Ticket #7785 - the big picture

[Mikus Grinbergs]

Ticket #7785 was an example of a general situation which I believe 
can evoke dissatisfaction on the part of the user.  The scenario:

  A.  The user has a good working connection to the outside world
  B.  That connection stops working (for whatever reason)
  C.  What the system ends up doing does not satisfy the user
  D.  The user specifies (perhaps "restarts") the connection he wants

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The theoretical problem is "providing (D)".  I'm assuming the user's 
choices for communicating with the outside world are:  connecting 
via wifi, connecting via mesh, or connecting via wired.

  -  To connect via wifi, there ought to be an icon in Neighborhood
  -  To connect via mesh, I assume the user can use the icon in Frame
     [this is not yet working in Joyride]
  -  To connect via wired, I currently know of no explicit icon
     [thus #7785: "restarting" wired might require rebooting ?]

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The practical problem is "implementing (C)".  In the case of #7785, 
the current XO implementation was unable to automatically "restart" 
a previously existing wired connection.  [I'm speculating that some 
of the reported difficulties with wireless might result if the 
current XO implementation were unable to immediately "restart" from 
an interruption to a previously existing wireless connection.]

When (B) occurs, if the (C) implementation is able to provide a 
satisfactory new connection (e.g., change to an AP with better 
signal strength) -- well and good.  But if the system's attempt to 
provide a replacement connection fails, the (C) implementation ought 
to give priority to re-establishing the connection (A) that existed. 
  Then, user intervention (D) might be avoided.


Thanks,  mikus