How to Configure NetworkManager on Arch Linux

NetworkManager is the recommended networking stack for any Arch system with more than one network (laptop, dock, wifi + ethernet). It handles wifi, wired, VPN, and DNS without you editing /etc/network/interfaces-style files.

Prerequisites

• Arch Linux with sudo.
• A wifi or ethernet adapter visible in ip link.

Step 1: Install and enable

sudo pacman -S networkmanager
sudo systemctl enable --now NetworkManager
sudo systemctl status NetworkManager --no-pager

If you previously had dhcpcd or systemd-networkd running, disable them first to avoid them fighting NetworkManager:

sudo systemctl disable --now dhcpcd
sudo systemctl disable --now systemd-networkd systemd-resolved

Step 2: nmcli — the CLI you actually use

nmcli device                       # list interfaces
nmcli connection show              # list saved profiles
nmcli connection show --active     # active ones
nmcli general status               # quick summary

Step 3: Connect to wifi

nmcli device wifi list
nmcli device wifi connect "MyWifi-SSID" password 'wifi-secret'

# Or for hidden SSID:
nmcli device wifi connect "Hidden-SSID" password 'secret' hidden yes

The credentials are stored under /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/ (root-only, mode 0600).

Step 4: Static IP on a wired link

# Find the active connection name
nmcli connection show

# Update the wired connection (replace 'Wired connection 1')
nmcli connection modify "Wired connection 1" \
    ipv4.method manual \
    ipv4.addresses 10.0.10.42/24 \
    ipv4.gateway 10.0.10.1 \
    ipv4.dns "1.1.1.1 8.8.8.8" \
    ipv4.dns-search example.sa

nmcli connection down "Wired connection 1"
nmcli connection up   "Wired connection 1"

Step 5: VPN — Wireguard or OpenVPN

# Wireguard from a .conf file
sudo nmcli connection import type wireguard file /etc/wireguard/work.conf
nmcli connection up wireguard-work

# OpenVPN
sudo pacman -S networkmanager-openvpn
sudo nmcli connection import type openvpn file ~/work.ovpn
nmcli connection up work

Step 6: nmtui — the curses UI

If nmcli syntax is too much:

nmtui

A simple keyboard-driven menu for the most common operations.

Verify

nmcli general status
nmcli connection show --active
ip -brief address
resolvectl status               # if systemd-resolved is in the loop
ping -c 2 1.1.1.1
ping -c 2 archlinux.org

Conclusion

NetworkManager is the right pick on laptops and on any host that ever moves between networks. nmcli is scriptable, nmtui is friendly, and the saved profiles in /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/ are a single directory you can check into a private dotfiles repo.

Next steps

• Install Arch first with step-by-step install.
• Manage packages via pacman + AUR.
• For dedicated servers without wifi/movement, systemd-networkd is lighter — see the systemd guide.