Is There a Reliable Way to Check Local Network Permission Status in 2025?
I've read many similar requests, but I'm posting this in 2025 to ask:
Is there any official or reliable method to check the current Local Network permission status on iOS 18.x?
We need this to guide or navigate users to the appropriate Settings page when permission is denied.
Background
Our app is an IoT companion app, and Local Network access is core to our product's functionality. Without this permission, our app cannot communicate with the IoT hardware. Sadly, Apple doesn't provide any official API to check the current status of this permission.
This limitation has caused confusion for many users, and we frequently receive bug reports simply because users have accidentally denied the permission and the app can no longer function as expected.
Our App High Level Flow:
1. Trigger Permission
We attempt to trigger the Local Network permission using Bonjour discovery and browsing methods. (see the implementation)
Since there's no direct API to request this permission, we understand that iOS will automatically prompt the user when the app makes its first actual attempt to communicate with a local network device.
However, in our case, this creates a problem:
The permission prompt appears only at the time of the first real connection attempt (e.g., when sending an HTTP request to the IoT device).
This results in a poor user experience, as the request begins before the permission is granted.
The first request fails silently in the background while the permission popup appears unexpectedly.
We cannot wait for the user's response to proceed, which leads to unreliable behavior and confusing flows.
To avoid this issue, we trigger the Local Network permission proactively using Bonjour-based discovery methods. This ensures that the system permission prompt appears before any critical communication with the IoT device occurs.
We’ve tried alternative approaches like sending dummy requests, but they were not reliable or consistent across devices or iOS versions. (see the support ticket)
2. Wi-Fi Connection:
Once permission is granted, we allow the user to connect to the IoT device’s local Wi-Fi.
3. IoT Device Configuration:
After connecting, we send an HTTP request to a known static IP (e.g., 192.168.4.1) on the IoT network to configure the hardware.
I assume this pattern is common among all Wi-Fi-based IoT devices and apps.
Problem:
Even though we present clear app-level instructions when the system prompt appears, some users accidentally deny the Local Network permission. In those cases, there’s no API to check if the permission was denied, so:
We can’t display a helpful message.
We can’t guide the user to Settings → Privacy & Security → Local Network to re-enable it.
The app fails silently or behaves unpredictably.
Developer Needs:
As app developers, we want to handle negative cases gracefully by:
Detecting if the Local Network permission was denied
Showing a relevant message or a prompt to go to Settings
Preventing silent failures and improving UX
So the question is:
What is the current, official, or recommended way to determine whether Local Network permission is granted or denied in iOS 18.x (as of 2025)?
This permission is critical for a huge category of apps especially IoT and local communication-based products. We hope Apple will offer a better developer experience around this soon.
Thanks in advance to anyone who can share updated guidance.
Bonjour
RSS for tagBonjour, also known as zero-configuration networking, enables automatic discovery of devices and services on a local network using industry standard.
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I have an iPad app that uses Network framework to allow iPads to wirelessly communicate via their built-in ad hoc network capability. However, our app is used in an enterprise environment and there's concern about them communicating wirelessly, so I've been tasked with looking into wired communication.
Question:
I've read that iOS can connect to a wifi network using an Ethernet adapter, but would this work for ad hoc networking? For ex, if I connect 2 iPads via Ethernet cables to each other (not to the wifi router), and have the NWListener start broadcasting itself, can the NWBrowser find it and establish an ad-hoc connection via the Ethernet cables (and not the wireless cards inside the iPads). The iPads don't have any wifi connections established so they wouldn't be able to communicate any other way.
My guess is no...though if they did connect, how would I know it has happening via the cables and not via the wireless ad hoc capability, because I'm guessing there's no way to turn off just the wireless part of the ad hoc feature? If you disable the wifi on an iPad, you're also disabling ad hoc, right?
I'm pretty sure there's no way to programmatically send data back and forth between iPads using a USB-C cable connection, so I'm trying to determine if Ethernet cables would work.
We are developing an IoT companion app that connects to the IoT device's Wi-Fi network and communicates with it through local network APIs.
To support this functionality, we have:
Added the necessary keys in the Info.plist.
NSLocalNetworkUsageDescription ,
NSBonjourServices
Used a Bonjour service at app launch to trigger the local network permission prompt.
Problem on iOS 18.x (including 18.6 beta)
Even when the user explicitly denies the local network permission, our API communication still works.
This is unexpected behavior, as we assume denying permission should restrict access to local network communication.
