In a perfect world, we'd never have to worry if the device was connected to the Internet or not, and if our backend was reachable. Of course, we don't live in that world, so we need to respond appropriately when the device's network connectivity changes.

What's critical to remember is that having a network connection in no way determines the reachability of a host. That is to say, it's entirely possible for a device to be connected to a Wi-Fi network or a mobile hotspot and yet is unable to contact your servers. This can happen for several reasons (any of which can prevent proper communication with your backend).

In short, determining the network status and being sensitive to changes in the status really tells you only one thing: whether or not it is futile to attempt communication. After all, if the device isn't connected to any network, there's no reason to attempt communication over a nonexistent network. On the other hand, if a network is available, the...