It would be nice if NetworkManager was to connect automatically to connections that require authentication, like wi-fi ones, and that are marked as "connect automatically" and "available for all users". This before the GNOME desktop is loaded.

There are two scenarios in which this is a wanted feature, imo:

1 - I've got a desktop PC that I'd like also to provide SSH access and some other services (Apache, for example) for other computers in my network. It uses a wi-fi connection. I'd like to be able to just boot it - or also having it to come up again after a power failure - and avoid having to log in before it connects to the network.

2 - Xorg for some reason refuses to go up (broken video drivers with the last ubuntu upgrade are a pertaining example...). I'd like to jump to a console and avoiding to manually use iwconfig to configure my wi-fi connection trying to remember my WPA key by heart - my PC should be already connected. Then I can just do apt-get update + upgrade and return to work in a graphical environment.

This feature could also lead to shorten the time before I've got an usable desktop (not having to wait for association to the AP after log-in).