We tested this with the latest iOS 18.6 beta (as per Thread 789461021), but the issue still persists.
This behavior raises concerns about inconsistent permission enforcement in iOS 18.x.
Problem on iOS 17.x
In iOS 17.x, if the user accidentally denies the local network permission and later enables it manually via Settings, the change does not take effect immediately.
The app cannot access the local network unless the device is restarted, which results in a confusing and poor user experience.
Expected Behavior
If local network permission is denied, local API communication should be strictly blocked.
If the permission is later enabled via Settings, the app should regain access without requiring a device restart.
Request
We request clarification and resolution on:
Why local network APIs are accessible even when permission is denied on iOS 18.x.
Whether the delayed permission update (requiring restart) in iOS 17.x is expected or a known issue.
Best practices to ensure consistent and predictable permission handling across iOS versions.
Hi,
Having an issue on one mac using Xcode 16.3 and simulator 18.4. macSO 15.4
We are checking for bonjour:
authorizationBrowser = NWBrowser(for: .bonjour(type: "_bonjour._tcp", domain: nil), using: parameters)
authorizationBrowser?.stateUpdateHandler = { [weak self] newState in
switch newState {
...
}
}
However at the command line we get the error:
nw_browser_fail_on_dns_error_locked [B1] nw_browser_dns_service_browse_callback failed: PolicyDenied(-65570)
Any idea why this is happening? or what this error means?
Thanks Antz
Hi,
I am trying to update an old prototype I made for tvOS using DNSServiceBrowse(). The target was tvOS 17.
My old build from September 2023 still works fine: It can discover computers on the same local network as the Apple TV (simulator).
However, now that I am using Xcode 16, the DNSServiceBrowse() callback (of type DNSServiceBrowseReply) receives the error code: -65570.
The call to DNSServiceBrowse() itself returns no error, neither does the following call to DNSServiceProcessResult() — which actually triggers the call of the callback.
I found nowhere in the Internet any list of possible error codes received by the callback, so I have no idea what it means.
So, my first question is: What does this error code mean? (And is there any list of the possible errors somewehere, with their meaning?)
Since it was a prototype, I have no provisioning profile defined for it. Could that be related to the issue? Since I will make a real app out that prototype (targeting tvOS 18), I will have to define a provisioning profile for it.
Would a provisioning profile for the app solve the issue?
If yes, are there any requirements for that profile that I should take into account to solve the issue?
Thank you in advance for any help,
Marc
I've a iOT companion app, in which I'll connect to iOT's Wi-Fi and then communicate the device with APIs,
for the above functionality we needed local network permission So we enabled neccessary keys in info.plist and at the time of App Launch we trigger local network permission using the following code
info.plist
<string>This app needs local network access permission to connect with your iOT device and customize its settings</string>
<key>NSBonjourServices</key>
<array>
<string>_network-perm._tcp</string>
<string>_network-perm._udp</string>
</array>
Network Permission Trigger Methods
import Foundation
import MultipeerConnectivity
class NetworkPermissionManager: NSObject {
static let shared = NetworkPermissionManager()
private var session: MCSession?
private var advertiser: MCNearbyServiceAdvertiser?
private var browser: MCNearbyServiceBrowser?
private var permissionCallback: ((String) -> Void)?
