Android app connect to local server

EyeSight

Hi I am running an android emulator in eclipse which is basically sending a string to a local java server. the server is just outputting the string(just a useless test to help me learn)

i will try to explain this well:
snippet of my java server running on same PC as android emulator(4.0):

//makes a socket listening on port 4242
            ServerSocket serverSocket = new ServerSocket(4242);
            System.out.println("RUNNING");
            String location;
            
            
            while(true){
                Socket socket = serverSocket.accept();
                
                InputStreamReader streamReader = new InputStreamReader(socket.getInputStream());
                BufferedReader reader = new BufferedReader(streamReader);
                
                location = reader.readLine();
                System.out.println(location);                
            }    

snippet of code not executing in android app:

@Override
        protected String doInBackground(String... locations) { 
            Log.d(TAG, "here in doBackground START");
            String result = "Not Done";
            try{
                Log.d(TAG, "1");
                //connect to socket(server)   
                Socket socket = new Socket("<MY IP ADDRESS>", 4242);
                Log.d(TAG, "2");
                String sendLocation = locations[0];
                Log.d(TAG, "3");
                if(socket.getPort() == 0){Log.d(TAG, "null connect");}
                Log.d(TAG, "4");
                //for writing to server
                DataOutputStream outToServer = new DataOutputStream(socket.getOutputStream());
                Log.d(TAG, "5");
                outToServer.writeBytes(sendLocation + '\n');
                Log.d(TAG, "6");
                socket.close();
                Log.d(TAG, "7");
                result = "Done";
                Log.d(TAG, "8");
            }
            catch(Exception ex){
                ex.printStackTrace();
            }

***Note:
I have put all the Log.d(TAG, NUMBER); in as debugging info,
it only outputs :Log.d(TAG, "1");

android permissions:

<uses-permission
        android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />

Any idea where i'm going wrong? i have tried connecting via my local host 10.0.2.2 and that worked fine. i doubt its a firewall problem, unless my home router is blocking it?