---
publish: true
permalink: /10-19 LIFE/13 TECH SETUP/13.13 OS SETUP/Network.md
title: Network
created: 2026-01-29T14:15:15.157-07:00
modified: 2026-02-05T09:41:11.148-07:00
tags:
  - network
  - wifi
  - tailscale
cssclasses: ""
---

Network configuration using NetworkManager with iwd backend, systemd-resolved for DNS, and Tailscale for mesh networking.

## Architecture

My setup:
- **NetworkManager** — Connection management
- **iwd** — WiFi backend (replaces wpa_supplicant)
- **systemd-resolved** — DNS resolution
- **dhcpcd** — Disabled (NetworkManager handles DHCP)

## Disable dhcpcd

NetworkManager handles DHCP itself, so dhcpcd is not needed and can cause conflicts.

```bash
# Stop and disable dhcpcd
sudo systemctl stop dhcpcd
sudo systemctl disable dhcpcd

# Verify it's not running
systemctl status dhcpcd
```

If you had dhcpcd managing interfaces, NetworkManager will take over after a reboot.

## NetworkManager + iwd

Using iwd as the WiFi backend provides better stability than wpa_supplicant, especially on Framework AMD with the MediaTek WiFi card.

### Configure iwd backend

Create `/etc/NetworkManager/conf.d/wifi-backend.conf`:
```ini
[device]
wifi.backend=iwd
```

### Enable services

```bash
sudo systemctl enable --now NetworkManager
sudo systemctl enable --now iwd
```

### Disable wpa_supplicant (if installed)

```bash
sudo systemctl stop wpa_supplicant
sudo systemctl disable wpa_supplicant
```

## DNS with systemd-resolved

I use systemd-resolved for DNS instead of letting NetworkManager write to `/etc/resolv.conf` directly.

### Enable systemd-resolved

```bash
sudo systemctl enable --now systemd-resolved
```

### Link resolv.conf

```bash
sudo ln -sf /run/systemd/resolve/stub-resolv.conf /etc/resolv.conf
```

### Configure NetworkManager to use it

Create `/etc/NetworkManager/conf.d/dns.conf`:
```ini
[main]
dns=systemd-resolved
```

### Verify

```bash
resolvectl status
```

## WiFi Management

### CLI (nmcli)

```bash
# List networks
nmcli device wifi list

# Connect
nmcli device wifi connect "SSID" password "password"

# Saved connections
nmcli connection show

# Disconnect
nmcli device disconnect wlan0

# Forget network
nmcli connection delete "SSID"
```

### TUI (impala)

I use [[10-19 LIFE/13 TECH SETUP/13.11 APPS/impala]] for interactive WiFi management — much nicer than `iwctl`:

```bash
impala
```

See [[10-19 LIFE/13 TECH SETUP/13.11 APPS/impala]] for keybindings and configuration.

## Tailscale

Tailscale creates a secure mesh network between all your devices.

### Installation

```bash
curl -fsSL https://tailscale.com/install.sh | sh
```

Or via pacman:
```bash
sudo pacman -S tailscale
```

### Setup

```bash
sudo systemctl enable --now tailscaled
sudo tailscale up
```

Follow the auth URL to connect to your tailnet.

### Useful commands

```bash
tailscale status          # Show connected devices
tailscale ip              # Show Tailscale IP
tailscale ping <host>     # Ping another device
tailscale ssh <host>      # SSH to another device (if enabled)
```

### Exit node (use another device as VPN)

```bash
# Enable exit node on a device
sudo tailscale up --advertise-exit-node

# Use an exit node
sudo tailscale up --exit-node=<hostname>
```

## Complete Setup Summary

1. Disable dhcpcd
2. Enable NetworkManager + iwd
3. Disable wpa_supplicant
4. Enable systemd-resolved
5. Link resolv.conf
6. Install Tailscale
7. Install [[10-19 LIFE/13 TECH SETUP/13.11 APPS/impala]] for WiFi TUI

## Resources

- Arch Wiki: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/NetworkManager#Using_iwd_as_the_Wi-Fi_backend
- Tailscale docs: https://tailscale.com/kb/