diff --git a/lib/cloudregister/registerutils.py b/lib/cloudregister/registerutils.py
index 173b499a..1e7157d7 100644
--- a/lib/cloudregister/registerutils.py
+++ b/lib/cloudregister/registerutils.py
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ def add_hosts_entry(smt_server):
     smt_hosts_entry_comment = '\n# Added by SMT registration do not remove, '
     smt_hosts_entry_comment += 'retain comment as well\n'
     smt_ip = smt_server.get_ipv4()
-    if has_ipv6_access(smt_server):
+    if has_rmt_ipv6_access(smt_server):
         smt_ip = smt_server.get_ipv6()
     entry = '%s\t%s\t%s\n' % (
         smt_ip,
@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@ def fetch_smt_data(cfg, proxies, quiet=False):
                 region_servers_ipv4.append(ip_addr)
         random.shuffle(region_servers_ipv4)
         random.shuffle(region_servers_ipv6)
-        if socket.has_ipv6:
+        if has_ipv6_access():
             region_servers = region_servers_ipv6 + region_servers_ipv4
         else:
             region_servers = region_servers_ipv4
@@ -894,10 +894,10 @@ def get_zypper_target_root():
 
 
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-def has_ipv6_access(smt):
+def has_rmt_ipv6_access(smt):
     """IPv6 access is possible if we have an SMT server that has an IPv6
        address and it can be accessed over IPv6"""
-    if not smt.get_ipv6():
+    if not has_ipv6_access() or not smt.get_ipv6():
         return False
     logging.info('Attempt to access update server over IPv6')
     protocol = 'http'  # Default for backward compatibility
@@ -1442,6 +1442,31 @@ def write_framework_identifier(cfg):
         framework_file.write(json.dumps(identifier))
 
 
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+def has_ipv4_access():
+    """Check if we have IPv4 network configuration"""
+    return has_network_access_by_ip_address('8.8.8.8')
+
+
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+def has_ipv6_access():
+    """Check if we have IPv6 network configuration"""
+    return has_network_access_by_ip_address('2001:4860:4860::8888')
+
+
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+def has_network_access_by_ip_address(server_ip):
+    """Check if we can connect to the given server"""
+    try:
+        connection = socket.create_connection((server_ip, 443), timeout=2)
+    except OSError as e:
+        logging.info('Network access error: "%s"', e)
+        return False
+
+    connection.close()
+    return True
+
+
 # Private
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 def __get_framework_plugin(cfg):
diff --git a/tests/test_registerutils.py b/tests/test_registerutils.py
index f4829ff3..aab3474f 100644
--- a/tests/test_registerutils.py
+++ b/tests/test_registerutils.py
@@ -542,8 +542,8 @@ def test_clean_host_file_raised_exception():
     assert m().write.mock_calls == []
 
 
-@patch('cloudregister.registerutils.has_ipv6_access')
-def test_add_hosts_entry(mock_has_ipv6_access):
+@patch('cloudregister.registerutils.has_rmt_ipv6_access')
+def test_add_hosts_entry(mock_has_rmt_ipv6_access):
     """Test hosts entry has a new entry added by us."""
     smt_data_ipv46 = dedent('''\
         <smtInfo fingerprint="00:11:22:33"
@@ -553,25 +553,25 @@ def test_add_hosts_entry(mock_has_ipv6_access):
          region="antarctica-1"/>''')
 
     smt_server = SMT(etree.fromstring(smt_data_ipv46))
-    mock_has_ipv6_access.return_value = True
+    mock_has_rmt_ipv6_access.return_value = True
     with patch('builtins.open', create=True) as mock_open:
         mock_open.return_value = MagicMock(spec=io.IOBase)
         file_handle = mock_open.return_value.__enter__.return_value
         utils.add_hosts_entry(smt_server)
-        mock_open.assert_called_once_with('/etc/hosts', 'a')
-        file_content_comment = (
-            '\n# Added by SMT registration do not remove, '
-            'retain comment as well\n'
-        )
-        file_content_entry = '{ip}\t{fqdn}\t{name}\n'.format(
-            ip=smt_server.get_ipv6(),
-            fqdn=smt_server.get_FQDN(),
-            name=smt_server.get_name()
-        )
-        assert file_handle.write.mock_calls == [
-             call(file_content_comment),
-             call(file_content_entry)
-        ]
+    mock_open.assert_called_once_with('/etc/hosts', 'a')
+    file_content_comment = (
+        '\n# Added by SMT registration do not remove, '
+        'retain comment as well\n'
+    )
+    file_content_entry = '{ip}\t{fqdn}\t{name}\n'.format(
+        ip=smt_server.get_ipv6(),
+        fqdn=smt_server.get_FQDN(),
+        name=smt_server.get_name()
+    )
+    assert file_handle.write.mock_calls == [
+        call(file_content_comment),
+        call(file_content_entry)
+    ]
 
