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

App Store Compliance

ATS / HTTP security → /skill axiom-networking-diag

• App Transport Security (ATS) configuration

• HTTP → HTTPS migration

• App Store rejection for insecure connections

• NSAllowsArbitraryLoads exceptions

Deprecated API rejection → Launch networking-auditor agent

• UIWebView → WKWebView migration

• SCNetworkReachability → NWPathMonitor

• CFSocket → Network.framework

Network Debugging

Connection issues → /skill axiom-networking-diag

• Connection timeouts

• TLS handshake failures

• Data not arriving

• Connection drops

• VPN/proxy problems

Automated Scanning

Networking audit → Launch networking-auditor agent or /axiom:audit networking (deprecated APIs like SCNetworkReachability, CFSocket, NSStream; anti-patterns like reachability checks, hardcoded IPs, missing error handling)

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

• ATS / HTTP / App Store rejection for networking? → networking-diag + networking-auditor

• UIWebView or deprecated API rejection? → networking-auditor (Agent)

• Want deprecated API / anti-pattern scan? → networking-auditor (Agent)

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

User: "My app was rejected for using HTTP connections" → Invoke: /skill axiom-networking-diag (ATS compliance)

User: "App Store says I'm using UIWebView" → Invoke: networking-auditor agent (deprecated API scan)

User: "Check my networking code for deprecated APIs" → Invoke: networking-auditor agent