http connection timeout issues

Question

I'm running into an issue when i try to use the HttpClient connecting to a url. The http connection is taking a longer time to timeout, even after i set a connection timeoout.

int timeoutConnection = 5000;
HttpConnectionParams.setConnectionTimeout(httpParameters, timeoutConnection);

int timeoutSocket = 5000;
HttpConnectionParams.setSoTimeout(httpParameters, timeoutSocket);

It works perfect most of the time. However, every once in while, the http connection runs for ever and ignore the setconnectiontimeout, especailly when the phone is connected to wifi, and the phone was idling.

So after the phone is idling, the first time i try to connect, the http connection ignores the setconnectiontimeout and runs forever, after i cancel it and try again, it works like charm everytime. But that one time that doesn't work it creates a threadtimeout error, i tried using a different thread, it works, but i know that the thread is running for long time.

I understand that the wifi goes to sleep on idle, but i dont understand why its ignoring the setconnectiontimeout.

Anyone can help, id really appreciated.

Answer 1

How are you making the HTTP Connection? This looks like a threading issue. If you are using a background thread, then the thread may be killed along with any timeout registered. The fact that it works the next time tells me that your code will work, if you make the call in a android component and manage the WAKE_LOCK on it yourself. Anyways please post more information about the calling mechanism?

Answer 2

From you snippet it's not ultimately clear if you set the timeouts before calling HttpClient.executeMethod(..). So this is my guess.

Answer 3

Not sure if this helps you, however I think it's worth sharing here. While playing with the timeout stuff I found there is a third timeout type you can assign:

// the timeout until a connection is established
private static final int CONNECTION_TIMEOUT = 5000; /* 5 seconds */

// the timeout for waiting for data
private static final int SOCKET_TIMEOUT = 5000; /* 5 seconds */

// ----------- this is the one I am talking about:
// the timeout until a ManagedClientConnection is got 
// from ClientConnectionRequest
private static final long MCC_TIMEOUT = 5000; /* 5 seconds */

...

HttpGet httpGet = new HttpGet(url);
setTimeouts(httpGet.getParams());

...

private static void setTimeouts(HttpParams params) {
    params.setIntParameter(CoreConnectionPNames.CONNECTION_TIMEOUT, 
        CONNECTION_TIMEOUT);
    params.setIntParameter(CoreConnectionPNames.SO_TIMEOUT, SOCKET_TIMEOUT);
    params.setLongParameter(ConnManagerPNames.TIMEOUT, MCC_TIMEOUT);
}

Answer 4

You could manage the timeouts yourself, this way you can be confident that no matter what state the connection gets in, unless you receive an acceptable response, that your timeout will fire and the http request will be aborted.