Android 2.X设备可以连接到Android 4.0 Wifi Direct AP吗？

Question

I'll explain the problem I'm trying to solve first. I have two Adobe AIR applications that can be deployed to Android (Receiver App and Broadcaster App). The Receiver App sits on one Android device and waits for any Android devices running the Broadcaster App (on the local network). This is all currently working and I can have the devices talking over a local WiFi connection with no problem.

The issue is I need to be able to do this without an external router/AP. I was able to setup a third Android device as a Wireless AP and have two other Android devices communicate over the WiFi connection just fine. However, the device setting up the Wireless AP connection is not able to join the network.

After searching google and stackoverflow I came up with a few solutions.

(1) Set up an Ad-Hoc network using a rooted Android device and running Barnacle. I was able to try this and set up an Ad-Hoc network successfully between two devices but they were not able to establish a connection in the Adobe AIR apps (using Adobe P2P support).

(2) If I can get my hands on the new Android 4.0 Galaxy Nexus I understand I'll have access to WiFi-Direct. I'm curious if this will solve my problem. Can I set up AND join a Wireless AP using the Galaxy Nexus, and connect to the Wireless AP from my older 2.X devices? Reading this makes me believe I can, but I wanted to know if anyone can confirm.

PS I am using NetConnection/NetGroup/NetStreams on the Adobe AIR side over a serverless rtmfp connection.

Thanks.

Answer 1

Sean, this may not answer your question, but I've used rtmfp for serverless p2p also (of the kind described in this blogpost by Tom Krcha) and have a couple data points for you:

• Many HTC devices and other smartphones have a multicast issue that prevents them from communicating in this way. Google 'htc multicast' and read about it on this blog . Interestingly, these devices can work in such a group as long as there are non-impaired devices also, because they can transmit multicast, just not receive it. So the other devices initiate the group and all can participate. But the impaired devices can't initiate the group by themselves.

• I had no trouble communicating between a range of devices, from Android to iOS to desktop, so I assume you should be fine across versions of Android.

• I have a rooted phone that I run an app called 'wireless tether' to create a hotspot / wifi access point, and when two other devices connect to that hotspot, they can communicate with each other using this method, but they cannot communicate with the phone that is creating the hotspot network.