User Tasks for NWAM Status Notification

User Tasks for NWAM Status Notification GUI

 The NWAM Status Notification GUI is the GUI that appears when NWAM is up and running, which is not the configuration GUI. This includes the GUI related to the network applet (which appears as an icon in the "Status Notification" area, e.g. see Gnome Network Manager screenshot) and dialogs that alert or ask confirmation of users when certain network changes occur.

 The following is a list of expected user tasks and user needs that the NWAM runtime GUI will have to solve. ("??" indicate items whose inclusion in the runtime GUI is TBD)

User tasks/needs

• At-a-glance (i.e. information conveyed by the symbol in desktop's "status notifcation" area)
  • See status - Is WiFi connected?
  • See status - Is Ethernet connected?
  • See progress indication if NWAM is doing work like connecting or detecting new WiFi networks
• See info regarding link:
  • name
  • speed
  • status
  • [WiFi only] strength of WiFi connection
  • [WiFi only] security (e.g. WEP)
• See current environment??
• Switch environment??
• See feedback when NWAM detects change
  • Progress of connecting to new network
  • When network cable is unplugged
  • Acknowledge switch of environment (e.g. NWAM switches environment, should alert user via dialog)
  • Let user decide which environment should trump, if rules for multiple environments match the current system configuration
• Launch configuration GUI applicable to link
• Enable or disable link
• Enable/disable VPN??
• If there is a WiFi connection
  • View available WiFi networks
  • Switch WiFi networks
  • Add a detected WiFi network to the preferred list