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Our company network administrator had previously registered my Win8 laptop on the network. In Win8 I can connect to the network (by clicking its name in available networks)and to connect to the Internet, I have to create a windows broadband connection with my credentials. Now this works even after I re-installed my Win8 from scratch.

I thought Ubuntu would be the same. But Ubuntu can't even connect to the WIFI network (It shows the network's name, but never connects. The network is open and its type is: access point). Does it have to do something with the registration process? Is there a workaround or should I ask them to "register" Ubuntu too? BTW, I have no problem connecting to my home network using either Win8 or Ubuntu.

edit: I have an android device. By mac spoofing, I changed the mac address of the device to my laptop's mac address and it couldn't connect to the network either. Is there something else happening besides mac address filtering?

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Hmmm I'm not sure what "registering" your Ubuntu system on the network might mean. If your workplace wifi is unencrypted, then Ubuntu may be connecting to the wifi and then being bumped off on the basis of MAC address filtering or some other kind of device verification system.

I think you need to talk to the IT guys at work...

Clarification: I'm presuming that when you say you have no problems connecting to WIFI at home, that your work PC is a laptop, and you're connecting to your home network with no problems. The first thing to be sure of is that the WIFI driver in Ubuntu is capable of connecting to WIFI at all. So testing connecting to a different network would be good.

Then if you find you're able to connect to other networks, your next step would be to check that the Ubuntu driver for your WIFI adapter is capable of making your WIFI adapter connect to the particular type of WIFI network that your workplace is using. Often times with drivers, there is partial functionality, but not every function works. The problems with Ubuntu bluetooth functionality is a good example of that.

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  • I still haven't talked to the IT guys, but I tried another network at workplace which required password and Ubuntu had no problem connecting to it. If our network admin has enabled MAC address filtering, why isn't that a problem for windows? That's the thing that confuses me.
    – user155878
    May 7, 2013 at 13:13

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