Troubleshooting Network Connectivity Issues to Self-Hosted (On-Premise) ServiceNow InstancesIssue <!-- /*NS Branding Styles*/ --> .ns-kb-css-body-editor-container { p { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: #000000; } span { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: #000000; } h2 { font-size: 24pt; font-family: Lato; color: black; } h3 { font-size: 18pt; font-family: Lato; color: black; } h4 { font-size: 14pt; font-family: Lato; color: black; } a { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: #00718F; } a:hover { font-size: 12pt; color: #024F69; } a:target { font-size: 12pt; color: #032D42; } a:visited { font-size: 12pt; color: #7057C7; } ul { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; } li { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; } img { display: block; max-width: ; width: auto; height: auto; } } Some users are unable to access the public URL of a self-hosted ServiceNow instance. The browser displays errors such as: “Site cannot be reached”“DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN”“Connection timed out” This occurs even though the DNS is advertised and the site is accessible from other networks or locations. Symptoms<!-- /*NS Branding Styles*/ --> .ns-kb-css-body-editor-container { p { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: #000000; } span { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: #000000; } h2 { font-size: 24pt; font-family: Lato; color: black; } h3 { font-size: 18pt; font-family: Lato; color: black; } h4 { font-size: 14pt; font-family: Lato; color: black; } a { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: #00718F; } a:hover { font-size: 12pt; color: #024F69; } a:target { font-size: 12pt; color: #032D42; } a:visited { font-size: 12pt; color: #7057C7; } ul { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; } li { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; } img { display: block; max-width: ; width: auto; height: auto; } } URL is accessible from external networks but not from specific internal segments or user locations.DNS resolves correctly, but the connection fails at the transport or application layer.Only some users or regions are affected.Traceroute or ping may fail at the firewall or proxy level.SSL handshake errors or certificate trust issues may appear in browser developer tools. Facts<!-- /*NS Branding Styles*/ --> .ns-kb-css-body-editor-container { p { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: #000000; } span { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: #000000; } h2 { font-size: 24pt; font-family: Lato; color: black; } h3 { font-size: 18pt; font-family: Lato; color: black; } h4 { font-size: 14pt; font-family: Lato; color: black; } a { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: #00718F; } a:hover { font-size: 12pt; color: #024F69; } a:target { font-size: 12pt; color: #032D42; } a:visited { font-size: 12pt; color: #7057C7; } ul { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; } li { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; } img { display: block; max-width: ; width: auto; height: auto; } } The ServiceNow instance is on-premise, hosted within the customer’s infrastructure.DNS records are correctly configured and publicly resolvable.No known outages or issues exist on the ServiceNow platform side.Similar issues have been traced to customer-side network or security configurations in past cases. Release<!-- /*NS Branding Styles*/ --> .ns-kb-css-body-editor-container { p { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: #000000; } span { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: #000000; } h2 { font-size: 24pt; font-family: Lato; color: black; } h3 { font-size: 18pt; font-family: Lato; color: black; } h4 { font-size: 14pt; font-family: Lato; color: black; } a { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: #00718F; } a:hover { font-size: 12pt; color: #024F69; } a:target { font-size: 12pt; color: #032D42; } a:visited { font-size: 12pt; color: #7057C7; } ul { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; } li { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; } img { display: block; max-width: ; width: auto; height: auto; } } This article applies to all self-hosted ServiceNow instances, regardless of version, when deployed in customer-managed environments. Cause<!-- /*NS Branding Styles*/ --> .ns-kb-css-body-editor-container { p { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: #000000; } span { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: #000000; } h2 { font-size: 24pt; font-family: Lato; color: black; } h3 { font-size: 18pt; font-family: Lato; color: black; } h4 { font-size: 14pt; font-family: Lato; color: black; } a { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: #00718F; } a:hover { font-size: 12pt; color: #024F69; } a:target { font-size: 12pt; color: #032D42; } a:visited { font-size: 12pt; color: #7057C7; } ul { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; } li { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; } img { display: block; max-width: ; width: auto; height: auto; } } The root cause is typically within the customer’s environment, not the ServiceNow platform. Common causes include: Firewall or proxy filtering: Security appliances may block or inspect traffic inconsistently. Split DNS or stale DNS cache: Internal DNS servers may return outdated or incorrect IPs. Load balancer misconfiguration: Requests may not be routed to the correct backend node. SSL/TLS certificate issues: Missing intermediate certificates or expired certs can block access. Zscaler or similar security layers: May interfere with SSL inspection or URL filtering. Resolution<!-- /*NS Branding Styles*/ --> .ns-kb-css-body-editor-container { p { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: #000000; } span { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: #000000; } h2 { font-size: 24pt; font-family: Lato; color: black; } h3 { font-size: 18pt; font-family: Lato; color: black; } h4 { font-size: 14pt; font-family: Lato; color: black; } a { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: #00718F; } a:hover { font-size: 12pt; color: #024F69; } a:target { font-size: 12pt; color: #032D42; } a:visited { font-size: 12pt; color: #7057C7; } ul { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; } li { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; } img { display: block; max-width: ; width: auto; height: auto; } } Step 1: Validate DNS and Routing- Run nslookup and traceroute from affected and unaffected machines.- Compare results to identify routing inconsistencies.- Browser HAR logsA Step 2: Check Security Appliances- Review firewall, proxy, and Zscaler logs for blocked or dropped connections.- Ensure the ServiceNow public IP is whitelisted and not subject to geo-blocking or rate limiting. Step 3: Inspect SSL Configuration- Use tools like SSL Labs or curl -v to validate the certificate chain.- Ensure intermediate certificates are installed and trusted. Step 4: Test from Alternate Networks- Try accessing the URL from a mobile hotspot or external Wi-Fi to isolate internal network issues. Step 5: Engage Internal IT- Share diagnostics with the customer’s network/security team.- If needed, escalate to ServiceNow support with logs and test results.