as for the question title , you want to check the internet access ,
so the fastest way and it is efficient at least for now ,
thnx to levit based on his answer https://mcmap.net/q/11339/-how-to-check-internet-access-on-android-inetaddress-never-times-out
If you just want to check for a connection to any network - not caring
if internet is available - then most of the answers here (including
the accepted), implementing isConnectedOrConnecting() will work well.
If you want to know if you have an internet connection (as the
question title indicates) please read on Ping for the main name
servers
public boolean isOnline() {
Runtime runtime = Runtime.getRuntime();
try {
Process ipProcess = runtime.exec("/system/bin/ping -c 1 8.8.8.8");
int exitValue = ipProcess.waitFor();
return (exitValue == 0);
} catch (IOException e) { e.printStackTrace(); }
catch (InterruptedException e) { e.printStackTrace(); }
return false; }
That's it! Yes that short, yes it is fast, no it does not need to run in background, no you don't need root privileges.
Possible Questions
Is this really fast enough?
Yes, very fast!
Is there really no reliable way to check if internet is available,
other than testing something on the internet?
Not as far as I know, but let me know, and I will edit my answer.
Couldn't I just ping my own page, which I want to request anyways?
Sure! You could even check both, if you want to differentiate between
"internet connection available" and your own servers beeing reachable
What if the DNS is down?
Google DNS (e.g. 8.8.8.8) is the largest public DNS service in the
world. As of 2013 it serves 130 billion requests a day. Let 's just
say, your app not responding would probably not be the talk of the
day.
Which permissions are required?
Just
internet access - what surprise ^^ (Btw have you ever thought about,
how some of the methods suggested here could even have a remote glue
about the availablility of internet, without this permission?)
return netInfo != null && netInfo.isConnected();
– Schoolhouse