Better to view this as a security feature rather than a sign of failure. My
own ThinkPenguin dongle experiences broken connections now & then, more so
when I've got multiple nMap scans going on. No data is ever lost; and the
scans pick up right where they left off when the connection is re-made.
Unplugging & then reconnecting the dongle re-makes the connection OK ... if
it doesn't, use a different USB port to wake it up.
I also have a Think Penguin extended-coverage device, which has the accessory
antenna for boosting coverage. If I'm using them while I'm running the nMap
scans, the connection breaks more frequently, confirming the cause: too many
competing WiFi installations. Disconnecting the antenna helps a lot; the
coverage drops dramatically, but connects to my own router reliably.
That said, my connection indicator never lies to me: if the fan is blank,
there's no connection; if there are multiple "waves" it's connected.
I'm using Trisquel flidas on a ThinkPad T420 and the "Indicator Applet
Complete 1.12.1" See http://www.mate-desktop.org
