After recent updates display and wi-fi is lost

[Bret Busby]

Because this thread refers to "wi-fi is lost", "After recent
upgrades", here is a thing; a problem, with which I do not know how to
deal, that has arisen in the last twelve hours.

I access the Internet, using wifi connections from my computers, to a
wifi/4G modem/router.

I had to go out for a few hours, several hours ago, and, after I
returned, my computers had lost the connection to the Internet. In
trying to re-establish the connection, I tried first, the "Try again";
using the same device for the Internet connection. That did not work,
so, I tried to use another wifi device, to connect to the Internet. My
cellphone uses a different 4G carrier, so, I tried to switch to that.

I was able to do that, after a couple of steps, on my 20.10 system.
The 20.10 system appears, in the "indicator applet thingy that is used
to get network connection (this appears to be a MATE thing, and,
thence, a downgrading of functionality n MATE), to have lost the
convenience that exists in the 16.04.x equivalent, of listing all
available devices for connection, so making switchimg from one wifi
devoice to another, a simple action of clicking the list entry for the
new target wifi device for connection. So, in 20.10, the current
connected device has to be disconnected, and then, when the
notification that the disconnection has been effected, is displayed,
the applet icon has to be again, selected, to, only then, display the
list of available devices, for the new target wifi device, to which to
be connected, to then be selected, to effect the transfer of the wifi
connection to that device.

In 16.04.x, selecting the wifi connection applet icon, while a wifi
connection is in effect, displays a list of all available wifi
connections, including the current connected device, which has the
"Disconnect" option under it, the displayed listing of all available
devices, allowing for a single click on the desired target device, to
transfer the wifi connection to that device.

This much more efficient process, appears to have been eliminated, in
the downgrading from 16.04 to 20.10.

However, apart from that being one of the downgrades from 16.04 to
20.109, the primary concern of this message is this; as of the last
twelve hours, I can no longer change the wifi connection, on 16.04.7 .

Upon selecting the network connection applet icon, in the "indicator
applet" set, in the panel, and, thence, clicking on either a different
(to the one to which the current connection is in effect) available
wifi device, to which, to transfer the wifi connection, or, the
"Disconnect" option for the current connected wifi device, to simply
sever the connection, the system has removed the authorisation to
perform the action, as shown in the attached screenshot, with that
change, having mysteriously been made, being observed only in the last
twelve hours.

If I power off and reboot the modem (which I have now had to do,
twice, in the last twelve hours), a new connection to the Internet, is
made, for as long as the modem connection to the Internet, or, the
wifi connection to the modem, lasts. The indicator shows full wifi
signal strength between the computer and the modem, but, given this
weird change that has recently occurred, I do not know that what is
displayed by that applet, can be trusted.

What has caused this, and, why, and, what action is needed to be
performed, to undo the change?

I have not seen this problem before.

Thank you in anticipation.

-- 
Bret Busby
Armadale
West Australia
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