Using Android Wi-Fi and Networking Features

Android devices provide a wide range of Wi-Fi and networking features that allow users to connect to wireless networks, manage network settings, and utilize various network-related functionalities in their applications. In this tutorial, we will explore the different aspects of using Wi-Fi and networking features on Android.

Enabling and Disabling Wi-Fi
Scanning for Wi-Fi Networks
Connecting to a Wi-Fi Network
Managing Network Connection Status
Accessing Network Information
Performing Network Calls

1. Enabling and Disabling Wi-Fi

To enable Wi-Fi programmatically in an Android application, you can use the following code snippet:

WifiManager wifiManager = (WifiManager) getSystemService(Context.WIFI_SERVICE);
wifiManager.setWifiEnabled(true); // Enable Wi-Fi

To disable Wi-Fi, change setWifiEnabled(true) to setWifiEnabled(false). Don't forget to add the necessary permissions in your app's manifest file:

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_WIFI_STATE"/>
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.CHANGE_WIFI_STATE"/>

2. Scanning for Wi-Fi Networks

To scan for available Wi-Fi networks, you can use the WifiManager class. Here's a basic example:

WifiManager wifiManager = (WifiManager) getSystemService(Context.WIFI_SERVICE);
wifiManager.startScan(); // Start the Wi-Fi scan

// Get the scan results
List<ScanResult> scanResults = wifiManager.getScanResults();
for (ScanResult scanResult : scanResults) {
    String wifiSSID = scanResult.SSID;
    // Process the scan result as needed
}

Remember to include the following permission in your manifest file:

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION"/>

3. Connecting to a Wi-Fi Network

To connect to a specific Wi-Fi network programmatically, you can create a WifiConfiguration object and add it to the WifiManager. Here's an example:

WifiManager wifiManager = (WifiManager) getSystemService(Context.WIFI_SERVICE);

WifiConfiguration wifiConfig = new WifiConfiguration();
wifiConfig.SSID = "\"" + networkSSID + "\""; // SSID of the network
wifiConfig.preSharedKey = "\"" + networkPassword + "\""; // Password of the network

int networkId = wifiManager.addNetwork(wifiConfig);
wifiManager.enableNetwork(networkId, true); // Connect to the network

Make sure to replace networkSSID and networkPassword with the actual SSID and password of the network you want to connect to.

4. Managing Network Connection Status

To manage network connection status, you can register a BroadcastReceiver to receive network state change events. Here's an example:

private BroadcastReceiver networkStateReceiver = new BroadcastReceiver() {
    @Override
    public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) {
        ConnectivityManager connManager = (ConnectivityManager) context.getSystemService(Context.CONNECTIVITY_SERVICE);
        NetworkInfo networkInfo = connManager.getActiveNetworkInfo();
        
        if (networkInfo != null && networkInfo.isConnected()) {
            // Network is connected
        } else {
            // Network is disconnected
        }
    }
};

// Register the receiver
IntentFilter networkStateFilter = new IntentFilter(ConnectivityManager.CONNECTIVITY_ACTION);
registerReceiver(networkStateReceiver, networkStateFilter);

Don't forget to unregister the receiver when it's no longer needed:

unregisterReceiver(networkStateReceiver);

5. Accessing Network Information

You can retrieve information about the currently connected network using ConnectivityManager. Here's an example:

ConnectivityManager connManager = (ConnectivityManager) getSystemService(Context.CONNECTIVITY_SERVICE);
NetworkInfo activeNetworkInfo = connManager.getActiveNetworkInfo();

if (activeNetworkInfo != null) {
    // Get the network type
    int networkType = activeNetworkInfo.getType();

    // Check if the network is Wi-Fi
    boolean isWifi = (networkType == ConnectivityManager.TYPE_WIFI);

    // Get the network name (SSID) when connected via Wi-Fi
    String wifiSSID = (isWifi) ? activeNetworkInfo.getExtraInfo() : "";

    // Access other network information as needed
}

6. Performing Network Calls

To perform network calls (HTTP requests) in your Android application, you can use libraries like Retrofit, Volley, or OkHttp. Here's an example using Retrofit:

Add the necessary dependencies to your build.gradle file:

implementation 'com.squareup.retrofit2:retrofit:2.x.x'
implementation 'com.squareup.retrofit2:converter-gson:2.x.x'

Define your API interface:

public interface ApiService {
    @GET("your-api-endpoint")
    Call<YourDataModel> getData();
}

Create a Retrofit instance:

String baseUrl = "https://api.example.com/";
Retrofit retrofit = new Retrofit.Builder()
        .baseUrl(baseUrl)
        .addConverterFactory(GsonConverterFactory.create())
        .build();

ApiService apiService = retrofit.create(ApiService.class);

Make a network call:

Call<YourDataModel> call = apiService.getData();
call.enqueue(new Callback<YourDataModel>() {
    @Override
    public void onResponse(Call<YourDataModel> call, Response<YourDataModel> response) {
        if (response.isSuccessful()) {
            YourDataModel data = response.body();
            // Process the data
        } else {
            // Handle error
        }
    }

    @Override
    public void onFailure(Call<YourDataModel> call, Throwable t) {
        // Handle failure
    }
});

This is a basic example of using Retrofit for network calls. You can further customize it based on your specific requirements.

That's it! This comprehensive guide covered the essential aspects of using Android Wi-Fi and networking features. You can now leverage these features to enhance the connectivity and functionality of your Android applications.