 
 @patch('cloudregister.amazonec2.generateRegionSrvArgs')
@@ -747,17 +747,20 @@ def test_fetch_smt_data_metadata_server(
         etree.tostring(smt_server, encoding='utf-8')
 
 
+@patch('cloudregister.registerutils.has_network_access_by_ip_address')
 @patch('cloudregister.registerutils.time.sleep')
 @patch('cloudregister.registerutils.logging')
 def test_fetch_smt_data_api_no_answer(
     mock_logging,
-    mock_time_sleep
+    mock_time_sleep,
+    mock_has_network_access
 ):
     cfg = get_test_config()
     del cfg['server']['metadata_server']
     cfg.set('server', 'regionsrv', '1.1.1.1')
     with raises(SystemExit):
         utils.fetch_smt_data(cfg, None)
+    mock_has_network_access.return_value = False
     assert mock_logging.info.call_args_list == [
         call('Using API: regionInfo'),
         call('Getting update server information, attempt 1'),
@@ -788,7 +791,7 @@ def test_fetch_smt_data_api_no_answer(
     ]
 
 
-@patch('cloudregister.registerutils.socket.has_ipv6', False)
+@patch('cloudregister.registerutils.has_network_access_by_ip_address')
 @patch('cloudregister.registerutils.requests.get')
 @patch('cloudregister.registerutils.os.path.isfile')
 @patch('cloudregister.registerutils.time.sleep')
@@ -798,6 +801,7 @@ def test_fetch_smt_data_api_answered(
     mock_time_sleep,
     mock_os_path_isfile,
     mock_request_get,
+    mock_has_network_access
 ):
     cfg = get_test_config()
     del cfg['server']['metadata_server']
@@ -815,6 +819,7 @@ def test_fetch_smt_data_api_answered(
     </regionSMTdata>''')
     response.text = smt_xml
     mock_request_get.return_value = response
+    mock_has_network_access.return_value = False
     utils.fetch_smt_data(cfg, None)
     assert mock_logging.info.call_args_list == [
         call('Using API: regionInfo'),
@@ -858,6 +863,7 @@ def test_fetch_smt_data_api_no_valid_ip(
     assert etree.tostring(smt_data, encoding='utf-8') == smt_xml.encode()
 
 
+@patch('cloudregister.registerutils.has_network_access_by_ip_address')
 @patch('cloudregister.registerutils.requests.get')
 @patch('cloudregister.registerutils.os.path.isfile')
 @patch('cloudregister.registerutils.time.sleep')
@@ -867,6 +873,7 @@ def test_fetch_smt_data_api_error_response(
     mock_time_sleep,
     mock_os_path_isfile,
     mock_request_get,
+    mock_has_network_access
 ):
     cfg = get_test_config()
     del cfg['server']['metadata_server']
@@ -876,8 +883,10 @@ def test_fetch_smt_data_api_error_response(
     response.status_code = 422
     response.reason = 'well, you shall not pass'
     mock_request_get.return_value = response
+    mock_has_network_access.return_value = False
     with raises(SystemExit):
         utils.fetch_smt_data(cfg, None)
+    print(mock_logging.info.call_args_list)
     assert mock_logging.info.call_args_list == [
         call('Using API: regionInfo'),
         call('Getting update server information, attempt 1'),
@@ -910,6 +919,7 @@ def test_fetch_smt_data_api_error_response(
     ]
 
 
+@patch('cloudregister.registerutils.has_network_access_by_ip_address')
 @patch('cloudregister.registerutils.requests.get')
 @patch('cloudregister.registerutils.os.path.isfile')
 @patch('cloudregister.registerutils.time.sleep')
@@ -918,7 +928,8 @@ def test_fetch_smt_data_api_exception(
     mock_logging,
     mock_time_sleep,
     mock_os_path_isfile,
-    mock_request_get
+    mock_request_get,
+    mock_has_network_access
 ):
     cfg = get_test_config()
     del cfg['server']['metadata_server']
@@ -928,6 +939,7 @@ def test_fetch_smt_data_api_exception(
     response.status_code = 422
     response.reason = 'well, you shall not pass'
     mock_request_get.side_effect = requests.exceptions.RequestException('foo')
+    mock_has_network_access.return_value = True
     with raises(SystemExit):
         utils.fetch_smt_data(cfg, None)
     assert mock_logging.info.call_args_list == [
@@ -956,6 +968,7 @@ def test_fetch_smt_data_api_exception(
     ]
 
