java.net.SocketException: Network is unreachable: connect

Question

I am trying to download a xml text file from a web server using this method:

static void download (String url , String fileName) throws IOException{

            FileWriter xmlWriter;
            xmlWriter = new FileWriter(fileName);
            System.out.println("URL to download is : " + url);

            // here Exception is thrown/////////////////////////////////
            BufferedReader inputTxtReader = new BufferedReader
                        (new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(addURL.openStream())));
            ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

            String str ;
            String fileInStr = "";

            str = inputTxtReader.readLine();

            while (!(str == null)  ){///&& !(str.equals("</tv>"))
                fileInStr += (str + "\r\n");
                str = inputTxtReader.readLine();
            }

            xmlWriter.write(fileInStr);
            xmlWriter.flush();
            xmlWriter.close();
            System.out.println("File Downloaded");
}

Sometimes this exception is thrown (where I specified is code):

java.net.SocketException: Network is unreachable: connect
    at java.net.PlainSocketImpl.socketConnect(Native Method)
    at java.net.PlainSocketImpl.doConnect(PlainSocketImpl.java:333)
    at java.net.PlainSocketImpl.connectToAddress(PlainSocketImpl.java:195)
    at java.net.PlainSocketImpl.connect(PlainSocketImpl.java:182)
    at java.net.Socket.connect(Socket.java:518)
    at java.net.Socket.connect(Socket.java:468)
    at sun.net.NetworkClient.doConnect(NetworkClient.java:157)
    at sun.net.www.http.HttpClient.openServer(HttpClient.java:389)
    at sun.net.www.http.HttpClient.openServer(HttpClient.java:516)
    at sun.net.www.http.HttpClient.<init>(HttpClient.java:233)
    at sun.net.www.http.HttpClient.New(HttpClient.java:306)
    at sun.net.www.http.HttpClient.New(HttpClient.java:318)
    at sun.net.www.protocol.http.HttpURLConnection.getNewHttpClient(HttpURLConnection.java:788)
    at sun.net.www.protocol.http.HttpURLConnection.plainConnect(HttpURLConnection.java:729)
    at sun.net.www.protocol.http.HttpURLConnection.connect(HttpURLConnection.java:654)
    at sun.net.www.protocol.http.HttpURLConnection.getInputStream(HttpURLConnection.java:977)
    at java.net.URL.openStream(URL.java:1009)
    at MessagePanel.download(MessagePanel.java:640)
    at WelcomThread.run(MainBody2.java:891)

Please guide me

Thank you all.

Answer 1

You are facing a connection breakdown. Does this happen in 3G, WiFi or "plain" connection on a computer?

Anyway, you must assume that the connection may be lost from time to time, when writing your app. For example, with mobiles, this happens frequently in the tube, in basements, etc. With PC apps, this is less frequent but occurs sometimes.

A retry can be a good solution. And a clean error message that explains the network is not available at this moment too.