The name is quite self-explanatory – this is what you should use to manage your network, which usually only consists of establishing an Internet connection. In many cases this is done more or less automatically. For example, if you are connected with wire, NetworkManager will try to obtain network access automatically. If you want to connect via wireless with a supported wireless adapter, you are basically two clicks away.

Click on its icon in the notification area to find the list of available connections:

All wireless networks your computer is picking up are listed there, as are all wired networks you have access to (usually one per wire), so the second click is used for choosing any one of these. If the network is protected you will be prompted for a password.

Mobile and Dial-Up Modems

NetworkManager supports mobile modems but do not support dial-up modems at the moment. See the corresponding ticket.

VPN

There is currently no documented method of using VPN with Tails. See the corresponding ticket.