| name | network-reachability |
| description | Use when a network probe, DNS lookup, HTTP fetch, or nmap scan reports the target host or the internet is unreachable. Stops further probing and reports a target-readiness blocker with useful diagnostics. |
Network Reachability & Circuit Breaker
Use this skill as an early circuit breaker when a network probe fails to reach the target host or the internet at large. A failed probe is a signal, not a reason to retry blindly.
When To Use
Trigger this procedure whenever a network-touching step reports the target host or the internet is unreachable:
- DNS failure (
ENOTFOUND, EAI_AGAIN, "name resolution failed", "Temporary failure in name resolution").
- Connection refused (
ECONNREFUSED, port closed).
- No route to host (
ENETUNREACH, "Network is unreachable", "No route to host").
- Host seems down (nmap "Host seems down", no response to probes).
- Fetch-level network errors (
fetch failed, Failed to fetch, NetworkError).
Procedure
- STOP further probing immediately. Do not retry automatically or escalate to a broader scan against the same unreachable host.
- Classify the boundary correctly. This is a target-readiness, routing, or harness failure unless separate evidence proves otherwise; it is not a security finding about the target.
- Report the failure in chat. Include the exact operation, normalized error, target, timestamp, and the workspace/network boundary from which it was attempted. Preserve raw output in expandable diagnostics.
- Offer one practical recovery step. Ask the user to start the target, correct its address/network attachment, or retry the same bounded baseline after readiness is restored. Do not suspend the run with a menu of speculative scans.
- Record the blocker so the research plan reflects reality and does not loop on the same unavailable target.
Guardrails
- Stay within the approved network profile and target scope. Never bypass egress iptables rules to force reachability.
- Do not auto-escalate from a failed probe to a heavier scan. A broader scan is a separate, evidence-backed decision after basic target readiness is restored.
