Aargh! I thought you were working from the command line without a GUI! You have been bitten by the problem of upgrading -current with NetworkManager. There is a thread on this, but I cannot search now.
The good news is that whatever has been upgraded should not need to be redone.

How are you connecting to the internet? Is it a wired network connection to a modem/router?
This should be easy to configure using at the command line using 'netconfig'.

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Glad to know my problem has a pedigree, and that the poison doesn't sound too bad!

Connection? Unfortunately (I use the word in many ways) it is _wireless_ with optus!

So, this is a known problem with -current, huh?

Here was I thinking it was just my undirected panicked monkey hands that bruised my already-battered GUI and made the connection icon disappear!
As it is, nothing I do within the gui will restart NetworkManager!

I have just found a lead on resetting xfce4 to its original configuration, but from you say here, that would not do me any good as the problem is with -current install changing NWorkMger, right?

You're a legend, I'll do the search!
Catch you later tonight, hopefully with a KDE-emblazoned gui!!!!!

Edit: Done! (and believe me, I'm getting better at finding things out for myself, so hereafter won't be instantly hitting the board, but googling first)
Found this: http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...nt-4175455403/
Working on it now!