5 Network Errors That Break Automation Tests and Fixes

5 Network Errors That Break Automation Tests (And How to Handle Them)

Automation tests are often blamed when builds fail, but many failures have little to do with application logic. Network-related issues are a common hidden cause of flaky tests, inconsistent results, and lost confidence in automation. When tests fail due to external factors like latency, connectivity, or service availability, teams can waste valuable time investigating problems that are not actually defects.

Understanding how network errors impact test execution is essential for building reliable and trustworthy automation. In this blog, we explore five common network errors that break automation tests, explain why they occur, and share practical ways to handle them without masking real product risks or ignoring issues that could affect users.

Why Network Errors Are Hard to Diagnose in Automation

Network errors are difficult to diagnose because they often appear identical to application defects. A slow response, failed request, or missing dependency can cause a test to fail even when the underlying functionality is correct. These issues are often intermittent and environment-specific, which makes them hard to reproduce and troubleshoot. Over time, this inconsistency reduces trust in automation and leads teams to ignore failures that may actually signal real problems.

Network Error 1: Timeout Failures

Timeout failures occur when requests take longer than expected to receive a response, causing tests to stop before workflows complete. These issues are commonly triggered by slow services, overloaded environments, or temporary latency spikes. When timeouts are too aggressive or poorly configured, automation tests fail even though the system eventually responds, making it difficult to distinguish between performance problems and test instability.

Network Error 2: Intermittent Connectivity Issues

Intermittent connectivity issues happen when network connections briefly drop or become unstable during test execution. Even short interruptions can break automated workflows, especially when tests depend on continuous communication with services or APIs.

These issues are particularly frustrating because tests may pass repeatedly and then fail without any code changes. To manage intermittent connectivity problems, teams should analyze failure patterns, add limited retry logic where appropriate, and capture network diagnostics during test runs. This helps separate temporary network noise from genuine application issues.

Network Error 3: DNS Resolution Errors

DNS resolution errors occur when test environments cannot resolve domain names to IP addresses. These failures often appear suddenly and can affect large portions of a test suite at once. DNS issues are commonly environment-related and may differ between local, staging, and cloud environments, making them difficult to diagnose without proper visibility into infrastructure configuration.

Network Error 4: API Rate Limiting and Throttling

API rate limiting happens when systems restrict how many requests can be made within a specific time window. Automation tests can unintentionally trigger these limits because they run faster and more frequently than real users.

When rate limits are exceeded, APIs return errors that cause tests to fail, even though the application logic is correct. To reduce this risk, teams should design tests that mimic realistic usage patterns, spread requests over time, and use test-specific credentials when possible. Using a test automation tool like testRigor can also help teams model user behavior more accurately, reducing unnecessary API calls and minimizing throttling issues.

Network Error 5: Dependency Service Outages

Modern applications rely on multiple internal and external services. When a dependent service becomes unavailable, automation tests that rely on it often fail across many scenarios at once. These failures can create noise and make it difficult to identify the root cause, especially when outages occur outside the application under test.

How to Design Automation Tests That Are More Network-Resilient

Designing network-resilient automation tests requires intentional structure and thoughtful boundaries. The goal is to validate real application behavior without allowing temporary network instability to overwhelm test results.

Separate Functional Logic From Network Behavior

Tests should focus on validating core functionality independently from network reliability whenever possible. Isolating functional checks from infrastructure-related behavior helps teams identify whether failures are caused by application logic or external conditions.

Limit Dependence on External Services

External APIs and third-party services introduce variability that can destabilize tests. Where possible, reduce direct dependency on these services or replace them with controlled test doubles to keep validation consistent.

Use Retries and Waits Carefully

Retries can help handle temporary network issues, but excessive retries may hide real defects. Applying limited retries with clear logging ensures tests remain stable without masking underlying problems.

Balance Realism With Stability

While tests should reflect real-world usage, they must also remain reliable. Striking the right balance between realistic scenarios and controlled environments helps teams build automation that is both meaningful and dependable.

These design principles help create automation tests that remain trustworthy even in unstable network conditions, allowing teams to focus on genuine quality risks rather than environmental noise.

Best Practices for Handling Network Errors in Test Automation

Strong practices make network-related failures easier to identify, understand, and address.

• Capture detailed logs for network requests and responses
• Clearly label failures caused by infrastructure or connectivity issues
• Track failure patterns across environments and over time
• Monitor response times and error rates during test execution
• Review flaky tests regularly instead of ignoring them
• Align timeout and retry strategies with real system behavior

These practices improve transparency and prevent network issues from silently undermining automation reliability.

When Network Failures Indicate Real Product Risk

Not all network failures should be dismissed as test instability. Some failures reveal real risks, such as poor error handling, lack of resilience, or unacceptable behavior under degraded conditions. When automation exposes these weaknesses, teams should treat them as valid defects rather than noise, since they may impact real users in production.

Conclusion

Network errors are a major source of automation test failures and often the hardest to diagnose. By understanding common issues such as timeouts, connectivity problems, DNS failures, rate limiting, and service outages, teams can build tests that are more reliable and informative.

Handling network errors effectively improves trust in automation and allows teams to focus on real quality risks instead of false alarms. With thoughtful design and strong diagnostic practices, automation becomes a dependable asset rather than a source of frustration.

David Rigg

Hey, I’m David. I’ve been working as a wireless network engineer and a network administrator for 15 years. During my studies, I also worked as an ISP field technician – that’s when I met Jeremy. 

I hold a bachelor’s degree in network engineering and a master’s degree in computer science and engineering. I’m also a Cisco-certified service provider. 

In my professional career, I worked for router/modem manufacturers and internet providers. I like to think that I’m good at explaining network-related issues in simple terms. That’s exactly what I’m doing on this website – I’m making simple and easy-to-follow guides on how to install, set up, and troubleshoot your networking hardware. I also review new network equipment – modems, gateways, switches, routers, extenders, mesh systems, cables, etc. 

My goal is to help regular users with their everyday network issues, educate them, and make them less scared of their equipment. In my articles, you can find tips on what to look for when buying new networking hardware, and how to adjust your network settings to get the most out of your wi-fi. 

Since my work is closely related to computers, servers, and other network equipment, I like to spend most of my spare time outdoors. When I want to blow off some steam, I like to ride my bike. I also love hiking and swimming. When I need to calm down and clear my mind, my go-to activity is fishing.