Poor metaphor for a "wired network" icon (two arrows pointing up and down)

[Luca Ferretti]

The icon used to show a wired (ethernet) network in network-manager-applet shows two arrows pointing up and down. This icon is typically associated to "sync" action on various other places and operating systems.

In user testing of Ubuntu on 2010-12-15, participants identified the icon as "flipping between sessions" or "scroll up scroll down."

Similarly in March 2012, Joe Pirillo: "The up and down is probably related to the volume, coz it's right next to the volume." <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltE_ekc8kE8#t=6m50s>

A more appropriate icon could be something like the ones suggested at recent GNOME UX Hackfest, see this blog post http://jimmac.musichall.cz/log/?p=946 and/or this image http://jimmac.musichall.cz/images/blog/gnome-stencils.png

See also bug 461427, about the icon showing even when it isn't useful.

[Vish (vish)]

I have to agree the icon is not perfect to represent "wired connection" . But the current icon is how it was designed.
Since this bug is about a request to redesign the default icon , setting it to wishlist.

[Vish (vish)]

BTW, The gnome-stencil's icon isnt an improvement either. ;-)
The image is a unrecognizable for a monochrome.

The current ubuntu-mono icon trumps the gnome-stencils one.

[Matthew Paul Thomas (mpt)]

I think it's inappropriate for this to be Wishlist, especially since it has been confirmed as a problem in a usability test.

[Marius B. Kotsbak (mariusko)]

The methaphor for no active connection is also bad. New users probably can't guess that is where to set up a connection...

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

It appears this is now fixed in Ubuntu 18.04 (using the Gnome icons)