connection.type

Checks the active network connection that is being used.

Description

This property is a fast way to determine the device's network connection state, and type of connection.

Supported Platforms

  • iOS
  • Android
  • BlackBerry WebWorks (OS 5.0 and higher)
  • Windows Phone 7 and 8
  • Bada 2.x
  • webOS
  • Tizen
  • Windows 8

Quick Example

function checkConnection() {
    var networkState = navigator.connection.type;
    
    var states = {};
    states[Connection.UNKNOWN]	= 'Unknown connection';
    states[Connection.ETHERNET]	= 'Ethernet connection';
    states[Connection.WIFI]   	= 'WiFi connection';
    states[Connection.CELL_2G]	= 'Cell 2G connection';
    states[Connection.CELL_3G]	= 'Cell 3G connection';
    states[Connection.CELL_4G]	= 'Cell 4G connection';
    states[Connection.CELL]   	= 'Cell generic connection';
    states[Connection.NONE]   	= 'No network connection';

    alert('Connection type: ' + states[networkState]);
}

checkConnection();

Full Example

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
  <head>
    <title>navigator.connection.type Example</title>
    
    <script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="cordova-x.x.x.js"></script>
    <script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8">
        
    // Wait for Cordova to load
    // 
    document.addEventListener("deviceready", onDeviceReady, false);
    
    // Cordova is loaded and it is now safe to make calls Cordova methods
    //
    function onDeviceReady() {
        checkConnection();
    }
    
    function checkConnection() {
        var networkState = navigator.connection.type;

        var states = {};
        states[Connection.UNKNOWN]	= 'Unknown connection';
        states[Connection.ETHERNET]	= 'Ethernet connection';
        states[Connection.WIFI]   	= 'WiFi connection';
        states[Connection.CELL_2G]	= 'Cell 2G connection';
        states[Connection.CELL_3G]	= 'Cell 3G connection';
        states[Connection.CELL_4G]	= 'Cell 4G connection';
        states[Connection.CELL]	  	= 'Cell generic connection';
        states[Connection.NONE]   	= 'No network connection';

        alert('[Connection](connection.html) type: ' + states[networkState]);
    }
    
    </script>
  </head>
  <body>
    <p>A dialog box will report the network state.</p>
  </body>
</html>

API Change

Before Cordova 2.3.0, the Connection object existed at: navigator.network.connection.

To match the spec, this was changed to navigator.connection in 2.3.0.

navigator.network.connection still exists, but is now deprecated and will be removed in a future release.

iOS Quirks

  • iOS cannot detect the type of cellular network connection.
    • navigator.connection.type is set to Connection.CELL_2G for all cellular data. This is deprecated as of 2.6.0 and will be changed to return Connection.CELL in a future release.

Bada Quirks

  • Bada can only detect a WiFi or cellular connection.
    • navigator.connection.type is set to Connection.CELL_2G for all cellular data.

webOS Quirks

  • Only shows that a connection is available, but not which type.

Windows Phone Quirks

  • When running in the emulator, always detects navigator.connection.type as [Connection](connection.html).UNKNOWN.
  • Windows Phone cannot detect the type of cellular network connection.
    • navigator.connection.type is set to Connection.CELL for all cellular data.

Tizen Quirks

  • Tizen can only detect a WiFi or cellular connection.
    • navigator.connection.type is set to Connection.CELL_2G for all cellular data.