Error messages

“The request timed out.” on Mac

This is the macOS text for error -1001. The app waited for an answer, and the time ran out. Something in the path is slow or drops traffic.

Applies to: All current macOS versions. networkQuality needs macOS 12 or later. The text was checked on macOS 27.2.Checked: 29 October 2026

Symptoms

  • An app shows “The request timed out.”
  • The app may show NSURLErrorDomain and -1001.
  • It happens on one network, or with a VPN on.

Likely causes

  • A slow or lossy connection. Weak Wi-Fi, a busy hotspot or packet loss delay the answer.
  • A broken IPv6 path. The app tries IPv6 first, and IPv6 does not work.
  • A firewall that drops traffic. A firewall that drops traffic, instead of refusing it, causes a timeout.
  • A proxy or VPN. A slow or unreachable proxy holds the request.
  • A slow server. If every network fails, the server answers too slowly.

How to check

  1. Measure the connection and its responsiveness.

    networkQuality

  2. Ping an address on the internet. This test does not use DNS.

    ping -c 5 1.1.1.1

  3. Time each step of one request. Use the address that the app uses.

    curl -o /dev/null -s -w 'dns %{time_namelookup}  connect %{time_connect}  tls %{time_appconnect}  total %{time_total}\n' https://example.com

  4. Try IPv4 only. If this is fast, the IPv6 path is the problem.

    curl -4 -I https://example.com

  5. Show the system proxy settings.

    scutil --proxy

How to fix it

  1. Move closer to the router, or use Ethernet.

  2. Pause large uploads and downloads on the Mac. See Find which app uses your bandwidth on a Mac.

  3. If IPv4 works and IPv6 does not, read IPv6 problems on a Mac.

  4. If a proxy is set that you do not use, remove it. See Proxy settings stop apps from connecting on a Mac.

  5. If a VPN, proxy or security app is on, turn it off for a short test. Turn it on again after the test.

With Kilobat

  1. Kilobat's connection doctor tests the site layer by layer: network, proxy, DNS, rules, IPv4, IPv6, TLS and the server. It names the layer that failed.

    kilobat why https://example.com

  2. Show DNS, connect, TLS and first-byte times for one URL.

    kilobat http-check https://example.com

  3. These Kilobat checks are free. AI agents run them through MCP with diagnose_connection and diagnose_network. See Find why one site or API won't connect.

Questions

What is NSURLErrorDomain -1001?

It is the timedOut error of Apple's URL Loading System. Apple describes it as an asynchronous operation that timed out.

Sources

Sources checked on 29 October 2026. Man pages are the ones installed with macOS; open one with man <name> in Terminal.