Seamless WPA2-Enterprise Setup on Arch Linux: A Step-by-Step Guide

During my recent Arch Linux install, the hardest part I encountered was dealing with WPA2-Enterprise WiFi. There wasn’t a consolidated step by step guide available on the internet and after having been through the struggle myself, I want to share how to properly setup WiFi on your Arch Linux install so you can start ricing as soon as possible.

Phase 1: ISO Stage

1. Access iwctl Terminal Type iwctl in the terminal. Commands prefixed with [iwd]# are executed inside the iwctl interactive prompt. To exit, type exit.

2. List Wireless Devices

[iwd]# device list

1. Scan and List Networks Replace <name> with your device name (e.g., wlan0):

[iwd]# station <name> scan
[iwd]# station <name> get-networks

4. Connect to Network To connect to a network, use its SSID:

[iwd]# station <name> connect <ssid>

To disconnect:

[iwd]# station <name> disconnect

5. Configure WPA2-Enterprise Network Create and edit a network configuration file:

touch /var/lib/iwd/<ssid>.8021x
nano /var/lib/iwd/<ssid>.8021x

Add the following details in the editor:

[Security]
EAP-Method=PEAP
Identity=<username>
EAP-PEAP-Phase2-Method=MSCHAPV2
EAP-PEAP-Phase2-Identity=<username>
EAP-PEAP-Phase2-Password=<password>
[Settings]
AutoConnect=true

6. Restart iwd Service

systemctl restart iwd

7. Reconnect to WPA2-Enterprise Network

iwctl
[iwd]# station <name> connect <ssid>
[iwd]# station <name> show

8. Enable NetworkManager Daemon

systemctl enable NetworkManager

Phase 2: Post-Arch Installation

After successfully installing the Linux firmware and rebooting into arch Linux, you might realize that you have lost your internet connection once again. So here we go again.

1. Check Network Devices

nmcli d

2. Add a New Connection Replace <device> with your device name, and <connection_name> with a name of your choice:

nmcli con add type wifi ifname <device> con-name <connection_name> ssid <ssid>

3. Configure and Connect Enter the nmcli interactive prompt:

nmcli con edit id <connection_name>

Set up the connection details:

[nmcli]# set ipv4.method auto
[nmcli]# set 802–1x.eap peap
[nmcli]# set 802–1x.phase2-auth mschapv2
[nmcli]# set 802–1x.identity <username>
[nmcli]# set 802–1x.password <password>
[nmcli]# set wifi-sec.key-mgmt wpa-eap
[nmcli]# save
[nmcli]# activate

Congratulations! You have successfully configured WPA2-Enterprise WiFi on your Arch Linux install.