IssueTracker

This issue does not reproduce with dev preview 4.

Closing this issue as per comment #2 from reporter.

Here is the error trace:

NETWORK_NO_CONNECTION  =  "no network connection available"

com.android.providers.downloads.DownloadThread

private final DownloadInfo mInfo;
private final SystemFacade mSystemFacade;

public DownloadThread(Context context, SystemFacade systemFacade, DownloadInfo info,
       StorageManager storageManager) {
    ....
    mSystemFacade = systemFacade;
    mInfo = info;
    ....
}

private void executeDownload(State state, AndroidHttpClient client, HttpGet request)  throws StopRequestException, RetryDownload {
  InnerState innerState = new InnerState();
  byte data[] = new byte[Constants.BUFFER_SIZE];
  .....
  checkConnectivity();
  .....
}

private void checkConnectivity() throws StopRequestException {
    .....
    int networkUsable = mInfo.checkCanUseNetwork();
    .....
}

com.android.providers.downloads.DownloadInfo

public int mUid;
private SystemFacade mSystemFacade;

private DownloadInfo(Context context, SystemFacade systemFacade) {
     ....
     mSystemFacade = systemFacade;
     ....
}

public int checkCanUseNetwork() {
     final NetworkInfo info = mSystemFacade.getActiveNetworkInfo(mUid);
     if (info == null) {
         return NETWORK_NO_CONNECTION;
     }
     ........
}


com.android.providers.downloads.SystemFacade
 
public NetworkInfo getActiveNetworkInfo(int uid);

>> this method returns null

SystemFacade is implemented in this way:

com.android.providers.downloads.DownloadService

 public void onCreate() {
    ....
    if (mSystemFacade == null) {
        mSystemFacade = new RealSystemFacade(this);
    }
    ....
 }

class RealSystemFacade implements SystemFacade {
   
  public NetworkInfo getActiveNetworkInfo(int uid) {
     ConnectivityManager connectivity = (ConnectivityManager) mContext.getSystemService(Context.CONNECTIVITY_SERVICE);
     if (connectivity == null) {
         Log.w(Constants.TAG, "couldn't get connectivity manager");
         return null;
     }
     final NetworkInfo activeInfo = connectivity.getActiveNetworkInfoForUid(uid);
     if (activeInfo == null && Constants.LOGVV) {
         Log.v(Constants.TAG, "network is not available");
     }
     return activeInfo;
  }
}

The ConnectivityManager.getActiveNetworkInfoForUid(uid) returns null for VPN

Please fix it right now!

This needs to be fixed.

Hi,

I have a similar problem as above, when connecting my Nexus 7 to Nexus S, via bluetooth to share the 3G connection certain Apps fail to see an internet connection, like BBC news, whilst some Apps carry on working, for example Sky News & Chrome. Everything works okay if I use the WiFi hotspot on the Nexus S, however I don't like walking around with that turned on!

Thanks,

Chris

[Comment deleted]

same issue as the OP, the same problem affects many other apps, for example http://opengarden.com

Some apps do not work. Please correct.

On my Nexus 7 (running latest Jelly Bean) tethered to my Droid X (Gingerbread) via Open Garden's Bluetooth VPN:

- I am able to use the Google Play store, however I cannot download or update.
- The Gmail app does not update/retrieve new mail over the VPN, requiring a wi-fi connection to work properly.
- Chrome works just fine, as well as Youtube.

Please fix this ASAP, as this cripples not just email communication but potential Play sales. Thank you.

Please fix it, cant use OpenVPN or buildin L2TP/IPSec PSK VPN.

Please Fix this.

Soon, please? Wifi ain't always available; tethering sux batteries and is either expensive, prohibited, or both; and many Android devices are without their own cell radios these days...

Some of the users above are actually using cell phones capable of Wi-Fi hotspots creation. There are some of us who feel a sense of relief that though or cellphones do not support Wi-Fi hotspots, awe can use Bluetooth tethering. Then we find that we have applications designed by Google which do not care about this mode of communication at all. Please fix this in the spirit of android, it's an operating system for everybody.

It would be very helpful if you fix this problem, there are a lot of people out there who don't have Wifi on their mobile phone.

Please fix this Google! Seems strange that you would require users to use only 1 form of connection on a device that is made to have many different way of connecting. Why not just put a check for VPN in and use that if possible? Granted I know nothing about fixing this, I just love Android!

Please allow for unfettered network access through a vpn.  

Thank you

Please fix it so that Opengarden.com will be able to get my gmail downloaded to my Nexus 7.

Please fix, this is also a usability issue!

Please fix, makes my tablet worthless since we can not wifi tether at work only bluetooth tether is allowed.

BIG PLEASE fix it!!! THis is so stupid, that I can't use my Nokia E52 Internet connection via Bluetooth modem on some apps in cause of this stupid bug. I understand, that some things are made perfidiously, for user must buy new gear, but please, don't exaggerate.

