diff --git a/tempest/scenario/manager.py b/tempest/scenario/manager.py
index 522aa43..551a27d 100644
--- a/tempest/scenario/manager.py
+++ b/tempest/scenario/manager.py
@@ -297,7 +297,19 @@
 
         return secgroup
 
-    def get_remote_client(self, server_or_ip, username=None, private_key=None):
+    def get_remote_client(self, server_or_ip, username=None, private_key=None,
+                          log_console_of_servers=None):
+        """Get a SSH client to a remote server
+
+        @param server_or_ip a server object as returned by Tempest compute
+            client or an IP address to connect to
+        @param username name of the Linux account on the remote server
+        @param private_key the SSH private key to use
+        @param log_console_of_servers a list of server objects. Each server
+            in the list will have its console printed in the logs in case the
+            SSH connection failed to be established
+        @return a RemoteClient object
+        """
         if isinstance(server_or_ip, six.string_types):
             ip = server_or_ip
         else:
@@ -312,9 +324,13 @@
                                                   pkey=private_key)
         try:
             linux_client.validate_authentication()
-        except exceptions.SSHTimeout:
-            LOG.exception('ssh connection to %s failed' % ip)
+        except Exception:
+            LOG.exception('Initializing SSH connection to %s failed' % ip)
             debug.log_net_debug()
+            # If we don't explicitely set for which servers we want to
+            # log the console output then all the servers will be logged.
+            # See the definition of _log_console_output()
+            self._log_console_output(log_console_of_servers)
             raise
 
         return linux_client
diff --git a/tempest/scenario/orchestration/test_server_cfn_init.py b/tempest/scenario/orchestration/test_server_cfn_init.py
index ddfabe4..f09f00c 100644
--- a/tempest/scenario/orchestration/test_server_cfn_init.py
+++ b/tempest/scenario/orchestration/test_server_cfn_init.py
@@ -119,14 +119,8 @@
         if self.keypair:
             # Check that the user can authenticate with the generated
             # keypair
-            try:
-                linux_client = self.get_remote_client(
-                    server_ip, username='ec2-user')
-                linux_client.validate_authentication()
-            except (exceptions.ServerUnreachable,
-                    exceptions.SSHTimeout) as e:
-                self._log_console_output(servers=[server])
-                raise e
+            self.get_remote_client(server_ip, username='ec2-user',
+                                   log_console_of_servers=[server])
 
     @test.attr(type='slow')
     @test.skip_because(bug='1374175')
diff --git a/tempest/scenario/test_minimum_basic.py b/tempest/scenario/test_minimum_basic.py
index 59af6b3..16a65c9 100644
--- a/tempest/scenario/test_minimum_basic.py
+++ b/tempest/scenario/test_minimum_basic.py
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@
 #    under the License.
 
 from tempest.common import custom_matchers
-from tempest.common import debug
 from tempest import config
 from tempest import exceptions
 from tempest.openstack.common import log as logging
@@ -89,17 +88,6 @@
         self.servers_client.reboot(self.server['id'], 'SOFT')
         self._wait_for_server_status('ACTIVE')
 
-    def ssh_to_server(self):
-        try:
-            self.linux_client = self.get_remote_client(self.floating_ip['ip'])
-        except Exception as e:
-            LOG.exception('ssh to server failed')
-            self._log_console_output()
-            # 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):
         # NOTE(andreaf) The device name may be different on different guest OS
         partitions = self.linux_client.get_partitions()
@@ -147,7 +135,9 @@
 
         self.floating_ip = self.create_floating_ip(self.server)
         self.create_and_add_security_group()
-        self.ssh_to_server()
+
+        self.linux_client = self.get_remote_client(self.floating_ip['ip'])
         self.nova_reboot()
-        self.ssh_to_server()
+
+        self.linux_client = self.get_remote_client(self.floating_ip['ip'])
         self.check_partitions()
diff --git a/tempest/scenario/test_server_basic_ops.py b/tempest/scenario/test_server_basic_ops.py
index eb636f7..affed64 100644
--- a/tempest/scenario/test_server_basic_ops.py
+++ b/tempest/scenario/test_server_basic_ops.py
@@ -88,15 +88,10 @@
             self.floating_ips_client.associate_floating_ip_to_server(
                 floating_ip['ip'], self.instance['id'])
             # Check ssh
-            try:
-                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'])
-            except Exception:
-                LOG.exception('ssh to server failed')
-                self._log_console_output()
-                raise
+            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'])
 
     @test.services('compute', 'network')
     def test_server_basicops(self):
diff --git a/tempest/scenario/test_snapshot_pattern.py b/tempest/scenario/test_snapshot_pattern.py
index 9a99da4..c5c0016 100644
--- a/tempest/scenario/test_snapshot_pattern.py
+++ b/tempest/scenario/test_snapshot_pattern.py
@@ -47,21 +47,13 @@
     def _add_keypair(self):
         self.keypair = self.create_keypair()
 
-    def _ssh_to_server(self, server_or_ip):
-        try:
-            return self.get_remote_client(server_or_ip)
-        except Exception:
-            LOG.exception('Initializing SSH connection failed')
-            self._log_console_output()
-            raise
-
     def _write_timestamp(self, server_or_ip):
-        ssh_client = self._ssh_to_server(server_or_ip)
+        ssh_client = self.get_remote_client(server_or_ip)
         ssh_client.exec_command('date > /tmp/timestamp; sync')
         self.timestamp = ssh_client.exec_command('cat /tmp/timestamp')
 
     def _check_timestamp(self, server_or_ip):
-        ssh_client = self._ssh_to_server(server_or_ip)
+        ssh_client = self.get_remote_client(server_or_ip)
         got_timestamp = ssh_client.exec_command('cat /tmp/timestamp')
         self.assertEqual(self.timestamp, got_timestamp)
 
diff --git a/tempest/scenario/test_volume_boot_pattern.py b/tempest/scenario/test_volume_boot_pattern.py
index dd115e7..c584a6e 100644
--- a/tempest/scenario/test_volume_boot_pattern.py
+++ b/tempest/scenario/test_volume_boot_pattern.py
@@ -110,14 +110,8 @@
             network_name_for_ssh = CONF.compute.network_for_ssh
             ip = server.networks[network_name_for_ssh][0]
 
-        try:
-            return self.get_remote_client(
-                ip,
-                private_key=keypair['private_key'])
-        except Exception:
-            LOG.exception('ssh to server failed')
-            self._log_console_output(servers=[server])
-            raise
+        return self.get_remote_client(ip, private_key=keypair['private_key'],
+                                      log_console_of_servers=[server])
 
     def _get_content(self, ssh_client):
         return ssh_client.exec_command('cat /tmp/text')