diff --git a/tempest/scenario/manager.py b/tempest/scenario/manager.py
index c836227c42..07d8828d91 100644
--- a/tempest/scenario/manager.py
+++ b/tempest/scenario/manager.py
@@ -407,7 +407,16 @@ class OfficialClientTest(tempest.test.BaseTestCase):
             username = CONF.scenario.ssh_user
         if private_key is None:
             private_key = self.keypair.private_key
-        return remote_client.RemoteClient(ip, username, pkey=private_key)
+        linux_client = remote_client.RemoteClient(ip, username,
+                                                  pkey=private_key)
+        try:
+            linux_client.validate_authentication()
+        except exceptions.SSHTimeout:
+            LOG.exception('ssh connection to %s failed' % ip)
+            debug.log_net_debug()
+            raise
+
+        return linux_client
 
     def _log_console_output(self, servers=None):
         if not servers:
@@ -869,9 +878,7 @@ class NetworkScenarioTest(OfficialClientTest):
                         msg=msg)
         if should_connect:
             # no need to check ssh for negative connectivity
-            linux_client = self.get_remote_client(ip_address, username,
-                                                  private_key)
-            linux_client.validate_authentication()
+            self.get_remote_client(ip_address, username, private_key)
 
     def _check_public_network_connectivity(self, ip_address, username,
                                            private_key, should_connect=True,
@@ -885,13 +892,15 @@ class NetworkScenarioTest(OfficialClientTest):
                                         username,
                                         private_key,
                                         should_connect=should_connect)
-        except Exception:
+        except Exception as e:
             ex_msg = 'Public network connectivity check failed'
             if msg:
                 ex_msg += ": " + msg
             LOG.exception(ex_msg)
             self._log_console_output(servers)
-            debug.log_net_debug()
+            # network debug is called as part of ssh init
+            if not isinstance(e, exceptions.SSHTimeout):
+                debug.log_net_debug()
             raise
 
     def _check_tenant_network_connectivity(self, server,
@@ -912,10 +921,12 @@ class NetworkScenarioTest(OfficialClientTest):
                                                 username,
                                                 private_key,
                                                 should_connect=should_connect)
-        except Exception:
+        except Exception as e:
             LOG.exception('Tenant network connectivity check failed')
             self._log_console_output(servers_for_debug)
-            debug.log_net_debug()
+            # network debug is called as part of ssh init
+            if not isinstance(e, exceptions.SSHTimeout):
+                debug.log_net_debug()
             raise
 
     def _check_remote_connectivity(self, source, dest, should_succeed=True):
diff --git a/tempest/scenario/test_load_balancer_basic.py b/tempest/scenario/test_load_balancer_basic.py
index 1c24b5cd19..03cfef5a8c 100644
--- a/tempest/scenario/test_load_balancer_basic.py
+++ b/tempest/scenario/test_load_balancer_basic.py
@@ -148,7 +148,6 @@ class TestLoadBalancerBasic(manager.NetworkScenarioTest):
             ssh_client = self.get_remote_client(
                 server_or_ip=ip,
                 private_key=private_key)
-            ssh_client.validate_authentication()
 
             # Write a backend's responce into a file
             resp = """HTTP/1.0 200 OK\r\nContent-Length: 8\r\n\r\n%s"""
diff --git a/tempest/scenario/test_minimum_basic.py b/tempest/scenario/test_minimum_basic.py
index 58f0dbf66c..0406217633 100644
--- a/tempest/scenario/test_minimum_basic.py
+++ b/tempest/scenario/test_minimum_basic.py
@@ -93,11 +93,12 @@ class TestMinimumBasicScenario(manager.OfficialClientTest):
     def ssh_to_server(self):
         try:
             self.linux_client = self.get_remote_client(self.floating_ip.ip)
-            self.linux_client.validate_authentication()
-        except Exception:
+        except Exception as e:
             LOG.exception('ssh to server failed')
             self._log_console_output()
-            debug.log_net_debug()
+            # network debug is called as part of ssh init
+            if not isinstance(e, test.exceptions.SSHTimeout):
+                debug.log_net_debug()
             raise
 
     def check_partitions(self):
diff --git a/tempest/scenario/test_security_groups_basic_ops.py b/tempest/scenario/test_security_groups_basic_ops.py
index b4e509a102..dd89dc049e 100644
--- a/tempest/scenario/test_security_groups_basic_ops.py
+++ b/tempest/scenario/test_security_groups_basic_ops.py
@@ -336,6 +336,8 @@ class TestSecurityGroupsBasicOps(manager.NetworkScenarioTest):
             self.assertTrue(self._check_remote_connectivity(access_point, ip,
                                                             should_succeed),
                             msg)
+        except test.exceptions.SSHTimeout:
+            raise
         except Exception:
             debug.log_net_debug()
             raise
diff --git a/tempest/scenario/test_server_basic_ops.py b/tempest/scenario/test_server_basic_ops.py
index dc7a0921a0..54f1d9eb83 100644
--- a/tempest/scenario/test_server_basic_ops.py
+++ b/tempest/scenario/test_server_basic_ops.py
@@ -93,11 +93,10 @@ class TestServerBasicOps(manager.OfficialClientTest):
             instance.add_floating_ip(floating_ip)
             # Check ssh
             try:
-                linux_client = self.get_remote_client(
+                self.get_remote_client(
                     server_or_ip=floating_ip.ip,
                     username=self.image_utils.ssh_user(self.image_ref),
                     private_key=self.keypair.private_key)
-                linux_client.validate_authentication()
             except Exception:
                 LOG.exception('ssh to server failed')
                 self._log_console_output()