NetSignal

Ultra-fast network state detection for React Native 0.80+ New Architecture

0.3ms latency • TurboModule powered • Android-first • Production ready

Features

• Lightning fast - 0.3ms response time via TurboModule
• New Architecture - Built for React Native 0.80+
• Production ready - Comprehensive error handling and thread safety
• Multiple connections - Detects WiFi + Ethernet redundancy
• React hooks - Clean integration with React components
• Zero dependencies - No external runtime dependencies

Requirements

• React Native 0.80.0 or higher
• New Architecture enabled (newArchEnabled=true)
• Android only (iOS support planned for v1.1.0)
• Kotlin 1.9+ for compilation

Installation

npm install netsignal

Setup

1. Enable New Architecture in android/gradle.properties:

newArchEnabled=true

2. Add package to MainApplication.kt:

import com.netsignal.NetSignalTurboPackage

override fun getPackages(): List<ReactPackage> = listOf(
    // ... other packages
    NetSignalTurboPackage()
)

3. Add permission to AndroidManifest.xml:

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

Basic Usage

import NetSignal, { useNetworkState } from 'netsignal';

// Synchronous methods (0.3ms each)
const isOnline = NetSignal.isConnected();
const networkType = NetSignal.getConnectionType(); // "wifi" | "cellular" | "ethernet" | "none"
const connectionCount = NetSignal.getActiveConnectionCount();
const hasBackup = NetSignal.hasMultipleConnections();

// React hook
function NetworkStatus() {
  const network = useNetworkState();

  return (
    <Text>
      {network.connected ? `Online via ${network.type}` : 'Offline'}
      {network.multipleConnections && ' (Backup available)'}
    </Text>
  );
}

API Reference

Synchronous Methods

| Method | Return Type | Description | |--------|-------------|-------------| | isConnected() | boolean | Internet connectivity status | | getConnectionType() | string | Connection type: wifi/cellular/ethernet/none | | getActiveConnectionCount() | number | Number of active connections | | hasMultipleConnections() | boolean | Whether multiple connections exist | | getSimpleSummary() | object | All network info in one call |

Async Methods

const connections = await NetSignal.getAllActiveConnections();
// Returns: { connections: [{ type: "wifi", hasInternet: true, isMetered: false }] }

Events

const unsubscribe = NetSignal.addEventListener((event) => {
  console.log('Network changed:', event.isConnected, event.type);
});

// Cleanup
unsubscribe();

React Hooks

const network = useNetworkState();      // Complete network state
const connected = useIsConnected();     // Just connectivity boolean
const type = useConnectionType();       // Just connection type

Performance

All synchronous calls complete in 0.3-0.5ms:

console.time('check');
NetSignal.isConnected();
console.timeEnd('check');
// Typical result: ~0.3ms

Why fast:

• Direct TurboModule JSI calls
• No bridge serialization
• Native Android system APIs
• No async overhead for sync methods

Error Handling

NetSignal handles all error cases gracefully:

• Missing ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE permission → returns safe defaults, logs warning
• No ConnectivityManager available → returns false/none
• Network API failures → returns default values
• Never crashes your app

TypeScript Support

Full type safety:

import NetSignal, {
  ConnectionType,    // "wifi" | "cellular" | "ethernet" | "none" | "unknown"
  NetworkState,      // { connected: boolean, type: string, connectionCount: number, multipleConnections: boolean }
  Connection,        // { type: string, hasInternet: boolean, isMetered: boolean }
  NetworkChangeEvent // { isConnected: boolean, type: string, connectionCount: number }
} from 'netsignal';

Architecture

netsignal/
├── android/src/main/java/com/netsignal/
│   ├── NetSignalTurboModule.kt      (~170 lines) - Core implementation
│   ├── NetSignalTurboPackage.kt     (~25 lines)  - Package registration
│   └── NativeNetSignalSpec.kt       (~20 lines)  - Abstract base
├── src/
│   ├── NativeNetSignal.ts           (~25 lines)  - Codegen spec
│   └── index.tsx                    (~110 lines) - TypeScript wrapper + hooks
└── package.json

Total: ~350 lines

Migration

From @react-native-community/netinfo

- import NetInfo from '@react-native-community/netinfo';
+ import NetSignal, { useNetworkState } from 'netsignal';

- const netInfo = await NetInfo.fetch();
+ const isConnected = NetSignal.isConnected(); // Instant!

- NetInfo.addEventListener(callback);
+ const unsubscribe = NetSignal.addEventListener(callback);

Real-World Example

// POS payment system
async function processPayment(amount: number) {
  // Instant connectivity check (0.3ms)
  if (!NetSignal.isConnected()) {
    throw new Error('No internet connection');
  }

  // Prefer ethernet for stability
  if (NetSignal.getConnectionType() === 'ethernet') {
    console.log('Using stable wired connection');
  }

  // Verify backup connectivity
  if (NetSignal.hasMultipleConnections()) {
    console.log('Backup connection available');
  }

  return await submitPayment(amount);
}

Contributing

See CONTRIBUTING.md for development setup and guidelines.

License

MIT © Anivar Aravind