func requestPermission(callback: @escaping (String) -> Void) {
self.permissionCallback = callback
do {
let peerId = MCPeerID(displayName: UUID().uuidString)
session = MCSession(peer: peerId, securityIdentity: nil, encryptionPreference: .required)
session?.delegate = self
advertiser = MCNearbyServiceAdvertiser(
peer: peerId,
discoveryInfo: nil,
serviceType: "network-perm"
)
advertiser?.delegate = self
browser = MCNearbyServiceBrowser(
peer: peerId,
serviceType: "network-perm"
)
browser?.delegate = self
advertiser?.startAdvertisingPeer()
browser?.startBrowsingForPeers()
// Stop after delay
DispatchQueue.main.asyncAfter(deadline: .now() + 1.0) { [weak self] in
self?.stopAll()
// If no error occurred until now, consider permission triggered
self?.permissionCallback?("granted")
self?.permissionCallback = nil
}
} catch {
permissionCallback?("error: \(error.localizedDescription)")
permissionCallback = nil
}
}
func stopAll() {
advertiser?.stopAdvertisingPeer()
browser?.stopBrowsingForPeers()
session?.disconnect()
}
}
extension NetworkPermissionManager: MCSessionDelegate {
func session(_: MCSession, peer _: MCPeerID, didChange _: MCSessionState) {}
func session(_: MCSession, didReceive _: Data, fromPeer _: MCPeerID) {}
func session(_: MCSession, didReceive _: InputStream, withName _: String, fromPeer _: MCPeerID) {}
func session(_: MCSession, didStartReceivingResourceWithName _: String, fromPeer _: MCPeerID, with _: Progress) {}
func session(_: MCSession, didFinishReceivingResourceWithName _: String, fromPeer _: MCPeerID, at _: URL?, withError _: Error?) {}
}
extension NetworkPermissionManager: MCNearbyServiceAdvertiserDelegate {
func advertiser(_: MCNearbyServiceAdvertiser, didReceiveInvitationFromPeer _: MCPeerID, withContext _: Data?, invitationHandler: @escaping (Bool, MCSession?) -> Void) {
invitationHandler(false, nil)
}
func advertiser(_: MCNearbyServiceAdvertiser, didNotStartAdvertisingPeer error: Error) {
print("❌ Advertising failed: \(error)")
if let nsError = error as NSError?, nsError.domain == NetService.errorDomain, nsError.code == -72008 {
permissionCallback?("denied")
} else {
permissionCallback?("error: \(error.localizedDescription)")
}
permissionCallback = nil
stopAll()
}
}
extension NetworkPermissionManager: MCNearbyServiceBrowserDelegate {
func browser(_: MCNearbyServiceBrowser, foundPeer _: MCPeerID, withDiscoveryInfo _: [String: String]?) {}
func browser(_: MCNearbyServiceBrowser, lostPeer _: MCPeerID) {}
func browser(_: MCNearbyServiceBrowser, didNotStartBrowsingForPeers error: Error) {
print("❌ Browsing failed: \(error)")
if let nsError = error as NSError?, nsError.domain == NetService.errorDomain, nsError.code == -72008 {
permissionCallback?("denied")
} else {
permissionCallback?("error: \(error.localizedDescription)")
}
permissionCallback = nil
stopAll()
}
}```
I want to satisfy this following cases but it's not working as expected
# Case1 Working
App launches --> trigger permission using above code --> user granted permission --> connect to iOT's Wi-Fi using app --> Communicate via Local API ---> should return success response
# Case2 Not working
App launches --> trigger permission using above code --> user denied permission --> connect to iOT's Wi-Fi using app --> Communicate via Local API ---> should throw an error
I double checked the permission status in the app settings there also showing disabled state
In my case case 2 is also return success, even though user denied the permission I got success response. I wonder why this happens
the same above 2 cases working as expected in iOS 17.x versions
I'm using Network framework for communication between devices. The first time I instantiate an NWBrowser, it will prompt the user with a popup that says:
Allow <app name> to find devices on local networks?
The problem is, once I upgraded from Xcode 15.4 to Xcode 16.4, the popup doesn't appear; it says in the debug window:
nw_browser_fail_on_dns_error_locked [B1] nw_browser_dns_service_browse_callback failed: PolicyDenied(18,446,744,073,709,486,046)
I do have the info.plist keys Privacy-Local Network Usage Description (NSLocalNetworkUsageDescription) and Bonjour Services (NSBonjourServices) so it's not that.
Also, It still works on a real device.
I think something changed with Xcode 16 that tightened the security on a simulator, or maybe disabled Network framework entirely. It's not the firewall on my computer because that is turned off. I'm using an M1 MacBook Pro.
While trying to use Bonjour, i am encountering an issue. I was following the setup of Bonjour as described here: (https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/735862)
the response is this :
nw_browser_fail_on_dns_error_locked [B2] nw_browser_dns_service_browse_callback failed: PolicyDenied(-65570)
browser did change state, new: waiting(-65570: PolicyDenied)
i tried modifying the info.plist to include
NSLocalNetworkUsageDescription and
NSBonjourServices but still getting the same
a workout or solution is much appreciated !
We have an iPad application that utilizes Multipeer Connectivity to enable local communication between devices running a copy of our app. Until recently, we were able to test this functionality in the Xcode simulator without any issues. We could easily set up multiple simulators and have them all communicate with each other. However, recently, either due to an upgrade to Xcode or MacOS, this functionality ceased working in the simulator. Surprisingly, it still functions perfectly on physical devices.
