java.net.socketexception: The operation timed out problem in android?

Question

In my application i wrote code for connecting to the URL like below

InputStream inputStream = new URL(url).openStream();    

i got the error.Iam sending my logcat

12-17 15:06:55.065: WARN/System.err(4952): java.net.SocketException: The operation timed out
12-17 15:06:55.065: WARN/System.err(4952):     at org.apache.harmony.luni.platform.OSNetworkSystem.connectStreamWithTimeoutSocketImpl(Native Method)
12-17 15:06:55.065: WARN/System.err(4952):     at org.apache.harmony.luni.platform.OSNetworkSystem.connect(OSNetworkSystem.java:115)
12-17 15:06:55.065: WARN/System.err(4952):     at org.apache.harmony.luni.net.PlainSocketImpl.connect(PlainSocketImpl.java:244)
12-17 15:06:55.075: WARN/System.err(4952):     at org.apache.harmony.luni.net.PlainSocketImpl.connect(PlainSocketImpl.java:533)
12-17 15:06:55.075: WARN/System.err(4952):     at java.net.Socket.connect(Socket.java:1055)
12-17 15:06:55.075: WARN/System.err(4952):     at org.apache.harmony.luni.internal.net.www.protocol.http.HttpConnection.<init>(HttpConnection.java:62)
12-17 15:06:55.075: WARN/System.err(4952):     at org.apache.harmony.luni.internal.net.www.protocol.http.HttpConnectionPool.get(HttpConnectionPool.java:88)
12-17 15:06:55.075: WARN/System.err(4952):     at org.apache.harmony.luni.internal.net.www.protocol.http.HttpURLConnectionImpl.getHTTPConnection(HttpURLConnectionImpl.java:927)
12-17 15:06:55.085: WARN/System.err(4952):     at org.apache.harmony.luni.internal.net.www.protocol.http.HttpURLConnectionImpl.connect(HttpURLConnectionImpl.java:909)
12-17 15:06:55.085: WARN/System.err(4952):     at org.apache.harmony.luni.internal.net.www.protocol.http.HttpURLConnectionImpl.getInputStream(HttpURLConnectionImpl.java:1152)
12-17 15:06:55.085: WARN/System.err(4952):     at java.net.URL.openStream(URL.java:653)

How to solve this problem

Answer 1

This is happening because some times your server is taking too long to respond. Actually this could also happening due to a slow network, so you don't have full control over it. If you were using HttpClient, you could increase the timeout period:

HttpParams httpParameters = new BasicHttpParams();
HttpConnectionParams.setConnectionTimeout(httpParameters, CONNECTION_TIMEOUT);
HttpConnectionParams.setSoTimeout(httpParameters, WAIT_RESPONSE_TIMEOUT);
HttpConnectionParams.setTcpNoDelay(httpParameters, true);

client = new DefaultHttpClient(httpParameters);

CONNECTION_TIMEOUT is the time to wait for a connection to establish. WAIT_RESPONSE_TIMEOUT is the time to wait for data to be received - in your case this is what you need to increase.

Bottom line:

• Stop using URL and start using HttpClient now.
• The situation you are describing is a very common one in a production application and you need to cater for it. Increasing the timeout won't always help, as your application will appear to halt when there is a slow network. You could add a retry mechanism or inform the user that the request has failed and ask him to try again.