even for CLI!) where you could configure anything and everything. I see a few system-config-* type commands on CentOS but nothing where I input my wifi SSID and passkey.

Does anybody know which files I need to edit or which commands I need to run to get my CentOS laptop home office server to connect - on boot - to my home wifi?

Thanks a lot.

PS. Does anybody know what the difference is with the different install types on CentOS 6.3? They've got "basic server", "web server", "minimal desktop" and a few more.

Solution

Running the system-config-network utility will help you configure your various interfaces, assuming your wireless adapter is recognized.

The different installation profiles are just preconfigured package groups that apply to the different server types. Minimal is just that. Basic server has a few services. Web server will include Apache and relevant software intended for service web applications. Choose the closest profile to what you plan to do with the system and build from there.

Comments

[Daniel Rhodes]

Thanks. Wireless adapter is indeed recognised, but all I get in system-config-network is things like "Use DHCP", "Netmask" and "Primary DNS Server" - nothing about SSIDs or WPA keys...

[ewwhite]

Oh, for those, look at the iwconfig command. That will allow you to set SSID based on the revognized interface.

[Daniel Rhodes]

Well, I have actually been playing with iwconfig and wpa_supplicant (as well as ifcfg-wlan0) but to no avail. How do ifcfg-wlan0 and iwconfig interact? Do I even need wpa_supplicant?