 
+@patch('cloudregister.registerutils.has_network_access_by_ip_address')
 @patch('cloudregister.registerutils.requests.get')
 @patch('cloudregister.registerutils.os.path.isfile')
 @patch('cloudregister.registerutils.time.sleep')
@@ -964,7 +977,8 @@ def test_fetch_smt_data_api_exception_quiet(
     mock_logging,
     mock_time_sleep,
     mock_os_path_isfile,
-    mock_request_get
+    mock_request_get,
+    mock_has_network_access
 ):
     cfg = get_test_config()
     del cfg['server']['metadata_server']
@@ -974,6 +988,7 @@ def test_fetch_smt_data_api_exception_quiet(
     response.status_code = 422
     response.reason = 'well, you shall not pass'
     mock_request_get.side_effect = requests.exceptions.RequestException('foo')
+    mock_has_network_access.return_value = True
     with raises(SystemExit):
         utils.fetch_smt_data(cfg, 'foo', quiet=True)
     assert mock_logging.info.call_args_list == [
@@ -1217,16 +1232,21 @@ def test_get_current_smt_no_match(mock_get_smt_from_store, mock_os_unlink):
     utils.get_current_smt()
 
 
+@patch('cloudregister.registerutils.glob.glob')
 @patch('cloudregister.registerutils.get_smt_from_store')
-def test_get_current_smt_no_registered(mock_get_smt_from_store):
+def test_get_current_smt_no_registered(
+    mock_get_smt_from_store, mock_glob_glob
+):
     smt_data_ipv46 = dedent('''\
         <smtInfo fingerprint="00:11:22:33"
          SMTserverIP="192.168.1.1"
          SMTserverIPv6="fc00::1"
          SMTserverName="smt-foo.susecloud.net"
          region="antarctica-1"/>''')
-    smt_server = SMT(etree.fromstring(smt_data_ipv46))
-    mock_get_smt_from_store.return_value = smt_server
+    mock_get_smt_from_store.return_value = SMT(
+        etree.fromstring(smt_data_ipv46)
+    )
+    mock_glob_glob.return_value = []
     hosts_content = """
     # simulates hosts file containing the ipv4 we are looking for in the test
 
@@ -1822,20 +1842,26 @@ def test_get_zypper_pid(mock_popen):
     assert utils.get_zypper_pid() == 'pid'
 
 
-def test_has_ipv6_access_no_ipv6_defined():
+@patch('cloudregister.registerutils.has_ipv6_access')
+def test_has_rmt_ipv6_access_no_ipv6_defined(mock_ipv6_access):
     smt_data_ipv4 = dedent('''\
         <smtInfo fingerprint="00:11:22:33"
          SMTserverIP="192.168.1.1"
          SMTserverName="smt-foo.susecloud.net"
          region="antarctica-1"/>''')
     smt_server = SMT(etree.fromstring(smt_data_ipv4))
-    assert utils.has_ipv6_access(smt_server) is False
+    mock_ipv6_access.return_value = True
+    assert utils.has_rmt_ipv6_access(smt_server) is False
 
 
+@patch('cloudregister.registerutils.has_ipv6_access')
 @patch('cloudregister.registerutils.get_config')
 @patch('cloudregister.registerutils.requests.get')
 @patch('cloudregister.registerutils.https_only')
-def test_has_ipv6_access_https(mock_https_only, mock_request, mock_get_config):
+def test_has_rmt_ipv6_access_https(
+    mock_https_only, mock_request,
+    mock_get_config, mock_ipv6_access
+):
     smt_data_ipv46 = dedent('''\
         <smtInfo fingerprint="00:11:22:33"
          SMTserverIP="192.168.1.1"
@@ -1848,7 +1874,8 @@ def test_has_ipv6_access_https(mock_https_only, mock_request, mock_get_config):
     response.text = 'such a request !'
     mock_request.return_value = response
     mock_https_only.return_value = True
-    assert utils.has_ipv6_access(smt_server)
+    mock_ipv6_access.return_value = True
+    assert utils.has_rmt_ipv6_access(smt_server)
     mock_request.assert_called_once_with(
         'https://[fc00::1]/smt.crt',
         timeout=3,
@@ -1856,13 +1883,15 @@ def test_has_ipv6_access_https(mock_https_only, mock_request, mock_get_config):
     )
 
