Interacting With NWAM From the Desktop

The Network Status notification icon, which is displayed on the desktop panel's notification area at all times is the primary method for viewing the status of your network and for interacting with automatic network configuration processes. The Network Status notification icon is also where informational messages about your network are displayed. The icon's contextual (right-click) menu enables quick access to essential network functionality. The icon's appearance indicates the overall condition of your network.

Checking the Status of Your Network Connection

The quickest way to obtain essential information about your network is to look at the Network Status notification icon that is displayed in the panel notification area of the desktop. The Network Status notification icon is the primary method for viewing the status of your currently enabled network connection and for interacting with NWAM. The icon's appearance changes, depending on the status of the currently enabled network connection. Another way you can display information about your currently enabled network connection is to hover your mouse over the Network Status notification icon. To access the notification icon's context menu, right-click the icon. From here, you can change the currently enabled network interface and view more detailed information about the wireless network, if any, you are connected to.

The following table illustrates the Network Status icon's appearance, which changes to reflect the status of the network connections that are enabled on your system.

Icon Status Description All online (Wired) Indicates all manually enabled connections that are in the enabled network profile are online and that the required number of connections in the enabled profile group (if such a group exists) are online. The “required number” is as follows: One connection if the group is of the Exclusive priority type One or more connections if the group is of the Shared priority type All connections in the group if the group is of the All priority type All online (Wireless) Indicates all manually enabled connections in the enabled network profile are online and that the required number of connections in the enabled profile group (if such a group exists) are online. The required number is the same as those described for the All online (Wired) status. Note that at least one online connection is wireless. Partially online (Wired) Indicates one or more manually enabled or priority group connections are offline, such that the status is no longer All online. In this example, at least one wired connection is online. The Network Status notification icon is also displayed as Partially online if a wireless connection is pending user input, for example choosing an available wireless network or providing a wireless network password. Offline (Wired) Indicates the NWAM service is disabled or in maintenance mode.

How to Show Details About an Enabled Network Connection

1. Open the Network Preferences dialog and select Connection Status from the drop-down list, if required.

   You can open the Network Preferences dialog in one of the following ways:

   • Click the Network Status notification icon on the desktop panel.
   • Choose System -> Administration -> Network from the Main Menu bar on the desktop panel.
   • Right-click the Network Status notification icon to open its menu, then select Network Preferences.

     For wireless network connections, the IP address, signal strength, connection speed connection status, and security type are displayed.

2. To view or edit more properties of a specific network connection, double-click the connection in the list or select the connection from the Show drop-down menu that is located at the top of the dialog.

Controlling Network Connections From the Desktop

By default, NWAM attempts to maintain a network connection at all times. If a wired network connection fails, an attempt is made to connect to one of your favorite wireless networks. If the attempt fails, other available wireless networks are tried, with your permission.

You can also manually switch between wired and wireless networks, as required.

You can control network connections from the desktop by using the NWAM in the following ways:

• Modify the default connection priority.

  By default, all wired network connections take priority over all wireless network connections. That is, a wireless network connection is only attempted if a wired connection cannot be established. If more than one wireless networks are available at the current location, you are prompted to select which network to join. This behavior is defined by the Automatic network profile, which is activated by default. To enforce a different behavior, you must create and activate a different network profile.

• Switch from a wired network to a wireless network.

  If the Automatic network profile is enabled, disconnect any network cables from all enabled wired interfaces.

  By default, if any of your favorite wireless networks are available, an attempt will be made to join them in the order in which they appear in the favorites list. Otherwise, the Wireless Chooser dialog is displayed. In this dialog you can select which network to join.

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  Note - You can change the way wireless networks are joined on the Wireless tab of the Connection Properties view.

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  If a network profile other than the Automatic network profile is enabled, the method that you use to switch to a wireless network depends on the definition of that network profile.

  Choose from one of the following methods:

  • Use the Connections submenu of the Network Status notification icon to disable the wired connection and then activate a wireless connection. Note that this method is only possible if both connections have the Manual activation type.

  • Edit the enabled network profile to activate the wired connection and disable other connections, as required.

  When the wireless connection is established, a notification message is displayed.

• Switch from a wireless network to a wired network.

  If the Automatic network profile is enabled, plug a network cable into an available wired interface.

  If a network profile other than the Automatic network profile is enabled, the method that you use to switch to a wired network depends on the definition of that network profile.

  Choose from one of the following methods:

  • Use the Connections submenu of the Networks Status notification icon to disable the wireless connection and then enable a wired connection. Note that this method is only possible if both connections have the Manual activation type.

  • Edit the enabled network profile to enable the wired connection and disable the wireless connection.

    When the wired connection is established, a notification message is displayed.

For other tasks that you can perform by using the NWAM GUI, see the online help.