In this article we explain more about how to solve the error messages below:
- cURL error 28: Connection timed out after X milliseconds - cURL error 28: operation time out after X milliseconds with 0 out of 0 bytes received
In most cases, the problem is related to the server. It is actually never caused by a plugin or theme in WordPress.
What is cURL?
CURL is a command-line program for obtaining or sending files and data. Since cURL uses libcurl, it supports a range of commonly used Internet protocols, including (currently) HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, FTPS, SCP, SFTP, TFTP, LDAP, DAP, DICT, TELNET, FILE, IMAP, POP3, SMTP, and RTSP (the last four only in versions newer than 7.20.0 or February 9, 2010).
CURL supports HTTPS and performs SSL certificate verification by default when a secure protocol such as HTTPS is specified. When cURL connects to a remote server over HTTPS, it will obtain the remote server’s certificate and then compare the validity of the remote server against its CA certificate to ensure that the remote server is the server it claims to be.
cURL is used by the bol.com API, among others, since here privacy sensitive information is shared over an HTTPS connection. Therefore, bol.com also requires a minimum cURL version.
How to solve a cURL timeout connection?
Start by updating WordPress to the most recent version, if you had not already done so.
If after updating WordPress the problem still occurs, contact your hosting provider and ask them to look at the following parameters:
Make sure that the server is using the most recent cURL version
Try to increase the servers ‘WP_MEMORY_LIMIT’
Check if the hosting provider is using an ‘openDNS’
Check if the hosting provider has put a limit on the execution of cronjobs
Check if the hosting provider uses a firewall that blocks a cURL request
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