axiom-networking

SKILL.md

Networking

You MUST use this skill for ANY networking work including HTTP requests, WebSockets, TCP connections, or network debugging.

Quick Reference

Symptom / Task
Reference

URLSession with structured concurrency
See skills/networking-discipline.md

Network.framework anti-patterns
See skills/networking-discipline.md

Deprecated API migration
See skills/networking-discipline.md

Pressure scenarios (reachability, sockets)
See skills/networking-discipline.md

NetworkConnection (iOS 26+) API reference
See skills/network-framework-ref.md

NWConnection (iOS 12-18) API reference
See skills/network-framework-ref.md

TLV framing, Coder protocol
See skills/network-framework-ref.md

NetworkListener, NetworkBrowser, Wi-Fi Aware
See skills/network-framework-ref.md

Connection timeouts, TLS failures
See skills/networking-diag.md

Data not arriving, connection drops
See skills/networking-diag.md

ATS / HTTP / App Store rejection
See skills/networking-diag.md

Production crisis diagnosis
See skills/networking-diag.md

NWConnection patterns (iOS 12-18)
See skills/networking-legacy.md

UDP batch, NWListener, NWBrowser
See skills/networking-legacy.md

BSD sockets → NWConnection migration
See skills/networking-migration.md

NWConnection → NetworkConnection migration
See skills/networking-migration.md

URLSession StreamTask → NetworkConnection
See skills/networking-migration.md

Decision Tree

digraph networking {
    start [label="Networking task" shape=ellipse];
    what [label="What do you need?" shape=diamond];

    start -> what;
    what -> "skills/networking-discipline.md" [label="implement patterns,\nanti-patterns,\npressure scenarios"];
    what -> "skills/network-framework-ref.md" [label="API reference\n(iOS 26+ or 12-18)"];
    what -> "skills/networking-diag.md" [label="debug connection\nfailures"];
    what -> "skills/networking-legacy.md" [label="iOS 12-18\nNWConnection patterns"];
    what -> "skills/networking-migration.md" [label="migrate from\nsockets/URLSession"];
}

URLSession with structured concurrency? → skills/networking-discipline.md

Network.framework / NetworkConnection (iOS 26+)? → skills/network-framework-ref.md

NWConnection (iOS 12-18)? → skills/networking-legacy.md

Migrating from sockets/URLSession? → skills/networking-migration.md

Connection issues / debugging? → skills/networking-diag.md

ATS / HTTP / App Store rejection for networking? → skills/networking-diag.md + networking-auditor

Certificate pinning, signing API requests, encrypting payloads? → /skill axiom-security

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

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

Platform-specific networking

watchOS low-level-networking limits (TN3135) → See axiom-watchos (skills/background-and-networking.md)

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

Critical Patterns

Networking (skills/networking-discipline.md):

URLSession with structured concurrency

8 red-flag anti-patterns (SCNetworkReachability, blocking sockets, hardcoded IPs)

Decision tree for choosing TCP/UDP/TLS patterns

NetworkConnection patterns (iOS 26+): TLS, UDP, TLV framing, Coder protocol

3 pressure scenarios with professional push-back templates

Pre-shipping checklist

Network Framework Reference (skills/network-framework-ref.md):

NetworkConnection (iOS 26+): all 12 WWDC 2025 examples

NWConnection (iOS 12-18): complete API with examples

TLV framing, Coder protocol, NetworkListener, NetworkBrowser

Mobility: viability, better path, Multipath TCP, NWPathMonitor

Security: TLS, certificate pinning, cipher suites

Performance: user-space networking, ECN, service class, TCP Fast Open

Diagnostics (skills/networking-diag.md):

Systematic decision tree for all connection failure types

DNS failures, TLS certificate validation, message framing

TCP congestion, IPv6-only cellular, VPN interference, ATS

Production crisis scenario with professional communication templates

Legacy (skills/networking-legacy.md):

NWConnection with TLS (completion handlers)

UDP batch (30% CPU reduction)

NWListener, NWBrowser (Bonjour discovery)

Automated Scanning

Networking audit → Launch networking-auditor agent or /axiom:audit networking (deprecated APIs, anti-patterns, and completeness gaps — transition handling, TLS coverage, connection cleanup, framework selection)

Anti-Rationalization

Thought
Reality

"URLSession is simple, I don't need a skill"
URLSession with structured concurrency has async/cancellation patterns. skills/networking-discipline.md covers them.

"I'll debug the connection timeout myself"
Connection failures have 8 causes (DNS, TLS, proxy, cellular). skills/networking-diag.md diagnoses systematically.

"I just need a basic HTTP request"
Even basic requests need error handling, retry, and cancellation patterns.

"My custom networking layer works fine"
Custom layers miss cellular/proxy edge cases. Standard APIs handle them automatically.

Example Invocations

User: "My API request is failing with a timeout"
→ Read: skills/networking-diag.md

User: "How do I use URLSession with async/await?"
→ Read: skills/networking-discipline.md

User: "I need to implement a TCP connection"
→ Read: skills/network-framework-ref.md

User: "Should I use NWConnection or NetworkConnection?"
→ Read: skills/network-framework-ref.md

User: "My app was rejected for using HTTP connections"
→ Read: skills/networking-diag.md (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