How to Fix Python Handling Socket.Error: [Errno 104] Connection Reset by Peer

1. What is the Connection Reset by Peer Error in Python
2. Likely Causes of Connection Reset by Peer Error in Python
3. Solutions to the Connection Reset by Peer Error in Python
4. Conclusion

After we have created an application that connects to a server to download information, like forex or bitcoin rates, we tend to encounter all sorts of connection issues; one such issue is the [Errno 104] Connection reset by peer error.

What is the Connection Reset by Peer Error in Python

This error usually occurs when a client tries to connect to a server, the server receives this connection, but the connection is closed before the client receives the information it expects to receive from the server.

It is likened to a situation where you make a call on a telephone, the receiver picks up the call and hangs up almost immediately, or the connection gets lost immediately after the receiver picks up. When such happens, the connection is reset.

When a connection is reset by peer, it doesn’t necessarily mean the connection was closed by the server; the connection can be closed by the client too. For instance, a caller could hang up the call immediately after the receiver picks up.

Then the connection can also be closed by the devices serving to connect the client to the server, for instance, a router.

Likely Causes of Connection Reset by Peer Error in Python

While it’s difficult to pinpoint the main causes of this error due to its unpredictable nature, we have listed the most likely causes.

1. Server crash: When we try to get a response from a server that has crashed and trying to reboot, it will most likely throw the errno 104 right back in your face.
2. Bugs and Connectivity Issues: Unstable network connectivity and bugs in the Python application we are using to get a response from the server could cause the connection between the client and server to terminate unexpectedly and throw the connection reset error.
3. Server Bandwidth Reaching Threshold: In a situation where we are trying to get a response from a server that has reached its limited number of connections, the server will reject a new connection since there is no more room and throw the errno 104.

Solutions to the Connection Reset by Peer Error in Python

The errno 104 is volatile and extremely difficult to reproduce; hence, solutions to counter such errors are few and far between. But there are some troubleshooting that we can practice.

For one, we can check our connections to ensure they are stable and at high speed; epileptic network connectivity is one problem that cuts across various errors.

Also, we can check that our Python application does not have bugs; we can do this by checking if the address we are trying to connect to is spelled well, or we can try another server address to see what happens.

We can also check the server we are trying to get a response from is fully functional and can service requests.

Conclusion

Encountering errors and problems while coding can be annoying, but the best approach is to calm down and slowly assess the problem. The solution can be as simple as retrying the connection to the server.