How to enable wireless network for standard users?

Solution 1:

To allow change of wifi-connection without admin password create new file

sudo nano /etc/polkit-1/localauthority/50-local.d/org.freedesktop.NetworkManager.pkla

with the following content:

[Enable NetworkManager]
Identity=unix-group:netdev
Action=org.freedesktop.NetworkManager.*
ResultAny=no
ResultInactive=no
ResultActive=yes

Solution 2:

To make a wireless network available to all users we need to make shure that all users have the privilege to "Connect to wireless and ethernet networks". You can set this from Users and Groups from the package gnome-system-tools

(see also this question).

To make a wireless network available to all users we also need to tick the box "Available to all users" on the bottom left side of Edit connections -> Wireless -> Edit:

Solution 3:

To expound on Takkat's answer, to give a standard user permission to connect to any wireless network (even as yet unknown ones):

1. Install gnome-system-tools, e.g. sudo apt-get install gnome-system-tools
2. Launch the program "Users and Groups".
3. Select the user, click "Advanced Settings" then the "User Privleges" tab.
4. Check "Connect to wireless and ethernet networks", then click save.