Android TCP connection best practice

I am working on an Android application that requires a TCP connection to a TCP server(Written in Node.js)

My Android TCP client is working an can send messages back and forth.

My spesific questions is:

1. What is the best way to handle a TCP connection to a server in Android ?
2. How to maintain the connection(close the connection properly on onDestroy() etc) ?
3. Is there any bether way then using an AsyncTask(Except a normal Thread class, which is not allowed in Android 4.0)

I have my socket connection in an AsyncTask like this:

@Override
protected Void doInBackground(Void... params) {
        try {
            Log.d("TCP_MESSAGE", "Connecting...");

                socket = new Socket(MY_LOCAL_IP, 8080);
                dataOutput = new DataOutputStream(socket.getOutputStream());

                inputstream = new InputStreamReader(socket.getInputStream());
                input = new BufferedReader(inputstream);


            while (!canceled) {
                String message = input.readLine();
                handleMessage(message);
            }

        } catch (Exception e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
    }
    return null;
}

The reason i have the connection in an AsyncTask is because i am using android 4.0 and are not allowed to have network code in a regular Thread.