 
+@patch('cloudregister.registerutils.has_ipv6_access')
 @patch('cloudregister.registerutils.get_config')
 @patch('cloudregister.registerutils.requests.get')
 @patch('cloudregister.registerutils.https_only')
-def test_has_ipv6_access_exception(
+def test_has_rmt_ipv6_access_exception(
     mock_https_only,
     mock_request,
-    mock_get_config
+    mock_get_config,
+    mock_ipv6_access
 ):
     smt_data_ipv46 = dedent('''\
         <smtInfo fingerprint="00:11:22:33"
@@ -1873,7 +1902,8 @@ def test_has_ipv6_access_exception(
     smt_server = SMT(etree.fromstring(smt_data_ipv46))
     mock_request.side_effect = Exception("Server's too far, cant be reached")
     mock_https_only.return_value = True
-    assert utils.has_ipv6_access(smt_server) is False
+    mock_ipv6_access.return_value = True
+    assert utils.has_rmt_ipv6_access(smt_server) is False
     mock_request.assert_called_once_with(
         'https://[fc00::1]/smt.crt',
         timeout=3,
@@ -2010,7 +2040,7 @@ def test_import_smt_cert_fail(mock_import_smtcert_12, mockin_logging):
 
 
 @patch('cloudregister.registerutils.glob.glob')
-@patch('cloudregister.registerutils.site.getsitepackages')
+@patch('cloudregister.registerutils.site')
 @patch('cloudregister.registerutils.logging')
 @patch('cloudregister.registerutils.import_smtcert_12')
 def test_import_smt_cert_cert_middling(
@@ -2020,7 +2050,7 @@ def test_import_smt_cert_cert_middling(
     mockin_glob
 ):
     mock_import_smtcert_12.return_value = True
-    mockin_getsitepackages.return_value = ['foo']
+    mockin_getsitepackages.getsitepackages.return_value = ['foo']
     mockin_glob.return_value = ['foo/certifi/foo.pem']
     assert utils.import_smt_cert('foo') == 1
     mockin_logging.warning.assert_called_once_with(
@@ -3016,6 +3046,23 @@ def test_remove_service(
     mock_logging.info.not_called()
 
 
+@patch('cloudregister.registerutils.has_network_access_by_ip_address')
+def test_has_ipv4_access(mock_has_network_access):
+    mock_has_network_access.return_value = True
+    assert utils.has_ipv4_access()
+
+
+@patch('cloudregister.registerutils.has_network_access_by_ip_address')
+def test_has_ipv6_access(mock_has_network_access):
+    mock_has_network_access.return_value = True
+    assert utils.has_ipv6_access()
+
+
+@patch('cloudregister.registerutils.socket.create_connection')
+def test_has_network_access_by_ip_address(mock_socket_create_connection):
+    assert utils.has_network_access_by_ip_address('1.1.1.1')
+
+
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Helper functions
 class Response():
diff --git a/usr/sbin/registercloudguest b/usr/sbin/registercloudguest
index ee2e4867..683c76ca 100755
--- a/usr/sbin/registercloudguest
+++ b/usr/sbin/registercloudguest
@@ -265,6 +265,14 @@ if args.user_smt_ip or args.user_smt_fqdn or args.user_smt_fp:
         print(msg, file=sys.stderr)
         sys.exit(1)
 
+    if not utils.has_network_access_by_ipversion(args.user_smt_ip):
+        error_message = (
+            'Connection error: Could not establish a connection to {ip}.'
+            'Please, make sure the network configuration supports the '
+            'provided {ip} address version.'.format(ip=args.user_smt_ip)
+        )
+        sys.exit(error_message)
+
 
 if args.clean_up and args.force_new_registration:
     msg = '--clean and --force-new are incompatible, use one or the other'
@@ -428,7 +436,7 @@ if registration_smt:
             ):
                 continue
             smt_ip = new_target.get_ipv4()
-            if utils.has_ipv6_access(new_target):
+            if utils.has_rmt_ipv6_access(new_target):
                 smt_ip = new_target.get_ipv6()
             msg = 'Configured update server is unresponsive, switching '
             msg += 'to equivalent update server with ip %s' % smt_ip