Need help troubleshooting communications error messages

I am using Communications.makeImageRequest in my WUradar widget. I am getting reports from users where the app fails to download the image. With limited exception, I can not reproduce the errors on my side. The errors are all part of the Communications module since that is the only place I capture the response code and if not 200 or 404, show the error code on the screen. The two users I have had reports from are getting different messages, but apparently every time they run the app. I suspect that there is something going on with their link between GCM to the watch, but I don't know the best way to troubleshoot that. Here are the two scenarios and I am currently trying to troubleshoot. I don't think it is my app because I know of cases for the app running fine on other devices of the same type.

Case 1
Device: Fenix 5
Device FW: 6.00
Phone: iPhone 6s
GCM version: GCM-IOS version not provided.

User reports getting comm error 0, UNKNOWN_ERROR. The user claims the watch is syncing with GCM and see the steps update etc. The watch has been restarted, but still gets error code 0 when trying to run the widget. I have been able to reproduce this on my watch if I turn off mobile data and try to start the widget. My differnce is I am running GCM on android and it is only happening under a very specific scenario and not every time the widget is started.

Case 2
Device: Vivoactive
Device FW: 4.40
Phone: Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo
GCM version: GCM-Android 3.22.1.2

This users is reporting error code -300, NETWORK_REQUEST_TIMED_OUT. I have been unable to reproduce this error and I don't know what to suggest to the user to try to fix the issue. I know the URL with Weather Underground can respond for this area.

Any suggestions for either problem would be appreciated.

jim_m_58 over 8 years ago

I'd do the phoneConnected check right before makeWebRequest, and in the case of non-wearables, when you might be getting an update.

You're doing it at a point where time can pass getting a GPS fix and things can change. With GPS, it just takes walking a bit into "clear sky" with your phone left behind.

When I do timed updates, I only do those every 10 minutes or so, and have a state variable so I don't do one if the last one hasn't completed to stay safe (in some of my stuff, the user can manually request an update, so there's a chance a manual update could be requested at the same time as one driven by the timer)

sabeard over 8 years ago

Jim,

Thanks for your feedback. I found a bug in that I was not refreshing the variable for getDeviceSettings(), so I was not properly detecting when the connection dropped within the app. I think this may help reduce the error messages and will better highlight if there is an unstable connection to the phone. I did a build and put it on my Edge1000 and played around to see how it behaves when I kill the BT while the widget is running. Seems to catch those errors more gracefully now. Time to roll it out and see if it helps those who had problems.

sabeard over 8 years ago

Over the weekend I did roll out the fixes for not refreshing the device settings variable and checking it right before issuing the makeImageRequest. After some additional feedback from the two users I have been working with, my sideloaded version of the app still works 100%, but the version downloaded from Garmin's store gives an error every time. The only difference in the code is the sideloaded version has the values for the settings fixed.

I don't get why one build fails and the other works in the same device. :mad::mad::mad: