nm-indicator and network settings contradict

[Rüdiger Kupper]

After update to oneiric, my computer stopped autoconnecting to the wired network. I checked that "Network enabled" was checked in the nm-indicator. Still no autoconnect.
It took me one day to find out that there now is a "Network" icon in the system settings tool. This is new. It has an "on/off"-switch. The switch was set to "off". Turning it "on" fixed the autoconnect.

1) why is the switch "off" by default?
2) why tells nm-indicator "Networking enabled", when at the same time the "Network" system setting is set to "off"?

More generally: Why can there be two places to do the same thing in Ubuntu, and why can they contradict?

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.10
Package: network-manager 0.9.1.90-0ubuntu3
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.0.0-12.20-generic 3.0.4
Uname: Linux 3.0.0-12-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
ApportVersion: 1.23-0ubuntu3
Architecture: amd64
CRDA: Error: [Errno 2] No such file or directory
Date: Sun Oct 16 13:35:39 2011
EcryptfsInUse: Yes
IfupdownConfig:
 auto lo
 iface lo inet loopback
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Release amd64 (20110427.1)
IpRoute:
 default via 192.168.1.1 dev eth0 proto static
 169.254.0.0/16 dev eth0 scope link metric 1000
 192.168.1.0/24 dev eth0 proto kernel scope link src 192.168.1.130 metric 1
 192.168.1.0/24 dev wlan0 proto kernel scope link src 192.168.1.132 metric 2
Keyfiles: Error: [Errno 2] No such file or directory
NetworkManager.state:
 [main]
 NetworkingEnabled=true
 WirelessEnabled=true
 WWANEnabled=true
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=en_US:en
 PATH=(custom, user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: network-manager
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to oneiric on 2011-10-14 (1 days ago)

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Thomas Hood (jdthood)]

I couldn't reproduce the problem in Ubuntu 12.04.