If we reboot the development computer and launch the simulator immediately after the reboot (without building and sending from Xcode, but running the existing code on the device), the issue resolves. However, the moment we generate a new build and send it to the simulator from Xcode, the multipeer functionality stops working again in the simulator. The simulators won’t reconnect until a reboot of the physical Mac hardware hosting the simulator.
We’ve tried the usual troubleshooting steps, such as downgrading Xcode, deleting simulators and recreating them, cleaning the build folder, and deleting derived data, but unfortunately, none of these solutions have worked. The next step is to attempt to use a previous version of MacOS (15.3) and see if that helps, but I’d prefer to avoid this if possible.
Does anyone have any obvious suggestions or troubleshooting steps that might help us identify the cause of this issue?
Dear Girls, Guys and Engineers.
I'm currently building a Home Network Scanner App for People which want to know which Bonjour Devices are in her/his Home Network environment. From an older Question I got the answer, that I need an Entitlement to do this.
I started to work on the App and requested the Multicast Entitlement from Apple. They gave me the Entitlement for my App and now I'm trying to discover all devices in my Home Network but I got stuck and need Help.
I only test direct on device, like the recommendation. I also verified that my app is build with the multicast entitlement there where no problems. My problem is now, that is still not possible to discover all Bonjour services in my Home Network with the Help of the NWBrowser.
Can you please help me to make it work ?
I tried to scan for the generic service type:
let browser = NWBrowser(for: .bonjour(type: "_services._dns-sd._udp.", domain: nil), using: .init())
but this is still not working even tough I have the entitlement and the app was verified that the entitlement is correctly enabled
if I scan for this service type, I got the following error:
[browser] nw_browser_fail_on_dns_error_locked [B1] Invalid meta query type specified. nw_browser_start_dns_browser_locked failed: BadParam(-65540)
So what's the correct way now to find all devices in the home network ?
Thank you and best regards
Vinz
I am learning how to use DNS-SD from swift and have created a basic CLI app, however I am not getting callback results.
I can get results from cli. Something I am doing wrong here?
dns-sd -G v6 adet.local
10:06:08.423 Add 40000002 22 adet.local. FE80:0000...
dns-sd -B _adt._udp.
11:19:10.696 Add 2 22 local. _adt._udp. adet
import Foundation
import dnssd
var reference: DNSServiceRef?
func dnsServiceGetAddrInfoReply(ref: DNSServiceRef?, flags: DNSServiceFlags, interfaceIndex: UInt32, errorCode: DNSServiceErrorType, hostname: UnsafePointer<CChar>?, address: UnsafePointer<sockaddr>?, ttl: UInt32, context: UnsafeMutableRawPointer?) {
print("GetAddr'd")
print(hostname.debugDescription.utf8CString)
print(address.debugDescription.utf8CString)
}
var error = DNSServiceGetAddrInfo(&reference, 0, 0, DNSServiceProtocol(kDNSServiceProtocol_IPv6), "adet.local", dnsServiceGetAddrInfoReply, nil)
print("GetAddr: \(error)")
func dnsServiceBrowseReply(ref: DNSServiceRef?, flags: DNSServiceFlags, interfaceIndex: UInt32, errorCode: DNSServiceErrorType, serviceName: UnsafePointer<CChar>?, regType: UnsafePointer<CChar>?, replyDomain: UnsafePointer<CChar>?, context: UnsafeMutableRawPointer?) {
print("Browsed")
print(serviceName.debugDescription.utf8CString)
print(replyDomain.debugDescription.utf8CString)
}
error = DNSServiceBrowse(&reference, 0, 0, "_adt._udp", nil, dnsServiceBrowseReply, nil)
print("Browse: \(error)")
Foundation.RunLoop.main.run()
Info.plist
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
<key>NSLocalNetworkUsageDescription</key>
<string>By the Hammer of Grabthor</string>
<key>NSBonjourServices</key>
<array>
<string>_adt._udp.</string>
<string>_http._tcp.</string>
<string>_http._tcp</string>
<string>_adt._udp</string>
</array>
</dict>
</plist>
We're seeing an issue with bonjour services since macOS 15.4 onwards, specifically when running xcuitests on simulators that communicate with an app via bonjour services, the NWListener fails with -65555: NoAuth
Interestingly it only fails on subsequent iterations of the test, first iteration always succeeds.
The same code works fine on macOS 15.3.1 and earlier, but not 15.4 or 15.5.
