Thanks for a bug report. Evolution uses GNetworkMonitor for this functionality, it used to use direct NetworkManager interface, but than was switched to this, thus either there is some boolean reverse in Evolution (which is unlikely, I use evolution in a similar environment as you), or some glib or glib-networking functionality changed. Could you provide versions of these packages, please?

Sure -

glib-networking-2.34.2-1.fc18.x86_64
glib2-2.34.2-2.fc18.x86_64

If there's anything else I can do to help on this one please let me know.

I updated my glib to the same version as that yours (I had 2.34.2-1), but it works as expected, changes in my vpn (I'm using vpnc command directly) didn't cause evolution to switch to offline. I would guess this is something about NetworkManager then.

Jirko, do you have any idea, please?

yeah , F18 missed evolution-NetworkManager like we have in F17, and this cause lots of troubles

*** Bug 918775 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

I am hitting the same issue.

In my case, I am running a shell script which monitors the vpn connection and since it breaks frequently and randomly, restarts it when necessary. Sometimes when vpnc dies, it leaves the network in a messed up state so my script works around this by restarting network manager to get a clean state, this is its workflow:

1.) check if vpn is reachable (by pinging a known internal server)
2.) if yes then just sleep
3.) if not then check if google is reachable
4.) if yes, just start vpnc
5.) if not, then:
                        nmcli nm enable false
                        sleep 1
                        nmcli nm enable true


I don't know exactly when, but evolution ends up in a state where it thinks its oflline and won't allow going online. 

fun fact is that firefox doesnt think its online.

(In reply to comment #9 of  bug 911605 )
> The evolution-NetworkManager is not needed anymore,
> evolution uses GLib's GNetworkMonitor, which checks for online/offline in a
> way it does (I do not know the internals for it, it just works for me here -
> if I unplug my network cable evolution notices it (same as NetworkManager),
> and turns itself into offline mode, and, vice versa, when I plug the cable
> back, evolution turns itself into online mode, as soon as the connection is
> established).
> 
> *** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of bug 911605 ***

well GLib's GNetworkMonitor, seems that works very badly , with many regressions when evolution-NetworkManager worked  great , 
well Gnome people seems that doesn't like things that just work ...

(In reply to comment #7)
> well GLib's GNetworkMonitor, seems that works very badly , with many
> regressions when evolution-NetworkManager worked  great , 
> well Gnome people seems that doesn't like things that just work ...

Right, I'm also unhappy of regressions, but I guess once the network manager "plugin" (or how they call it) in GLib's GNetworkMonitor will be fixed, all its users will benefit.

I found some bugs which can explain this problems , 

I use evolution on kde windows manager , 
when I start evolution sometime does not ask for password of key ring and hangs .
when password change on server , also does not interact correctly to prompt a new password , as it does in gnome windows manager. 
and more 
gsettings-data-convert crash with this message Settings schema 'org.gnome.evolution' does not contain a key named 'last-upgraded-version' 
bug #887246
and #886881 the state is :  "evolution-rss-0.3.92-2.fc18.x86_64 
(...) but from what I see I guess the reason is
that the %pre and %preun sections still touch GConf schemas file, while the
sources got ported to GSettings, thus this .schemas file is gone. "

(In reply to comment #9)
> 
> I use evolution on kde windows manager , 
> when I start evolution sometime does not ask for password of key ring and
> hangs .
> when password change on server , also does not interact correctly to prompt
> a new password , as it does in gnome windows manager. 

That's bug #953641

> and more 
> gsettings-data-convert crash with this message Settings schema
> 'org.gnome.evolution' does not contain a key named 'last-upgraded-version' 
> bug #887246
> and #886881 the state is :  "evolution-rss-0.3.92-2.fc18.x86_64 
> (...)

right, it's bug #887246 and bug #886881

> but from what I see I guess the reason is
> that the %pre and %preun sections still touch GConf schemas file, while the
> sources got ported to GSettings, thus this .schemas file is gone. "

No separate bug for the .spec file changes yet, but I do not think it is anyhow related to this "misunderstands network status" bug. Maybe you meant to write your comment into other bug report?

(In reply to comment #10)
> but I do not think it is
> anyhow related to this "misunderstands network status" bug. Maybe you meant
> to write your comment into other bug report?

No, when I wrote my bug "network problems make evolution hangs". It what it seems, because evolution writes in status bar: resolving, receiving and hangs. But problems now seems is not the network but the others bugs ...
So maybe regressions are not in misunderstand the network status, that why I wrote here .

Still a problem in F19

Still a problem in F19.

Please see [1], this might be caused by other parts than by evolution in f19.

[1] https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=700414#c13

After applying the latest updates in F19 the problem seems to have disappeared - I can enable and disable the VPN connection without Evolution entering the offline state.

Currently installed components are

evolution-3.8.4-2.fc19.x86_64
NetworkManager-0.9.8.2-8.git20130709.fc19.x86_64

Great, thanks. I'm closing this then.