diff --git a/tempest/scenario/manager.py b/tempest/scenario/manager.py
index e58031b..a5ff0f7 100644
--- a/tempest/scenario/manager.py
+++ b/tempest/scenario/manager.py
@@ -926,14 +926,15 @@
 
     def _check_remote_connectivity(self, source, dest, should_succeed=True,
                                    nic=None):
-        """check ping server via source ssh connection
+        """assert ping server via source ssh connection
+
+        Note: This is an internal method.  Use check_remote_connectivity
+        instead.
 
         :param source: RemoteClient: an ssh connection from which to ping
         :param dest: and IP to ping against
         :param should_succeed: boolean should ping succeed or not
         :param nic: specific network interface to ping from
-        :returns: boolean -- should_succeed == ping
-        :returns: ping is false if ping failed
         """
         def ping_remote():
             try:
@@ -948,6 +949,25 @@
                                           CONF.validation.ping_timeout,
                                           1)
 
+    def check_remote_connectivity(self, source, dest, should_succeed=True,
+                                  nic=None):
+        """assert ping server via source ssh connection
+
+        :param source: RemoteClient: an ssh connection from which to ping
+        :param dest: and IP to ping against
+        :param should_succeed: boolean should ping succeed or not
+        :param nic: specific network interface to ping from
+        """
+        result = self._check_remote_connectivity(source, dest, should_succeed,
+                                                 nic)
+        source_host = source.ssh_client.host
+        if should_succeed:
+            msg = "Timed out waiting for %s to become reachable from %s" \
+                % (dest, source_host)
+        else:
+            msg = "%s is reachable from %s" % (dest, source_host)
+        self.assertTrue(result, msg)
+
     def _create_security_group(self, security_group_rules_client=None,
                                tenant_id=None,
                                namestart='secgroup-smoke',
diff --git a/tempest/scenario/test_network_basic_ops.py b/tempest/scenario/test_network_basic_ops.py
index d8c8d4a..51b59c9 100644
--- a/tempest/scenario/test_network_basic_ops.py
+++ b/tempest/scenario/test_network_basic_ops.py
@@ -347,20 +347,8 @@
             ip_address, private_key=private_key)
 
         for remote_ip in address_list:
-            if should_connect:
-                msg = ("Timed out waiting for %s to become "
-                       "reachable") % remote_ip
-            else:
-                msg = "ip address %s is reachable" % remote_ip
-            try:
-                self.assertTrue(self._check_remote_connectivity
-                                (ssh_source, remote_ip, should_connect),
-                                msg)
-            except Exception:
-                LOG.exception("Unable to access {dest} via ssh to "
-                              "floating-ip {src}".format(dest=remote_ip,
-                                                         src=floating_ip))
-                raise
+            self.check_remote_connectivity(ssh_source, remote_ip,
+                                           should_connect)
 
     @test.attr(type='smoke')
     @decorators.idempotent_id('f323b3ba-82f8-4db7-8ea6-6a895869ec49')
@@ -648,21 +636,21 @@
         self.check_public_network_connectivity(
             should_connect=True, msg="before updating "
             "admin_state_up of instance port to False")
-        self._check_remote_connectivity(ssh_client, dest=server_pip,
-                                        should_succeed=True)
+        self.check_remote_connectivity(ssh_client, dest=server_pip,
+                                       should_succeed=True)
         self.ports_client.update_port(port_id, admin_state_up=False)
         self.check_public_network_connectivity(
             should_connect=False, msg="after updating "
             "admin_state_up of instance port to False",
             should_check_floating_ip_status=False)
-        self._check_remote_connectivity(ssh_client, dest=server_pip,
-                                        should_succeed=False)
+        self.check_remote_connectivity(ssh_client, dest=server_pip,
+                                       should_succeed=False)
         self.ports_client.update_port(port_id, admin_state_up=True)
         self.check_public_network_connectivity(
             should_connect=True, msg="after updating "
             "admin_state_up of instance port to True")
-        self._check_remote_connectivity(ssh_client, dest=server_pip,
-                                        should_succeed=True)
+        self.check_remote_connectivity(ssh_client, dest=server_pip,
+                                       should_succeed=True)
 