Is this related to, or the same issue as here? https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/780655
Also raised in feedback assistant: FB17804120
Hello,
I'm running into an issue while developing an iOS app that requires local network access. I’m using the latest MacBook Air M4 with macOS sequoia 15.5 and Xcode 16.1. In the iOS Simulator, my app fails to discover devices connected to the same local network.
I’ve already added the necessary key to the Info.plist:
NSLocalNetworkUsageDescription
This app needs access to local network devices.
When I run the app on a real device and M2 Chip Macbook's simulators, it works fine for local network permission as expected. However, in the M4 Chip Macbook's Simulator:
The app can’t find any devices on the local network
Bonjour/mDNS seems not to be working as well
I’ve tried the following without success:
Restarting Simulator and Mac
Resetting network settings in Simulator
Confirming app permissions under System Settings > Privacy & Security
Has anyone else encountered this issue with the new Xcode/macOS combo? Is local network access just broken in the Simulator for now, or is there a workaround?
Thanks in advance!
Hi folks, I'm building an iOS companion app to a local hosted server app (hosted on 0.0.0.0). The MacOS app locally connects to this server hosted, and I took the approach of advertising the server using a Daemon and BonjourwithTXT(for port) and then net service to resolve a local name. Unfortunately if there's not enough time given after the iPhone/iPad is plugged in (usb or ethernet), the app will cycle through attempts and disconnects many times before connecting and I'm trying to find a way to only connect when a viable en interface is available.
I've run into a weird thing in which the en interface only becomes seen on the NWMonitor after multiple connection attempts have been made and failed. If I screen for en before connecting it simply never appears. Is there any way to handle this such that my app can intelligently wait for an en connection before trying to connect? Attaching my code although I have tried a few other setups but none has been perfect.
func startMonitoringAndBrowse() {
DebugLogger.shared.append("Starting Bonjour + Ethernet monitoring")
if !browserStarted {
let params = NWParameters.tcp
params.includePeerToPeer = false
params.requiredInterfaceType = .wiredEthernet
browser = NWBrowser(for: .bonjourWithTXTRecord(type: "_mytcpapp._tcp", domain: nil), using: params)
browser?.stateUpdateHandler = { state in
if case .ready = state {
DebugLogger.shared.append("Bonjour browser ready.")
}
}
browser?.browseResultsChangedHandler = { results, _ in
self.handleBrowseResults(results)
}
browser?.start(queue: .main)
browserStarted = true
}
// Start monitoring for wired ethernet
monitor = NWPathMonitor()
monitor?.pathUpdateHandler = { path in
let hasEthernet = path.availableInterfaces.contains { $0.type == .wiredEthernet }
let ethernetInUse = path.usesInterfaceType(.wiredEthernet)
DebugLogger.shared.append("""
NWPathMonitor:
- Status: \(path.status)
- Interfaces: \(path.availableInterfaces.map { "\($0.name)[\($0.type)]" }.joined(separator: ", "))
- Wired Ethernet: \(hasEthernet), In Use: \(ethernetInUse)
""")
self.tryToConnectIfReady()
self.stopMonitoring()
}
monitor?.start(queue: monitorQueue)
}
// MARK: - Internal Logic
private func handleBrowseResults(_ results: Set<NWBrowser.Result>) {
guard !self.isResolving, !self.hasResolvedService else { return }
for result in results {
guard case let .bonjour(txtRecord) = result.metadata,
let portString = txtRecord["actual_port"],
let actualPort = Int(portString),
case let .service(name, type, domain, _) = result.endpoint else {
continue
}
DebugLogger.shared.append("Bonjour result — port: \(actualPort)")
self.resolvedPort = actualPort
self.isResolving = true
self.resolveWithNetService(name: name, type: type, domain: domain)
break
}
}
private func resolveWithNetService(name: String, type: String, domain: String) {
let netService = NetService(domain: domain, type: type, name: name)
netService.delegate = self
netService.includesPeerToPeer = false
netService.resolve(withTimeout: 5.0)
resolvingNetService = netService
DebugLogger.shared.append("Resolving NetService: \(name).\(type)\(domain)")
}
private func tryToConnectIfReady() {
guard hasResolvedService,
let host = resolvedHost, let port = resolvedPort else { return }
DebugLogger.shared.append("Attempting to connect: \(host):\(port)")
discoveredIP = host
discoveredPort = port
connectionPublisher.send(.connecting(ip: host, port: port))
stopBrowsing()
socketManager.connectToServer(ip: host, port: port)
hasResolvedService = false
}
}
// MARK: - NetServiceDelegate
extension BonjourManager: NetServiceDelegate {
func netServiceDidResolveAddress(_ sender: NetService) {
guard let hostname = sender.hostName else {
DebugLogger.shared.append("Resolved service with no hostname")
return
}
DebugLogger.shared.append("Resolved NetService hostname: \(hostname)")
resolvedHost = hostname
isResolving = false
hasResolvedService = true
tryToConnectIfReady()
}
func netService(_ sender: NetService, didNotResolve errorDict: [String : NSNumber]) {
DebugLogger.shared.append("NetService failed to resolve: \(errorDict)")
}
}
On an iOS 18 device, after installing the application and initially denying local network permission when prompted, manually enabling this permission in the system settings does not resolve the issue. After uninstalling and reinstalling the app, although local network access is granted, the app cannot discover smart hardware devices over the local area network (LAN) or proceed with configuration. The smart hardware sends configuration data packets over the LAN, but the app fails to receive these packets. This issue persists even after another uninstall and reinstall of the app. However, rebooting the device restores normal functionality.
