Detect carrier connection type (3G / EDGE / GPRS)

Question

How can i get the type of connection of a carrier network?

• I\'m able to get if connection is WIFI or WWAN using Reachability class

• I

Answer 1

I am working on an iPhone application that requires the ability to recognize which type of internet connection is currently being used (Wifi, 3G, Edge, etc). I found a simple way to check by using Apples Reachability sample code. There seems to be a shortage of information about this online, I hope this can help someone.

First copy Reachability.m/.h into your project and include #include "Reachability.h" into your class.

Reachability *reach = [[Reachability alloc]init];
if (reach.internetConnectionStatus == NotReachable) {
    NSLog(@"No Connection Found");
} else if (reach.internetConnectionStatus == ReachableViaCarrierDataNetwork) {
    NSLog(@"3G or Edge");
} else if (reach.internetConnectionStatus == ReachableViaWiFiNetwork) {
    NSLog(@"Wifi Connection");
}
[reach release];

This code may not be the best way to accomplish this, but it appears to be the most simple approach.

Answer 2

The accepted answer isn't working on iOS 10. I found a workaround and setup a timer in AppDelegate which is checking the property currentRadioAccessTechnology every 5 seconds. Therefore we also need a function to check if WIFI connection is available instead of radio access technology.

Check if WIFI Connection is available:

class func isConnectedToWlan() -> Bool {
    var zeroAddress = sockaddr_in(sin_len: 0, sin_family: 0, sin_port: 0, 
                         sin_addr: in_addr(s_addr: 0), sin_zero: (0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0))
    zeroAddress.sin_len = UInt8(MemoryLayout.size(ofValue: zeroAddress))
    zeroAddress.sin_family = sa_family_t(AF_INET)

    let defaultRouteReachability = withUnsafePointer(to: &zeroAddress) {
        $0.withMemoryRebound(to: sockaddr.self, capacity: 1) {zeroSockAddress in
            SCNetworkReachabilityCreateWithAddress(nil, zeroSockAddress)
        }
    }

    var flags: SCNetworkReachabilityFlags = SCNetworkReachabilityFlags(rawValue: 0)
    if SCNetworkReachabilityGetFlags(defaultRouteReachability!, &flags) == false {
        return false
    }

    //Only Working for WIFI
     let isReachable = flags == .reachable
     let needsConnection = flags == .connectionRequired

     return isReachable && !needsConnection
}

Setup the timer like this:

Timer.scheduledTimer(timeInterval: TimeInterval.seconds(5.0), target: self, selector:      
                           #selector(showNetworkMessage), userInfo: nil, repeats: true)

Selector which is called every 5 seconds:

    guard !Reachability.isConnecteToWlan() else {
        //Connected to WLAN
        return
    }
    guard let currentRadioAccessTechnology = info.currentRadioAccessTechnology else {
        // No internet connection
        return
    }
    guard (currentRadioAccessTechnology == CTRadioAccessTechnologyGPRS 
             || currentRadioAccessTechnology == CTRadioAccessTechnologyEdge) else {
        // 3G, LTE fast radio access Technology
        return
    }

    if lastRadioAccessTechnology != nil {
        guard let lastRadioAccessTechnology = lastRadioAccessTechnology, 
            (lastInfo != currentRadioAccessTechnology || 
              lastInfo != currentRadioAccessTechnology) else {
            //Internet connection did not change
            return
        }
    }
    // Internet connection changed to Edge or GPRS
    // Store lastRadioAccessTechnology to check if internet connection changed
    lastRadioAccessTechnology = currentRadioAccessTechnology

Answer 3

Here the OLD solution, using private API, in particular SoftwareUpdateServices.framework

Class NetworkMonitor = NSClassFromString(@"SUNetworkMonitor");
NSLog(@"TYPE: %d", [NetworkMonitor currentNetworkType]);

It returns:

0: NO DATA
1: WIFI
2: GPRS/EDGE
3: 3G

hope this helps community.

Answer 4

From iOS 7 on you can use:

CTTelephonyNetworkInfo *telephonyInfo = [CTTelephonyNetworkInfo new];
NSLog(@"Current Radio Access Technology: %@", telephonyInfo.currentRadioAccessTechnology);
[NSNotificationCenter.defaultCenter addObserverForName:CTRadioAccessTechnologyDidChangeNotification 
                                                object:nil 
                                                 queue:nil 
                                            usingBlock:^(NSNotification *note) 
{
    NSLog(@"New Radio Access Technology: %@", telephonyInfo.currentRadioAccessTechnology);
}];

I have also found this to detect a slow or fast connection:

- (BOOL)isFast:(NSString*)radioAccessTechnology {
    if ([radioAccessTechnology isEqualToString:CTRadioAccessTechnologyGPRS]) {
        return NO;
    } else if ([radioAccessTechnology isEqualToString:CTRadioAccessTechnologyEdge]) {
        return NO;
    } else if ([radioAccessTechnology isEqualToString:CTRadioAccessTechnologyWCDMA]) {
        return YES;
    } else if ([radioAccessTechnology isEqualToString:CTRadioAccessTechnologyHSDPA]) {
        return YES;
    } else if ([radioAccessTechnology isEqualToString:CTRadioAccessTechnologyHSUPA]) {
        return YES;
    } else if ([radioAccessTechnology isEqualToString:CTRadioAccessTechnologyCDMA1x]) {
        return NO;
    } else if ([radioAccessTechnology isEqualToString:CTRadioAccessTechnologyCDMAEVDORev0]) {
        return YES;
    } else if ([radioAccessTechnology isEqualToString:CTRadioAccessTechnologyCDMAEVDORevA]) {
        return YES;
    } else if ([radioAccessTechnology isEqualToString:CTRadioAccessTechnologyCDMAEVDORevB]) {
        return YES;
    } else if ([radioAccessTechnology isEqualToString:CTRadioAccessTechnologyeHRPD]) {
        return YES;
    } else if ([radioAccessTechnology isEqualToString:CTRadioAccessTechnologyLTE]) {
        return YES;
    }

    return YES;
}