CODEWITHSUNDEEP
androidnetwork-interface
Allen
Allen

Reputation: 183

Android NetworkInterface. What are the meanings of names of NetworkInterface?

I want to get available network of the current device, so I firstly get networkinterfaces list:

NetworkInterface.getNetworkInterfaces();

Then, iterate every one:

NetworkInterface intf = en.nextElement();
String name = intf.getName();

Here is the problem. The names of returned value of 'name' are: rmnet_data1, dymmy0, wlan0, rmnet_usb0, intf, lo, p2p0, sit0. (on my device) I want to know what are the meanings of them.

Upvotes: 16

Views: 41447

Answers (3)

MainPlay TG
MainPlay TG

Reputation: 1

I connected the phone to the computer and turned on the USB modem. Interface name: rndis0

Upvotes: 0

jox
jox

Reputation: 2368

ap or swlan interfaces (depending on the Android distribution) can be found when the Mobile Hotspot (Access Point) is activated on an Android device. It might also be associated with a regular wlan interface though (observed on devices where it is not possible to activate the WiFi connection and Mobile Hotspot at the same time, e.g. Android 9 on Galaxy Tab S2).

Upvotes: 1

jeyoor
jeyoor

Reputation: 948

Since Android is based on Linux, Linux network interface naming patterns apply to Android devices.

Here's some resources on *nix network interface naming

To summarize:

lo usually stands for the loopback interface (localhost)

wlan usually stands for a wireless networking interface

rmnet interfaces are usually associated with cellular connections and usb tethering

sit interfaces are associated with tunneling IPv6 over IPv4

p2p interfaces are usually associated with peer-to-peer connections (perhaps your Android device's WiFi Direct support?)

dummy interfaces provide special aliases for the loopback interface

Upvotes: 45

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