     @decorators.idempotent_id('759462e1-8535-46b0-ab3a-33aa45c55aaa')
     @test.services('compute', 'network')
@@ -833,15 +821,15 @@
         spoof_nic = ssh_client.get_nic_name_by_mac(spoof_port["mac_address"])
         peer = self._create_server(self.new_net)
         peer_address = peer['addresses'][self.new_net['name']][0]['addr']
-        self._check_remote_connectivity(ssh_client, dest=peer_address,
-                                        nic=spoof_nic, should_succeed=True)
+        self.check_remote_connectivity(ssh_client, dest=peer_address,
+                                       nic=spoof_nic, should_succeed=True)
         ssh_client.set_mac_address(spoof_nic, spoof_mac)
         new_mac = ssh_client.get_mac_address(nic=spoof_nic)
         self.assertEqual(spoof_mac, new_mac)
-        self._check_remote_connectivity(ssh_client, dest=peer_address,
-                                        nic=spoof_nic, should_succeed=False)
+        self.check_remote_connectivity(ssh_client, dest=peer_address,
+                                       nic=spoof_nic, should_succeed=False)
         self.ports_client.update_port(spoof_port["id"],
                                       port_security_enabled=False,
                                       security_groups=[])
-        self._check_remote_connectivity(ssh_client, dest=peer_address,
-                                        nic=spoof_nic, should_succeed=True)
+        self.check_remote_connectivity(ssh_client, dest=peer_address,
+                                       nic=spoof_nic, should_succeed=True)
diff --git a/tempest/scenario/test_network_v6.py b/tempest/scenario/test_network_v6.py
index f33784e..0386d7a 100644
--- a/tempest/scenario/test_network_v6.py
+++ b/tempest/scenario/test_network_v6.py
@@ -191,25 +191,18 @@
             self.assertTrue(test_utils.call_until_true(srv2_v6_addr_assigned,
                             CONF.validation.ping_timeout, 1))
 
-        self._check_connectivity(sshv4_1, ips_from_api_2['4'])
-        self._check_connectivity(sshv4_2, ips_from_api_1['4'])
+        self.check_remote_connectivity(sshv4_1, ips_from_api_2['4'])
+        self.check_remote_connectivity(sshv4_2, ips_from_api_1['4'])
 
         for i in range(n_subnets6):
-            self._check_connectivity(sshv4_1,
-                                     ips_from_api_2['6'][i])
-            self._check_connectivity(sshv4_1,
-                                     self.subnets_v6[i]['gateway_ip'])
-            self._check_connectivity(sshv4_2,
-                                     ips_from_api_1['6'][i])
-            self._check_connectivity(sshv4_2,
-                                     self.subnets_v6[i]['gateway_ip'])
-
-    def _check_connectivity(self, source, dest):
-        self.assertTrue(
-            self._check_remote_connectivity(source, dest),
-            "Timed out waiting for %s to become reachable from %s" %
-            (dest, source.ssh_client.host)
-        )
+            self.check_remote_connectivity(sshv4_1,
+                                           ips_from_api_2['6'][i])
+            self.check_remote_connectivity(sshv4_1,
+                                           self.subnets_v6[i]['gateway_ip'])
+            self.check_remote_connectivity(sshv4_2,
+                                           ips_from_api_1['6'][i])
+            self.check_remote_connectivity(sshv4_2,
+                                           self.subnets_v6[i]['gateway_ip'])
 
     @test.attr(type='slow')
     @decorators.idempotent_id('2c92df61-29f0-4eaa-bee3-7c65bef62a43')
diff --git a/tempest/scenario/test_security_groups_basic_ops.py b/tempest/scenario/test_security_groups_basic_ops.py
index a01124d..3d383f7 100644
--- a/tempest/scenario/test_security_groups_basic_ops.py
+++ b/tempest/scenario/test_security_groups_basic_ops.py
@@ -368,20 +368,12 @@
             access_point_ssh, private_key=private_key)
         return access_point_ssh
 
