Android NetworkInterface. What are the meanings of names of NetworkInterface?
Since Android is based on Linux, Linux network interface naming patterns apply to Android devices.
Here's some resources on *nix network interface naming
- a tour of classic Linux network interface names
- new predictable interface names
- a good StackOverflow question
To summarize:
lo
usually stands for the loopback interface (localhost)
wlan
usually stands for a wireless networking interface
rmnet
interfaces are usually associated with cellular connections and usb tethering
sit
interfaces are associated with tunneling IPv6 over IPv4
p2p
interfaces are usually associated with peer-to-peer connections (perhaps your Android device's WiFi Direct support?)
dummy
interfaces provide special aliases for the loopback interface
ap
or swlan
interfaces (depending on the Android distribution) can be found when the Mobile Hotspot (Access Point) is activated on an Android device. It might also be associated with a regular wlan
interface though (observed on devices where it is not possible to activate the WiFi connection and Mobile Hotspot at the same time, e.g. Android 9 on Galaxy Tab S2).