Steps to Reproduce:
Install the application on an iOS 18 device.
Upon first launch, deny the request for local network permissions.
Manually enable local network permissions via "Settings" > [App Name].
Uninstall and then reinstall the application.
Attempt to discover and configure smart hardware devices using the app. Notice that the app fails to receive configuration data packets sent by the smart hardware over the LAN.
Expected Result:
The application should be able to normally receive configuration data packets from smart hardware devices over the LAN and successfully complete the configuration process after obtaining local network permissions.
Actual Result:
Even after being granted local network permissions, the application cannot discover devices or receive configuration data packets over the LAN unless the iPhone device is rebooted. (reinstall app and obtaining local network permissions is not work too.)
My laptop (M1 Pro, macOS 15.3.2) is connected to a dual stack network via Wi-Fi. The home.arpa. domain is supplied as a search domain via both DHCPv4 (options 15 and 119) and DHCPv6 (option 24). "Details…" for the network connection in System Settings show this domain under the DNS tab.
The laptop uses a Forwarding DNS Resolver of my router, which in turn forwards requests for home.arpa. (including subdomains) to a local DNS server (CoreDNS) which is authoritative for this zone.
The DNS server is configured via the following zone file:
$ORIGIN home.arpa.
$TTL 3600
@ IN SOA @ nobody.invalid. (1 3600 1200 604800 3600)
@ NS @
@ AAAA ….1
gateway A ….1
gateway AAAA …::1
b._dns-sd._udp PTR @
lb._dns-sd._udp PTR @
db._dns-sd._udp PTR @
_services._dns-sd._udp PTR _smb._tcp
_smb._tcp PTR Media._smb._tcp
Media._smb._tcp SRV 0 0 445 gateway
Media._smb._tcp TXT ("path=/media" "u=guest")
Output of dig(1) looks like:
$ dig @….1 -t PTR lb._dns-sd._udp.home.arpa.
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 43291
;; flags: qr rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 1, AUTHORITY: 1, ADDITIONAL: 0
;; QUESTION SECTION:
;lb._dns-sd._udp.home.arpa. IN PTR
;; ANSWER SECTION:
lb._dns-sd._udp.home.arpa. 1993 IN PTR home.arpa.
;; AUTHORITY SECTION:
home.arpa. 2771 IN NS home.arpa.
$ dig @….1 -t PTR _services._dns-sd._udp.home.arpa.
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 9057
;; flags: qr rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 1, AUTHORITY: 1, ADDITIONAL: 0
;; QUESTION SECTION:
;_services._dns-sd._udp.home.arpa. IN PTR
;; ANSWER SECTION:
_services._dns-sd._udp.home.arpa. 3600 IN PTR _smb._tcp.home.arpa.
;; AUTHORITY SECTION:
home.arpa. 3600 IN NS home.arpa.
$ dig @….1 -t PTR _smb._tcp.home.arpa.
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 44220
;; flags: qr rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 1, AUTHORITY: 1, ADDITIONAL: 0
;; QUESTION SECTION:
;_smb._tcp.home.arpa. IN PTR
;; ANSWER SECTION:
_smb._tcp.home.arpa. 3599 IN PTR Media._smb._tcp.home.arpa.
;; AUTHORITY SECTION:
home.arpa. 3599 IN NS home.arpa.
