Comment 124 for bug 1589401

@fourdollars, I installed your ppa in #120 above. Unfortunately I could not detect any significant change compared to the latest released versions. Following are my notes from my tests. The test PC has a fresh Ubuntu 16.04 install with all updates. The wifi interface name is wlp1s0 and there is no wired ethernet hw in the PC.

First tests done before installing the test ppa.
The tests where run in the exact sequence as listed.
  Action. - Result
1 Initial start of PC. - nm-applet ok
2 Radio HW off-on. - nm-applet not connected, no APs listed
3 service network-manager restart. - after long delay (>30s), connected, APs listed
4 suspend/resume. - not connected, no APs listed
5 service network-manager restart. - nm-applet ok
6 radio HW off-on. after long delay, works ok, APs listed
7 suspend/resume. - after long delay, works ok, APs listed
8 radio hw off-on. - nm-applet ok
9 shut down

10 start PC. - nm-applet ok
11 disable/enable networking (nm-applet menu option). nm-applet shows up/down arrow, no APs 12 listed, connection working
12 service network-manager restart. - nm-applet ok
13 suspend/resume. - nm-applet ok
14 disable/enable networking. - long delay until connecting, APs listed
15 Shut down

Started PC
Installed fourdollars ppa and verified that "test1" versions had been installed.

16 Restarted PC. - nm-applet ok
17 radio hw off/on. - nm-applet not connected, no APs listed, after very long delay up/down arrows
18 killall nm-applet && nm-applet & exit. - nm-applet ok
19 radio hw off/on. - not connected, no APs listed, after long delay up/down arrows, connection working
20 service network-manager restart. - nm-applet ok
21 suspend/resume. - nm-applet ok
22 disable/enable networking. - nm-applet ok
23 suspend/resume. - nm-applet ok
24 shut down

25 start PC. nm-applet ok
26 suspend/resume. - up/down arrows, no APs listed, connected
27 killall nm-applet && nm-applet & exit. - nm-applet ok
28 suspend/resume. - up/down arrows, no APs, connected
29 service network-manager restart. - nm-applet ok
30 radio hw off/on. - nm-applet ok

31 Restart PC. - nm-applet ok
32 radio hw off/on. - not connected, no APs listed
33 killall nm-applet && nm-applet & exit. - not connected, no APs listed
34 service network-manager restart. - long delay until connected, APs listed
35 radio hw off/on. - nm-applet ok

I hope these tests can be of some use... as noted earlier, it appears as if the problem goes away after "sudo service network-manager restart". The "killall nm-applet && nm-applet & exit" will make the nm-applet work ok, but only until next disabling event be it suspend/resume, hw switch off/on or sw disable/enable.

In addition to this documented test I have experienced the two problem symptoms (no wifi connection and or incorrect network icon and no APs listed in the nm-applet) on 7 different PCs all with Ubuntu 16.04 with latest updates. All the PCs have different HW (incl wifi) and are of widely different ages. In fact I only have one PC that has not exhibited any of the problems. That PC is running Lubuntu 16.04.

It is my experience that the "sudo service network-manager restart" command will correct the problem situation about 70% of the times and when that command is not correcting the problem the "killall nn-applet && nm-applet & exit" command will correct the problem in most of the remaining cases, however there are a few occasions when neither command will correct the situation.

Sorry for the long post, but I hope it helps locating the bug(s).