Network Tools

Network Tools Skill

Description

Enables AI Agents to leverage various local network tools for efficient and reliable internet access. Supports intelligent tool selection, proxy routing, and comprehensive network diagnostics - all without requiring API keys.

Core Philosophy: Maximize network reliability, speed, and accessibility by providing a unified interface to the best available command-line network tools.

🔒 Security & Privacy Commitment

No External Dependencies: Uses only locally installed command-line tools

No API Keys Required: All functionality works without external authentication

Proxy Isolation: Optional SOCKS5 proxy support (127.0.0.1:9050) for restricted content

Input Validation: Validates URLs and parameters before execution

Transparent Operations: Clear logging of all network activities

Local Execution Only: All functionality operates within the OpenClaw environment

Available Network Tools

HTTP Clients (Core)

curl: Versatile HTTP client with extensive protocol support

wget: Reliable file downloader with resume capability

httpie: User-friendly HTTP client with excellent JSON support

Download Accelerators

aria2: High-speed download utility with multi-connection support (16 connections by default)

axel: Multi-threaded download accelerator with 10 connections

Network Diagnostics

dig/nslookup: DNS lookup and record querying

ping: Network connectivity testing

traceroute/mtr: Network path tracing and analysis

whois: Domain registration information lookup

Media Tools

youtube-dl: Video/audio downloading from 1000+ supported sites

ffmpeg: Media processing and format conversion (when needed)

Commands Overview

Basic Web Operations

fetch: Retrieve web content with intelligent tool selection

download: Download files with resume support and format detection

Network Diagnostics

dns: Query DNS records (A, AAAA, MX, TXT, CNAME, etc.)

ping: Test network connectivity and latency

traceroute: Trace network route to destination

whois: Get domain registration details

ipinfo: Retrieve public IP address from multiple services

Media Operations

media: Download videos, audio, and other media from supported platforms

Utility Commands

tools: List all available network tools and their status

Intelligent Features

Auto Tool Selection

Large Files (>10MB): Automatically uses aria2 or axel for faster downloads

JSON APIs: Prefers httpie for clean JSON output when available

Fallback Logic: Gracefully falls back to available tools if preferred tool is missing

Proxy Support

Manual Control: Use --proxy flag to force proxy usage

Direct Access: Default behavior uses direct connections for better performance

Universal Proxy: Works with all supported tools through environment variables or native proxy options

Enhanced Download Features

Resume Support: Continue interrupted downloads with --resume flag

Smart Filenames: Automatically generates safe filenames from URLs

Multiple Destinations: Specify custom output paths with --output

User-Agent Rotation

Anti-Detection: Rotates between realistic browser user agents

Tool-Specific: Uses appropriate user agents for different tools

Customizable: Can be extended with additional user agent strings

Usage Examples

Basic Operations

# Simple fetch with auto tool selection
network-tools fetch https://api.github.com/users/octocat
Force proxy usage for restricted content
network-tools fetch --proxy https://blocked-api.com/data
Specify exact tool to use
network-tools fetch --tool=httpie https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts/1

Advanced Downloads

# Large file download with resume capability
network-tools download --resume --output=myfile.zip https://example.com/large-file.zip
Use specific download accelerator
network-tools download --tool=aria2 https://mirror.example.com/ubuntu.iso
Custom headers for authentication or API keys
network-tools fetch --header="Authorization: Bearer token123" https://api.example.com/protected

Network Diagnostics

# DNS record lookup
network-tools dns --type MX google.com
Network connectivity test
network-tools ping --count 10 example.com
Route tracing
network-tools traceroute cloudflare.com
Domain information
network-tools whois example.com
Public IP detection (with proxy support)
network-tools ipinfo --proxy

Media Downloads

# YouTube video download
network-tools media --format mp4 https://youtube.com/watch?v=example
Audio-only extraction
network-tools media --format bestaudio https://soundcloud.com/user/track

Tool Discovery

# Check available tools
network-tools tools

Error Handling & Recovery

Connection Resilience

Multiple Retries: Built-in retry logic for transient failures

Service Fallback: Multiple IP info services for reliability

Tool Fallback: Automatic switching to alternative tools on failure

Input Validation

URL Validation: Ensures proper URL format (http/https only)

Filename Safety: Sanitizes output filenames to prevent directory traversal

Parameter Validation: Validates all command-line options

Graceful Degradation

Partial Feature Support: Works even if only basic tools (curl/wget) are available

Clear Error Messages: Provides actionable error messages for missing dependencies

Help Integration: Built-in help with examples for all commands

Implementation Guidelines for AI Agents

When to Use This Skill

External Data Retrieval: Any need to fetch data from internet resources

File Downloads: Retrieving files, documents, datasets, or media

API Integration: Communicating with REST APIs and web services

Network Troubleshooting: Diagnosing connectivity or DNS issues

Media Processing: Downloading content from video/audio platforms

Best Practices

1. Leverage Auto-Selection: Let the skill choose the best tool unless you have specific requirements 2. Use Proxy Judiciously: Only enable proxy when accessing known restricted resources 3. Handle Large Downloads: Use resume capability for large or unreliable downloads 4. Validate Results: Always check download success and file integrity 5. Respect Rate Limits: Implement appropriate delays between requests when doing batch operations

Security Considerations

Content Validation: Verify downloaded content before processing

URL Sanitization: Ensure URLs don't contain malicious parameters

File Safety: Scan downloaded files for malware when possible

Privacy Awareness: Avoid downloading sensitive content through shared proxies

Compatibility Requirements

Required Tools (at minimum)

curl OR wget (for basic HTTP operations)

Recommended Tools (for full functionality)

httpie (better JSON handling)

aria2c (fast downloads)

dig (DNS queries)

ping/traceroute (network diagnostics)

youtube-dl (media downloads)

Proxy Requirements

SOCKS5 Proxy: Local proxy at 127.0.0.1:9050 (optional, for restricted content access)

Language Support

English documentation and error messages

UTF-8 encoding support for international content and domains

Success Metrics

Reliability: High success rate across different network conditions

Performance: Optimal tool selection for fastest results

Compatibility: Works with minimal tool requirements

Security: Safe handling of network requests and responses

Usability: Intuitive command structure with helpful error messages

1. Leverage Auto-Selection: Let the skill choose the best tool unless you have specific requirements 2. Use Proxy Judiciously: Only enable proxy when accessing known restricted resources 3. Handle Large Downloads: Use resume capability for large or unreliable downloads 4. Validate Results: Always check download success and file integrity 5. Respect Rate Limits: Implement appropriate delays between requests when doing batch operations

Security Considerations

Content Validation: Verify downloaded content before processing

URL Sanitization: Ensure URLs don't contain malicious parameters

File Safety: Scan downloaded files for malware when possible

Privacy Awareness: Avoid downloading sensitive content through shared proxies