Re: Suggestion for Network Applet

["Darren Albers" <dalbers gmail com>]

On 6/1/07, TigerWolf - <hiddentiger gmail com> wrote:
> First Posted Here:
> http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=460896
>
> I have a suggestion to make to help make networking easier. I have found
> that on a wired network sometimes things dont work flawlessly.
>
>  An example: the router/switch/network-cable may not be active or plugged in
> when the computer starts up, or may disconnect etc. What happens is that the
> computer does not always seek out to obtain a IP address from the router
> when this problem is fixed.
>
>  My suggestion: Include a button in NetWorkManager Applet called something
> like "Refresh" to call the command dhclient or similar when pressed to
> obtain a new IP. It might be a little more complicated that this - but thats
> just the concept behind what I would like, a manual network refesh button in
> the networking options.
>
> A few things that would have to be worked out if this was put in:
> Is this something that can easily be done?
> Is it possible for the applet to call dhclient or does something further
> have to be written into the applet to include this functionality, if not
> dhclient then what are the alternatives?
> Where will the button go (one for each network interface)?

Two items here:
1) The network card should come active when a link is detected, some
cards have broken link detection though but this should be fixed in
the driver not in NM.   There is sometimes an issue with some switches
if portfast isn't enabled and the port stays in a blocking state too
long and NM times out waiting for a DHCP server, however per Cisco all
Access layer ports should have portfast enabled so this is a switch
issue and should be EXTREMELY.   I understand why you are asking for
this, but it /shouldn't/ be necessary and it breaks the idea of "just
working" but if you absolutely must do this do to a driver or switch
issue then....

2) You can do this now, just right click on the applet, select disable
network then go back and enable it again.

> From a development standpoint this would be relatively easy, but where
do you place it without confusing the user for the rare occurrence
that a problem like what you are describing occurs...