# Network Services

Essential Kit's Network Services feature lets Unity teams monitor network connectivity and server reachability without maintaining platform-specific code. This tutorial walks you through setup, monitoring APIs, testing, and troubleshooting so you can build offline-first experiences and gracefully handle connectivity changes.

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Using PlayMaker? See the PlayMaker guide: [PlayMaker](/features/network-services/playmaker.md).
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{% embed url="<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNYw6eLPK0s>" %}
Network Services Video Tutorial
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Looking for a working reference? Open the demo scene at `Assets/Plugins/VoxelBusters/EssentialKit/Examples/Scenes/NetworkServicesDemo.unity` and the companion script at `Assets/Plugins/VoxelBusters/EssentialKit/Examples/Scripts/NetworkServicesDemo.cs` to see the full API in action.
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## What You'll Learn

* Monitor internet connectivity status with real-time change detection
* Check specific server reachability for backend availability
* Handle offline scenarios gracefully with proper UI feedback
* Optimize battery usage by controlling when monitoring is active

## Why Network Services Matters

* **Better UX**: Inform users about offline status before they attempt network operations
* **Offline-First Design**: Build features that work offline and sync when connectivity returns
* **Server Monitoring**: Detect when your backend is unreachable separately from general internet status
* **Battery Conscious**: Start/stop monitoring to conserve battery when network status isn't needed

## Tutorial Roadmap

1. [Setup](/features/network-services/setup.md) - Enable the feature and configure monitoring options
2. [Usage](/features/network-services/usage.md) - Monitor connectivity, handle status changes, check reachability
3. [Testing](https://github.com/voxelbusters/essential-kit-docs/blob/master/tutorials/v3/features/network-services/testing.md) - Simulate network changes and verify on devices
4. [FAQ](/features/network-services/faq.md) - Troubleshoot common issues

## Key Use Cases

* **Multiplayer Games**: Block matchmaking when offline, queue actions for when connectivity returns
* **Live Events**: Disable event features when server is unreachable
* **Content Downloads**: Pause downloads when offline, resume when connectivity returns
* **Social Features**: Show offline indicator for leaderboards, friends, and chat

## Prerequisites

* Unity project with Essential Kit v3 installed and Network Services feature included
* iOS or Android target (no special permissions required)
* Test environment with ability to toggle network connectivity

{% content-ref url="/pages/-MKeBbzK1jvnRFSZmh3L" %}
[Setup](/features/network-services/setup.md)
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{% content-ref url="/pages/-MKeDXvZqRRgAjRNzQ6T" %}
[Usage](/features/network-services/usage.md)
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{% content-ref url="<https://github.com/voxelbusters/essential-kit-docs/blob/master/tutorials/v3/features/network-services/testing.md>" %}
<https://github.com/voxelbusters/essential-kit-docs/blob/master/tutorials/v3/features/network-services/testing.md>
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{% content-ref url="/pages/-MKeGywXs6U9hLUvXo8M" %}
[FAQ](/features/network-services/faq.md)
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