Other .mdc

Network Troubleshoot

Systematic, safety-first network troubleshooting for developers

How to use
  1. Copy the rule content.
  2. In your project root, create .cursorrules or .cursor/rules/network-troubleshoot.mdc
  3. Paste the content and save.

Network Troubleshoot

Use this rule as a concise decision guide for developer network failures. Keep diagnostics safe, target-scoped, and read-only. Do not turn this rule into an automated remediation toolkit.

Safety Boundaries

  • Prefer read-only diagnostics and trusted project-provided diagnostic scripts.
  • Use the failing host, URL, registry, or service as the default probe target.
  • Ask before probing unrelated external services.
  • Do not print proxy URLs, credentials, tokens, auth headers, package index URLs, registry hostnames from config, or raw config values in shared output.
  • Internal hosts and URLs may be collected for target-scoped local diagnostics, but replace them with placeholders before sharing logs or reports unless the user explicitly approves including them.
  • Do not dump local config from npm, pnpm, yarn, pip, Git, Docker, shell, OS proxy, VPN, or certificate stores.
  • Do not disable, bypass, or skip TLS or certificate verification.
  • Do not change OS networking, DNS, proxy, package manager, Git, Docker, shell, VPN, or trust-store settings without explicit user approval for the exact action.

Workflow

  1. Collect: Capture the exact error, failing command, target host/URL/port, OS/shell, proxy/VPN context, and whether the failure affects one target or many.
  2. Classify: Match the symptom to the most likely category.
  3. Diagnose: Run only read-only checks scoped to the failing target.
  4. Explain: Interpret the output before suggesting any fix.
  5. Advise: Present remediation options as choices and wait for user approval before changing state.
  6. Verify: Re-run the original failing command or an equivalent target-scoped check.

Error Classification

Error PatternLikely Category
ECONNREFUSED, ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED, Connection refusedTarget service or port is not listening
ECONNRESET, socket hang up, Connection resetConnection dropped by target, proxy, firewall, or middlebox
ETIMEDOUT, ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT, timed outRouting, firewall, proxy, or target availability
ENOTFOUND, EAI_NONAME, ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED, getaddrinfoDNS or hostname issue
ERR_PROXY_CONNECTION_FAILED, proxy tunnel errors, HTTP 407Proxy configuration or proxy authentication
UNABLE_TO_VERIFY_LEAF_SIGNATURE, CERT_HAS_EXPIRED, self signed, ERR_CERT_*TLS certificate or local trust issue
HTTP 403Authorization, IP allowlist, CORS, or policy block
HTTP 502, 503, 504Upstream service, gateway, CDN, or transient server issue
npm ERR! network, package install timeout, pip timeoutPackage registry, proxy, DNS, or network path issue
fatal: unable to access, Git fetch/push timeoutGit remote, proxy, DNS, TLS, or network path issue

Safe Target-Scoped Checks

Choose the smallest relevant set. Explain what each command checks before running it.

Connectivity

Linux/macOS:

ping -c 4 <target-host>
curl -v telnet://<target-host>:<port> --connect-timeout 5

Windows PowerShell:

Test-Connection -ComputerName <target-host> -Count 4
Test-NetConnection -ComputerName <target-host> -Port <port>

DNS

Linux/macOS:

nslookup <target-host>
dig <target-host>                # Linux/macOS, if available

Windows PowerShell:

Resolve-DnsName <target-host>

HTTP

Linux/macOS:

curl -vvv -o /dev/null -w "HTTP %{http_code}\nTime: %{time_total}s\nDNS: %{time_namelookup}s\nConnect: %{time_connect}s\nTLS: %{time_appconnect}s\n" https://<target-host>/<path>
curl -I https://<target-host>/<path>

Windows PowerShell:

$uri = "https://<target-host>/<path>"
try {
  $resp = Invoke-WebRequest -Uri $uri -Method Head -TimeoutSec 10
  "HTTP status: $([int]$resp.StatusCode)"
} catch [Net.WebException] {
  if ($_.Exception.Response) {
    "HTTP status: $([int]$_.Exception.Response.StatusCode)"
  } else {
    "HTTP request failed: $($_.Exception.Message)"
  }
}

TLS

Linux/macOS:

openssl s_client -connect <target-host>:<port> -servername <target-host> -showcerts </dev/null
echo | openssl s_client -connect <target-host>:<port> -servername <target-host> 2>/dev/null | openssl x509 -noout -subject -issuer -dates

Windows PowerShell:

Use HEAD and report HTTP statuses separately from TLS or network errors so non-2xx responses are not mislabeled as certificate failures.

try {
  $req = [Net.HttpWebRequest]::Create("https://<target-host>:<port>/<path>")
  $req.Method = "HEAD"
  $req.Timeout = 5000

  try {
    $resp = $req.GetResponse()
  } catch [Net.WebException] {
    $resp = $_.Exception.Response
    if ($req.ServicePoint.Certificate) {
      $cert = $req.ServicePoint.Certificate
      "Cert subject: $($cert.Subject)"
      "Cert expires: $($cert.GetExpirationDateString())"
    }
    if ($resp) {
      "HTTP status: $([int]$resp.StatusCode) $($resp.StatusDescription)"
      $resp.Close()
    } else {
      "TLS/network error: $($_.Exception.Message)"
    }
    return
  }

  $cert = $req.ServicePoint.Certificate
  if ($cert) {
    "Cert subject: $($cert.Subject)"
    "Cert expires: $($cert.GetExpirationDateString())"
  }
  "HTTP status: $([int]$resp.StatusCode) $($resp.StatusDescription)"
  $resp.Close()
} catch {
  "TLS/network error: $($_.Exception.Message)"
}

Proxy And Package Managers

For proxy, package manager, Git, Docker, and OS network configuration, avoid raw config reads. Report only whether relevant settings appear present when this can be checked without printing values. If the available command would print a URL, token, internal hostname, auth header, or full config value, do not run it.

Only perform package registry probes when the failed operation already targeted that registry, or after the user approves that exact probe target.

User-Approved Remediation Options

These are options to discuss with the user, not commands to run automatically.

DiagnosisSafe Advice
Target service is not listeningCheck whether the local or remote service is running and whether the expected port is correct.
DNS lookup failsCheck the hostname, hosts-file expectations, DNS service status, or approved DNS changes.
Proxy appears required or unavailableAsk whether the user wants to start or adjust the proxy/VPN, then verify only the approved target.
TLS certificate expiredRenew or replace the certificate, fix system time, install a trusted local development CA, or update the trust store. Do not bypass TLS verification.
TLS unknown CAImport the correct CA into the appropriate trust store after the user confirms the source and scope.
HTTP 407Ask the user to confirm proxy authentication requirements before changing credentials or tool settings.
HTTP 403Check authentication, API key scope, IP allowlist, CORS policy, or service policy.
HTTP 502/503/504Treat as upstream or gateway instability; check status pages when approved and retry with backoff.
Package install timeoutDiscuss approved registry, proxy, or network-path options without printing or changing stored config values.
Git network failureDiscuss approved remote URL, proxy, credential, TLS, or network-path options without changing global Git settings automatically.
Docker pull failureDiscuss approved registry mirror, proxy, or daemon settings as a user-approved configuration change.

Verification

After any user-approved change, verify with the original failing command whenever possible. If a smaller check is needed, keep it scoped to the same failing host, URL, registry, or service.

Always explain what each diagnostic result means before recommending the next step.

Similar rules

More in Other →