Goooooooogleeee. Please fix this.

The fact that I can't use a vpn to access the internet in most apps is ridiculous.

[Comment deleted]

I am very surprised this still hasn't been fixed/updated by now. Using a VPN is only natural, especially in locations where wireless or 3G/4G service is unavailable.

My Asus Nexus 7 (by Google, imagine that!) cannot connect to 3G/4G towers, so I rely on my Droid X for connectivity via Bluetooth. Sure, I can surf the web, but apps such as Gmail and Calendar will not update, as well as many other apps.

It is simply common sense that this oversight should be looked at and corrected.

I'll take a look at this issue.

Thank you Mirko for such a detailed analysis.

I do have a question though - why are you all using VPNs?  It sounds like what you want is a bluetooth reverse tether - ie, using your laptop's network connection for access to the internet from your phone.  That's supported out of the box without 3rd party apps or the overhead of encryption and round trips of your data to userspace and back.

Usually the goal is reverse tether using a phone's network connection to access the internet from your phone. This is not supported in all situations, and many apps do a better job of connecting automatically than the native solution.

Not only is it not supported in all situations, it's turned off/disabled in many phones by the carriers so that tethering plans are required.  Therefore, to get the "built-in" functionality one must first root their phone.

> I do have a question though - why are you all using VPNs?

My use case is to connect an Asus Transformer Prime to the internet over a bluetooth connection with a Nokia E71 phone.

The Android on the tablet doesn't recognize the relevant bluetooth service on the phone for this out of the box. With the BlueVPN app from google play this connection becomes possible, but it's not recognized in all circumstances as previously mentioned.

This issue is a bit embarrassing as people have been able to do this on other operating systems for well over a decade now.

I was able to connect an iPad (Facetime wouldn't work because it wasn't WiFi) to the internet over Bluetooth on my Galaxy Nexus. I couldn't do the same with my Nexus 7.

thx for the info everyone.

Because of how the vpn api was implemented, it doesn't appear as a first class network itself.  Normally it relies on the first class network it's traveling over for the connected status.  However, this clever vpn operating over different type of BT connection which also doesn't appear as a first class network.

The fix is to make the framework VPN code appear as a first class network (meaning, fully supported by the framework, not just appearing to the kernel).  We have an internal issue to do just that.

However, I should point out that even if I fix this today (which I can't do - it's a big change) the fix won't be released for a long time (maybe 6 months?) and then unless you have a recent google nexus device you won't get the fix until your OEM ports your device to the new release and gets it approved by your carrier.  It will take a while.

I'm sorry that we didn't anticipate your OEM turning off BT reverse tethering or opengarden doing what they are doing with the APIs.

Thank you very much for creating the internal issue to make VPNs appear as networks to connectivity manager (if I got this right).

This will make our users so much happier.

If you have any idea about what Android version this might go into or any details on time, I would appreciate hearing about it privately (I'm shalunov at opengarden.com and we do have an NDA with Google).

The easiest way to test this with Android only is to use a phone running Open Garden and a Nexus 7 running Open Garden; *after the devices connect*, turn off Wi-Fi on the Nexus 7, forcing Open Garden to route via the Bluetooth P2P connection; then use any of the affected apps.  We have a list of about 30 affected apps, but perhaps the easiest to use for testing is Google Play Market: it can browse over Open Garden, but can't actually download or install apps.

Thanks again for picking this up!

> I do have a question though - why are you all using VPNs?

Android doesn't support Bluetooth DUN profile, so if I want to use my Nokia phone's 3G from my Nexus 7, I have only one option - BlueVPN app from the market.

My mobile doesn´t support Bluetooth thetering, so I use BlueVPN too.

Hi i m using anycall S1 issue is that i m unable to login gmail as error appeares" unable to establish reliable connection to server".now i cant access to play store as well kindly help How i can get rid of this?

Same issue here, hope there will be a fix soon.

Thank you rgreenwalt, let me describe briefly what happens:

I've developed a 3rd app, named BlueVPN; it opens a VPN connection over the bluetooth channel (the VPN server is the localhost and the app manages all requests/responses from/to the BT channel and forward them to the VPN).  The aim of this app is to enable the internet connection through old phones with GPRS modem (DUN BT profile).
All works fine if apps don't perform the check for a valid network info:  network traffic is redirected to the VPN and after to the bluetooth channel.  
At the contrary, if the app asks Android if there is a valid connection, (usually by calling the getActiveNetworkInfo  method), the S.O. replies with "null" and, the app stops working and shows the error message, even if it is possible to go forward with data exchange. [ for example, if you have the wifi enabled before start the app and you open the VPN service over the BlueVPN app, the app continues to work fine even if you turn off the wifi ]  
Why don't you change the getActiveNetworkInfo in this way?:  returns a dummy network info if there is an active VPN already opened.   This will be usefull also for other popular apps like OpenVPN.

Hi Mirko,

There are several problems with the current implementation of VPNs and we'd
like to fix it.  However we  need to reflect real VPN status, rather than a
blanket dummy statement, otherwise we'd be reporting connected even if the
VPN couldn't reach its server.  Thanks for your suggestion

R

rgreen, I'm not sure I understand why if a network connection is available, why not check for that before reporting there is none.  Meaning,  browsers and other apps that use certain ports don't worry about VPN status...they just look to get the data via a network connection.  So...why not correctly report if a network connection is availabe?

connectivityservice defines if a network connection is available.  What this API is asking is if there is a connection with a default route and CS is supposed to have set all routes.  The current VPN impl is broken as it lies to CS.  Had it not lied, then this call would work.

CS could also check the route table and report that back to apps as you sugget, but since all entries there should have come from CS, it's an optimization to not do this and instead look at local state.  If they two don't match, we're in big trouble as CS will be making decisions in the future based on bad info.

[Comment deleted]

My code is something like this:

VpnService.Builder builder = new android.net.VpnService.Builder();
builder.addAddress("10.20.30.40", 24);          
builder.addRoute("0.0.0.0", 0);
builder.addDnsServer("8.8.8.8");
builder.addDnsServer("8.8.4.4");
ParcelFileDescriptor parcel = builder.setSession("BlueVPN Connection").establish();

When the VPN is established the "tun0" record is added to the routing table; why don't you check the presence of tun0 (or eth0 / usb0 for ethernet / usb respectively) in the routing table?

AS a physician, I am interested in the redundancy of mesh networks in cases of natural disasters and getting data to the right palace at the right time.

Currently I am using Verizon HTC Incredible with Galaxy Tab 7 Version 2. The VPN setup is appealing as I understand VPNs.

Programs on tablet seem to look for WiFi connection and do not recognize BT connectivity to Internet via Open Garden.   Thank you to both Google and Open Garden for your efforts to promote redundant seamless wireless connectivity!!
Regards,  Jim Cox

rgreen, one important thing to keep in mind:  android.net.VpnService.protect() binds the file descriptor to the "active" interface (in ConnectivityService.protectVpn()). Our application must protect sockets after the VPN is configured, and if the VPN is configured and considered "active", this protect call will not have the desired effect. So protectVpn should exclude the VPN interface from consideration, and bind to the correct interface.

http://opengarden.com requires this bug to be fixed.

[Comment deleted]

Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda phone premium kits use the BT DUN profile, so this bug is for me a big issue as these cars are big sales.
Can we have feedback from a google engineers if the bug is planned to be solved?
Thanks.

Nokia phone users from all around the world, of course also who has got a android tablet without 3g. Needs for using nokia internet connection has got two choises.
1-AD HOC connection for symbian tethering software named joikuspot.  But No way in android for connection Ad-Hoc wifi, other than a file named WPA Supplicant suitable for the Adroid version
2-Bluetooth DUN Profile, For android only one solution for this connection, software named BluetoothVPN. Thank to Mirko Especially for answer speed. When I send him any feedback or question. His answer time could be measured by seconds or maybe minutes.

Thats why please mr Google please solve no connection problem in btdun for  google drive (just an example).

And  please please please!! solve Ad-Hoc connection support problem. When The i*** toys could connect to adhoc or BTDun, I coundnt accept this stupid problems for android

Having same problem using my galaxy tablet 2 10.1. Please, do no evil and fix this issue now!

Any news about this issue?   Is there any workaround to allow apps to go forward when the VPN is enabled?   I know they can exchange data through the tun0 interface, but they stop if the preliminary check ( getActiveNetworkInfo ) returns null!

This will be fixed in a future release, but I can't give guidance as to when that might be.

I suspect that dns will also be broken until this can be properly fixed.  I don't know of a good workaround.

rgreenw: Can you elaborate about the DNS issue? And do you mean this is something that occurs today, or will begin to occur after the upcoming fix?

Ah, you can ignore that DNS comment.  The mechanism used to inform the resolver of DNS server addresses has changed and I didn't realize how the Vpn system connected that up - it should not be an issue.

The DNS(s) for the VPN can be set in the VPNService builder:

VpnService.Builder builder = new android.net.VpnService.Builder();
....
builder.addDnsServer("8.8.8.8");
builder.addDnsServer("8.8.4.4");

The simple change to apply is returning a DUMMY NetWorkInfo for getActiveNetworkInfo() when the tun0 (or usb0 or eth0) is present in the routing table and no other interface is currently available (no WiFi, no 3G ...)
If there is a record in the routing table, why the getActiveNetworkInfo() returns null?  This is a BUG

I think this is not so hard to implement!
 

Today I had the "experience" using bluevpn. The very point is the app works fine but neither android 4.1 nor the google apps: gmap and email. So if you are unable to fix android, why not start to fix the apps not working?

I've been waiting for this issue to be resolved for nearly a year.

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