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 selectiondownload: 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 latencytraceroute: Trace network route to destinationwhois: Get domain registration detailsipinfo: 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
--proxyflag 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
--resumeflag - 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/1Advanced 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/protectedNetwork 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 --proxyMedia 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/trackTool Discovery
# Check available tools
network-tools toolsError 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
- Leverage Auto-Selection: Let the skill choose the best tool unless you have specific requirements
- Use Proxy Judiciously: Only enable proxy when accessing known restricted resources
- Handle Large Downloads: Use resume capability for large or unreliable downloads
- Validate Results: Always check download success and file integrity
- 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