The operating system, after waiting for a response that never came.

ETIMEDOUT — connection timed out

No answer within the timeout. Distinct from a refused connection: something is swallowing the packets rather than answering them, which is what a firewall drop looks like.

A proxy fixes part of this. Choosing a faster pool helps more than rotating within a slow one. If every exit times out for one target and no other, you are being dropped rather than delayed.

Why it happens

A firewall dropping rather than rejecting — silence is the signature.

A slow residential exit that cannot complete within the budget.

The target is overloaded and accepting connections it cannot serve.

Your own timeout is simply too aggressive for the route.

How to fix it

  1. Raise the timeout first; it is the cheapest test and it is often the answer.
  2. Retry on a different exit to separate a bad route from a blocked one.
  3. Use a faster pool where the target permits it — residential latency is a real cost.

FAQ

What does ETIMEDOUT mean?›
No answer within the timeout. Distinct from a refused connection: something is swallowing the packets rather than answering them, which is what a firewall drop looks like. The operating system, after waiting for a response that never came.
Why am I getting ETIMEDOUT?›
A firewall dropping rather than rejecting — silence is the signature. A slow residential exit that cannot complete within the budget. The target is overloaded and accepting connections it cannot serve. Your own timeout is simply too aggressive for the route.
How do I fix ETIMEDOUT?›
Raise the timeout first; it is the cheapest test and it is often the answer. Retry on a different exit to separate a bad route from a blocked one. Use a faster pool where the target permits it — residential latency is a real cost.
Will a proxy fix ETIMEDOUT?›
Choosing a faster pool helps more than rotating within a slow one. If every exit times out for one target and no other, you are being dropped rather than delayed.

Other errors

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