$ dig @….1 -t SRV Media._smb._tcp.home.arpa.
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 45878
;; flags: qr rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 1, AUTHORITY: 1, ADDITIONAL: 0
;; QUESTION SECTION:
;Media._smb._tcp.home.arpa. IN SRV
;; ANSWER SECTION:
media._smb._tcp.home.arpa. 3600 IN SRV 0 0 445 gateway.home.arpa.
;; AUTHORITY SECTION:
home.arpa. 3600 IN NS home.arpa.
$ dig @….1 -t A gateway.home.arpa.
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 2782
;; flags: qr rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 1, AUTHORITY: 1, ADDITIONAL: 0
;; QUESTION SECTION:
;gateway.home.arpa. IN A
;; ANSWER SECTION:
gateway.home.arpa. 86400 IN A 192.168.99.1
;; AUTHORITY SECTION:
home.arpa. 3578 IN NS home.arpa.
$ dig @….1 -t AAAA gateway.home.arpa.
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 17297
;; flags: qr rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 1, AUTHORITY: 1, ADDITIONAL: 0
;; QUESTION SECTION:
;gateway.home.arpa. IN AAAA
;; ANSWER SECTION:
gateway.home.arpa. 3600 IN AAAA fd6f:9784:5753::1
;; AUTHORITY SECTION:
home.arpa. 3600 IN NS home.arpa.
Output of dns-sd(1):
/usr/bin/dns-sd -test
…
Testing for error returns when various strings are > 63 bytes: PASSED
Running basic API input range tests with various pointer parameters set to NULL:
Basic API input range tests: PASSED
$ dns-sd -m -F
Looking for recommended browsing domains:
DATE: ---Fri 11 Apr 2025---
8:50:17.846 ...STARTING...
Timestamp Recommended Browsing domain
8:50:17.847 Added (More) local
8:50:17.847 Added arpa
- > home
$ dns-sd -B _smb._tcp home.arpa.
Browsing for _smb._tcp.home.arpa.
DATE: ---Fri 11 Apr 2025---
8:59:10.044 ...STARTING...
$ dns-sd -L Media _smb._tcp home.arpa.
Lookup Media._smb._tcp.home.arpa.
DATE: ---Fri 11 Apr 2025---
9:15:53.328 ...STARTING...
$ dns-sd -Q _smb._tcp.home.arpa. PTR IN
DATE: ---Fri 11 Apr 2025---
9:16:52.208 ...STARTING...
Timestamp A/R Flags IF Name Type Class Rdata
9:16:52.210 Add 40000002 0 _smb._tcp.home.arpa. PTR IN 0.0.0.0 No Such Record
9:16:52.222 Add 2 0 _smb._tcp.home.arpa. PTR IN 0.0.0.0 No Such Record
Similarly, when I open Finder->Network I see home.arpa but it's empty. Of interest is that on the DNS server side I see the following requests being made:
2025-04-11 09:03:15 container,info,debug [INFO] […]:56541 - 21555 "SOA IN _afpovertcp._tcp.home.arpa. udp 44 false 512" NXDOMAIN qr,aa,rd 112 0.000755089s
2025-04-11 09:03:15 container,info,debug [INFO] […]:56077 - 58266 "SOA IN _smb._tcp.home.arpa. udp 37 false 512" NOERROR qr,aa,rd 105 0.001012632s
2025-04-11 09:03:15 container,info,debug [INFO] […]:45274 - 45976 "SOA IN _rfb._tcp.home.arpa. udp 37 false 512" NXDOMAIN qr,aa,rd 105 0.000762339s
2025-04-11 09:03:15 container,info,debug [INFO] […]:54387 - 32090 "SOA IN _adisk._tcp.home.arpa. udp 39 false 512" NXDOMAIN qr,aa,rd 107 0.001058132s
2025-04-11 09:03:15 container,info,debug [INFO] […]:35855 - 51155 "SOA IN _tcp.home.arpa. udp 32 false 512" NOERROR qr,aa,rd 100 0.000664963s
I suppose that an attempt to locate services is made but it's unsuccessful and I'm not sure why.
What further debugging can I attempt?
I'm using NWBrowser to search for a server that I hosted. The browser does find my service but when it tries to connect to it, it gets stuck in the preparing phase in NWConnection.stateUpdateHandler. When I hardcode the local IP address of my computer (where the server is hosted) into NWConnection it works perfectly fine and is able to connect.
