# Timeout problem with far distance host **URL:** \ **Category:** Ansible Project\ **Created:** [February 27, 2017, 7:38am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/timeout-problem-with-far-distance-host/23825 "2017-02-27T07:38:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jurgen\_Haas2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@Jurgen\_Haas2](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Jurgen_Haas2)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2017, 7:38am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/timeout-problem-with-far-distance-host/23825/1 "2017-02-27T07:38:35Z")
This has been discussed at many places but this scenario is certainly different. Within my repository I do have one host which is on mainland China, i.e. inside the great firewall. And therefore the connection is significantly slower than anything else. My playbooks do work most of the time, but often I do get this `Timeout (12s) waiting for privilege escalation prompt:` error - only on that host and although it is a real mirror of all the others. I’m pretty sure this is a problem because of the connection delay and wonder if I can change the timeout just for that host. ---
**Author:** ![Brian\_Coca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@Brian\_Coca](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Brian_Coca)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2017, 2:52pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/timeout-problem-with-far-distance-host/23825/2 "2017-02-28T14:52:31Z")
You could set ConnectTimeout in ansible\_ssh\_args for that host ---
**Author:** ![Jurgen\_Haas2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@Jurgen\_Haas2](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Jurgen_Haas2)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 7:47am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/timeout-problem-with-far-distance-host/23825/3 "2017-03-06T07:47:48Z")
```auto Here is what I've added to the host vars for that particular host: ``` ```auto ``` ---
**Author:** ![Brian\_Coca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@Brian\_Coca](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Brian_Coca)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2017, 4:23pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/timeout-problem-with-far-distance-host/23825/4 "2017-03-07T16:23:18Z")
Can you show -vvvv output? ---
**Author:** ![Jurgen\_Haas2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@Jurgen\_Haas2](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Jurgen_Haas2)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2017, 4:59pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/timeout-problem-with-far-distance-host/23825/5 "2017-03-07T16:59:45Z")
That’s strange, it doesn’t use those settings although they are in the inventory for that host: ` Using module file /usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/ansible/modules/core/system/setup.py ESTABLISH SSH CONNECTION FOR USER: jurgenhaas SSH: EXEC ssh -vvv -o ControlMaster=auto -o ControlPersist=60s -o ForwardAgent=yes -o KbdInteractiveAuthentication=no -o PreferredAuthentications=gssapi-with-mic,gssapi-keyex,hostbased,publickey -o PasswordAuthentication=no -o User=jurgenhaas -o ConnectTimeout=10 -o ControlPath=/home/jurgenhaas/.ansible/cp/ansible-ssh-%h-%p-%r fimfcn1 ‘/bin/sh -c ‘"’“‘sudo -H -S -p “[sudo via ansible, key=rczwjukcmjelutvbwindjqgbbipfxehz] password: " -u root /bin/sh -c '”’”’“'”‘"’“'”‘“‘echo BECOME-SUCCESS-rczwjukcmjelutvbwindjqgbbipfxehz; /usr/bin/python’”’“'”‘"’“'”‘"’“’ && sleep 0’”‘"’’ ` ---
**Author:** ![Brian\_Coca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@Brian\_Coca](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Brian_Coca)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2017, 5:48pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/timeout-problem-with-far-distance-host/23825/6 "2017-03-07T17:48:29Z")
you want: ansible\_ssh\_common\_args: -o ConnectTimeout=240s -o ControlMaster=auto -o ControlPersist=60s -o ForwardAgent=yes ansible\_ssh\_args does not exist, you DO have ssh\_args in ansible.cfg but that is 'global'. ---
**Author:** ![Jurgen\_Haas2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@Jurgen\_Haas2](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Jurgen_Haas2)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2017, 7:24am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/timeout-problem-with-far-distance-host/23825/7 "2017-03-08T07:24:54Z")
OK, that certainly makes a difference. The output of -vvvv is now as expected and I’ll deploy that to may infrastructure and will watch the behavior the next couple of days, if that stabilizes the operations on that host. Thanks Brian for your help. ---
**Author:** ![Jurgen\_Haas2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@Jurgen\_Haas2](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Jurgen_Haas2)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2017, 12:24pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/timeout-problem-with-far-distance-host/23825/8 "2017-03-11T12:24:16Z")
It’s really strange. Still getting that timeout error although it is set differently: ` TASK [Upgrade packages] \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* task path: /opt/ansible/playbooks/sanity.yml:36 Using module file /usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/ansible/modules/core/packaging/os/apt.py ESTABLISH SSH CONNECTION FOR USER: jurgenhaas SSH: EXEC ssh -vvv -o ControlMaster=auto -o ControlPersist=60s -o ForwardAgent=yes -o KbdInteractiveAuthentication=no -o PreferredAuthentications=gssapi-with-mic,gssapi-keyex,hostbased,publickey -o PasswordAuthentication=no -o User=jurgenhaas -o ConnectTimeout=10 -o ConnectTimeout=240s -o ControlMaster=auto -o ControlPersist=60s -o ForwardAgent=yes -o ControlPath=/home/jurgenhaas/.ansible/cp/ansible-ssh-%h-%p-%r fimfcn1 ‘/bin/sh -c ‘"’“‘sudo -H -S -p “[sudo via ansible, key=ftwxuktzuptwgsqvjrvadpkstknljlfl] password: " -u root /bin/sh -c '”’”’“'”‘"’“'”‘“‘echo BECOME-SUCCESS-ftwxuktzuptwgsqvjrvadpkstknljlfl; /usr/bin/python’”’“'”‘"’“'”‘"’“’ && sleep 0’”‘"’’ fatal: [fimfcn1]: FAILED! =\> { “failed”: true, “msg”: "Timeout (12s) waiting for privilege escalation prompt: " } ` Any other idea I could go about? That error comes fairly early I have to say too, it isn’t waiting that long. ---
**Author:** ![Brian\_Coca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@Brian\_Coca](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Brian_Coca)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2017, 1:46pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/timeout-problem-with-far-distance-host/23825/9 "2017-03-23T13:46:59Z")
Also note that the 'displayed' timeout (12s) is the default value, not inferred from ssh\_args.