-    def _check_connectivity(self, access_point, ip, should_succeed=True):
-        if should_succeed:
-            msg = "Timed out waiting for %s to become reachable" % ip
-        else:
-            msg = "%s is reachable" % ip
-        self.assertTrue(self._check_remote_connectivity(access_point, ip,
-                                                        should_succeed), msg)
-
     def _test_in_tenant_block(self, tenant):
         access_point_ssh = self._connect_to_access_point(tenant)
         for server in tenant.servers:
-            self._check_connectivity(access_point=access_point_ssh,
-                                     ip=self._get_server_ip(server),
-                                     should_succeed=False)
+            self.check_remote_connectivity(source=access_point_ssh,
+                                           dest=self._get_server_ip(server),
+                                           should_succeed=False)
 
     def _test_in_tenant_allow(self, tenant):
         ruleset = dict(
@@ -396,8 +388,8 @@
         )
         access_point_ssh = self._connect_to_access_point(tenant)
         for server in tenant.servers:
-            self._check_connectivity(access_point=access_point_ssh,
-                                     ip=self._get_server_ip(server))
+            self.check_remote_connectivity(source=access_point_ssh,
+                                           dest=self._get_server_ip(server))
 
     def _test_cross_tenant_block(self, source_tenant, dest_tenant):
         # if public router isn't defined, then dest_tenant access is via
@@ -405,8 +397,8 @@
         access_point_ssh = self._connect_to_access_point(source_tenant)
         ip = self._get_server_ip(dest_tenant.access_point,
                                  floating=self.floating_ip_access)
-        self._check_connectivity(access_point=access_point_ssh, ip=ip,
-                                 should_succeed=False)
+        self.check_remote_connectivity(source=access_point_ssh, dest=ip,
+                                       should_succeed=False)
 
     def _test_cross_tenant_allow(self, source_tenant, dest_tenant):
         """check for each direction:
@@ -427,7 +419,7 @@
         access_point_ssh = self._connect_to_access_point(source_tenant)
         ip = self._get_server_ip(dest_tenant.access_point,
                                  floating=self.floating_ip_access)
-        self._check_connectivity(access_point_ssh, ip)
+        self.check_remote_connectivity(access_point_ssh, ip)
 
         # test that reverse traffic is still blocked
         self._test_cross_tenant_block(dest_tenant, source_tenant)
@@ -444,7 +436,7 @@
         access_point_ssh_2 = self._connect_to_access_point(dest_tenant)
         ip = self._get_server_ip(source_tenant.access_point,
                                  floating=self.floating_ip_access)
-        self._check_connectivity(access_point_ssh_2, ip)
+        self.check_remote_connectivity(access_point_ssh_2, ip)
 
     def _verify_mac_addr(self, tenant):
         """Verify that VM has the same ip, mac as listed in port"""
@@ -537,9 +529,9 @@
         # Check connectivity failure with default security group
         try:
             access_point_ssh = self._connect_to_access_point(new_tenant)
-            self._check_connectivity(access_point=access_point_ssh,
-                                     ip=self._get_server_ip(server),
-                                     should_succeed=False)
+            self.check_remote_connectivity(source=access_point_ssh,
+                                           dest=self._get_server_ip(server),
+                                           should_succeed=False)
             server_id = server['id']
             port_id = self.admin_manager.ports_client.list_ports(
                 device_id=server_id)['ports'][0]['id']
@@ -547,9 +539,9 @@
             # update port with new security group and check connectivity
             self.ports_client.update_port(port_id, security_groups=[
                 new_tenant.security_groups['new_sg']['id']])
-            self._check_connectivity(
-                access_point=access_point_ssh,
-                ip=self._get_server_ip(server))
+            self.check_remote_connectivity(
+                source=access_point_ssh,
+                dest=self._get_server_ip(server))
         except Exception:
             for tenant in self.tenants.values():
                 self._log_console_output(servers=tenant.servers)
@@ -612,16 +604,16 @@
             self.ports_client.update_port(port_id,
                                           port_security_enabled=True,
                                           security_groups=[])
-            self._check_connectivity(access_point=access_point_ssh,
-                                     ip=self._get_server_ip(server),
-                                     should_succeed=False)
+            self.check_remote_connectivity(source=access_point_ssh,
+                                           dest=self._get_server_ip(server),
+                                           should_succeed=False)
 
             self.ports_client.update_port(port_id,
                                           port_security_enabled=False,
                                           security_groups=[])
-            self._check_connectivity(
-                access_point=access_point_ssh,
-                ip=self._get_server_ip(server))
+            self.check_remote_connectivity(
+                source=access_point_ssh,
+                dest=self._get_server_ip(server))
         except Exception:
             for tenant in self.tenants.values():
                 self._log_console_output(servers=tenant.servers)