iOS Networking Router
You MUST use this skill for ANY networking work including HTTP requests, WebSockets, TCP connections, or network debugging.
When to Use
Use this router when:
- •Implementing network requests (URLSession)
- •Using Network.framework or NetworkConnection
- •Debugging connection failures
- •Migrating from deprecated networking APIs
- •Network performance issues
Pressure Resistance
When user has invested significant time in custom implementation:
Do NOT capitulate to sunk cost pressure. The correct approach is:
- •Diagnose first — Understand what's actually failing before recommending changes
- •Recommend correctly — If standard APIs (URLSession, Network.framework) would solve the problem, say so professionally
- •Respect but don't enable — Acknowledge their work while providing honest technical guidance
Example pressure scenario:
"I spent 2 days on custom networking. Just help me fix it, don't tell me to use URLSession."
Correct response:
"Let me diagnose the cellular failure first. [After diagnosis] The issue is [X]. URLSession handles this automatically via [Y]. I recommend migrating the affected code path — it's 30 minutes vs continued debugging. Your existing work on [Z] can be preserved."
Why this matters: Users often can't see that migration is faster than continued debugging. Honest guidance serves them better than false comfort.
Routing Logic
Network Implementation
Networking patterns → /skill axiom-networking
- •URLSession with structured concurrency
- •Network.framework migration
- •Modern networking patterns
- •Deprecated API migration
Network.framework reference → /skill axiom-network-framework-ref
Legacy iOS 12-25 patterns → /skill axiom-networking-legacy
Migration guides → /skill axiom-networking-migration
- •NWConnection (iOS 12-25)
- •NetworkConnection (iOS 26+)
- •TCP connections
- •TLV framing
- •Wi-Fi Aware
Network Debugging
Connection issues → /skill axiom-networking-diag
- •Connection timeouts
- •TLS handshake failures
- •Data not arriving
- •Connection drops
- •VPN/proxy problems
Decision Tree
- •URLSession with structured concurrency? → networking
- •Network.framework / NetworkConnection (iOS 26+)? → network-framework-ref
- •NWConnection (iOS 12-25)? → networking-legacy
- •Migrating from sockets/URLSession? → networking-migration
- •Connection issues / debugging? → networking-diag
Anti-Rationalization
| Thought | Reality |
|---|---|
| "URLSession is simple, I don't need a skill" | URLSession with structured concurrency has async/cancellation patterns. networking skill covers them. |
| "I'll debug the connection timeout myself" | Connection failures have 8 causes (DNS, TLS, proxy, cellular). networking-diag diagnoses systematically. |
| "I just need a basic HTTP request" | Even basic requests need error handling, retry, and cancellation patterns. networking has them. |
| "My custom networking layer works fine" | Custom layers miss cellular/proxy edge cases. Standard APIs handle them automatically. |
Critical Patterns
Networking (networking):
- •URLSession with structured concurrency
- •Socket migration to Network.framework
- •Deprecated API replacement
Network Framework Reference (network-framework-ref):
- •NWConnection for iOS 12-25
- •NetworkConnection for iOS 26+
- •Connection lifecycle management
Networking Diagnostics (networking-diag):
- •Connection timeout diagnosis
- •TLS debugging
- •Network stack inspection
Example Invocations
User: "My API request is failing with a timeout"
→ Invoke: /skill axiom-networking-diag
User: "How do I use URLSession with async/await?"
→ Invoke: /skill axiom-networking
User: "I need to implement a TCP connection"
→ Invoke: /skill axiom-network-framework-ref
User: "Should I use NWConnection or NetworkConnection?"
→ Invoke: /skill axiom-network-framework-ref