Cannot Get a Network Connections Dialog Box

[glennhowardsecure]

My Network Connections Icon is missing. Wifi is connected, but I have no icon with which to get a dialog box so I can configure VPN. When I try to access Network Connections using Menu selections, an indistinct dialog box briefly flashes on my desktop, with no text rendered and I think also with no buttons rendered, then disappears.

[computerbob]

In Menu you have "network" and "network connections"
Selecting "network" in the menu gives the networking screen
as does clicking on the Network Manager Applet in the Panel
If you are missing the NM applet
Go to system settings
open applets
see if the network manager is on
Even if it's not on, you will still have a wired connection.

[glennhowardsecure]

Thanks for your willingness to help, computuerbob. I am not sure what you mean by "go to system settings". Within the Menu, I have Places, System, and Applications. Within System I have Software Manager, Package Manager, Control Center, Terminal, Lock Screen, Logout, and Quit. When I go to Applications and click on Preferences I get a number of things to click on way over on the right. One of them is Network Connections, but when I click on this, I get the brief appearance of a not-quite-rendered dialog box, rather than a fully rendered one that would remain on screen and give me the opportunity to configure and run VPN as well as to manage my wifi connection.

[computerbob]

I'm running Mint16 Cinnamon64. Tell us what you're using and maybe someone familiar which your DE can help.

[kurotsugi]

try to run nm-applet from your terminal and tell us the result