Mobile apps need to focus on weak network testing

What is a weak net test?

In today's era of mobile internet prevalence, the form of network in addition to wired connection, there are 2g/3g/edge/4g/wifi and other mobile network connectivity. Different protocols, different formats, and different rates make mobile applications run in richer scenarios.

From the test point of view, the need for additional attention to the scene is much more than the network failure, such as the situation. For the data definition of weak network, the meanings defined by different applications are not the same and unclear, not only to consider the lowest rate of each type of network, but also to combine the business scenarios and application types to divide. According to the characteristics of mobile, the general application of less than 2G rate is a weak network, you can also divide 3G into a weak network. In addition, weak-signal WiFi is often included in the weak-network test scenario.

Why a weak net test is needed

The product of my current project is a medical IT system suitable for low resource environment, which is mainly used in Tanzania area. According to data, in Tanzania and other East African countries, the general use of 2G networks, coverage of more than 40%, 3G network coverage is very small, and poor stability. As a result, the current application delivery requirements for the app are at least in a weak and non-network state.

How to do weak net test

The test of weak network environment mainly relies on the simulation of weak network environment. There are two kinds of environment: Software mode and hardware mode. The low cost of the software method is mainly to configure the weak network environment by simulating the network parameters, which usually can achieve the testing purpose. You can generally use the Hotspot sharing settings. In all kinds of network software, the main is to the bandwidth, packet loss, delay, etc. to simulate the weak network environment. If the requirements are closer to the weak network environment, such as now a lot of special testing, will be more inclined to assist the test by hardware, but this way is relatively troublesome, generally will be assisted by the network to build of course, for some can not be simulated, can only rely on manual movement to such as elevators, subways and other signal weaker places.

Before also said some weak network testing problems, the specific testing tools do not say, in the emphasis on the need to pay attention to a few problem scenarios: User Login application download initialization data, downloading process because the speed is too slow click Cancel and re-login, the data download process, download failure, no data rollback, abort and re-download, Data duplication occurs.

Users click on the data upload, the data upload process is weak and unstable, based on the network state automatically triggered data upload, resulting in repeated data write, the formation of dirty data

In the weak network environment, the user entered the user name and password click Login, the application link timeout, according to the strong network business logic processing, resulting in a return time-out exception.

In the weak network environment, the user entered the user name and password Click Login, the data download time-out, loading data heavily dependent on the subsequent asynchronous loading. The app jumps to the next activity, causing a crash before the data can be returned.

Now, some application companies are more and more concerned about weak network testing, in their own app testing projects, the proportion is also more.

Testbird

Mobile apps need to focus on weak network testing