When it gets stuck in the preparing phase, it gives me the warnings and error messages in the image below. You can also see that the service name is correct and it is found.
I have tried _http._tcp and _ssh._tcp types and neither work.
This is what my code looks like:
func findServerAndConnect(port: UInt16) {
print("Searching for server...")
let browser = NWBrowser(for: .bonjour(type: "_ssh._tcp", domain: "local."), using: .tcp)
browser.browseResultsChangedHandler = { results, _ in
print("Found results: \(results)")
for result in results {
if case let NWEndpoint.service(name, type_, domain, interface) = result.endpoint {
if name == "PocketPadServer" {
print("Found service: \(name) of type \(type_) in domain \(domain) on interface \(interface)")
// Construct the full service name, including type and domain
let fullServiceName = "\(name).\(type_).\(domain)"
print("Full service name: \(fullServiceName), \(result.endpoint)")
self.connect(to: result.endpoint, port: port)
browser.cancel()
break
}
}
}
}
browser.start(queue: .main)
}
func connect(to endpoint: NWEndpoint, port: UInt16) {
print("Connecting to \(endpoint) on port \(port)...")
// endpoint = NWEndpoint(
let tcpParams = NWProtocolTCP.Options()
tcpParams.enableFastOpen = true
tcpParams.keepaliveIdle = 2
let params = NWParameters(tls: nil, tcp: tcpParams)
params.includePeerToPeer = true
// connection = NWConnection(host: NWEndpoint.Host("xx.xxx.xxx.xxx"), port: NWEndpoint.Port(3000), using: params)
connection = NWConnection(to: endpoint, using: params)
connection?.pathUpdateHandler = { path in
print("Connection path update: \(path)")
if path.status == .satisfied {
print("Connection path is satisfied")
} else {
print("Connection path is not satisfied: \(path.status)")
}
}
connection?.stateUpdateHandler = { newState in
DispatchQueue.main.async {
switch newState {
case .ready:
print("Connected to server")
self.pairing = true
self.receiveMessage()
case .failed(let error):
print("Connection failed: \(error)")
self.isConnected = false
case .waiting(let error):
print("Waiting for connection... \(error)")
self.isConnected = false
case .cancelled:
print("Connection cancelled")
self.isConnected = false
case .preparing:
print("Preparing connection...")
self.isConnected = false
default:
print("Connection state changed: \(newState)")
break
}
}
}
connection?.start(queue: .main)
}
I'm establishing a connection with NWListener and NWConnection which is working great. However, if the listener disappears, a lot of logs are appearing:
Is there a way to hide these logs?
I'm aware of OS_ACTIVITY_MODE=disabled, but that will also hide a lot of other logs.
I also know you can hide these using Xcode's filtering. I'm looking for a programmatically way to hide these completely. I'm not interested in seeing these at all, or, at least, I want to be in control.
Thanks!
Hi,
I observed some unexpected behavior and hope that someone can enlighten me as to what this is about:
mDNSResponder prepends IP / network based default search domains that are checked before any other search domain. E.g. 0.1.168.192.in-addr.arpa. would be used for an interface with an address in the the 192.168.1.0/24 subnet. This is done for any configured non-link-local IP address.
I tried to find any mention of an approach like this in RFCs but couldn't spot anything.
Please note that this is indeed a search domain and different from reverse-DNS lookups.
Example output of tcpdump for ping devtest:
10:02:13.850802 IP (tos 0x0, ttl 64, id 43461, offset 0, flags [none], proto UDP (17), length 92)
192.168.1.2.52319 > 192.168.1.1.53: 54890+ [1au] A? devtest.0.1.168.192.in-addr.arpa. (64)
I was able to identify the code that adds those default IP subnet based search domains but failed to spot any indication as to what this is about: https://github.com/apple-oss-distributions/mDNSResponder/blob/d5029b5/mDNSMacOSX/mDNSMacOSX.c#L4171-L4211
Does anyone here have an ideas as to what this might be about?
We are currently working on a zero-configuration networking compliant device thru avahi-daemon.
Our Device want to have multiple Instance name for different services.
Example
InstanceA._ipps._tcp.local.
InstanceA._ipp._tcp.local.
InstanceB._ipps._tcp.local.
InstanceB._ipp._tcp.local.
Will BCT confuse this as multiple device connected in the network and cause it to fail? Does Bonjour only allows only a Single Instance name with multiple services?