diff --git a/tempest/scenario/manager.py b/tempest/scenario/manager.py
index c5d41a0..9db7f92 100644
--- a/tempest/scenario/manager.py
+++ b/tempest/scenario/manager.py
@@ -543,7 +543,7 @@
                                                 volume['id'], 'available')
 
     def ping_ip_address(self, ip_address, should_succeed=True,
-                        ping_timeout=None, mtu=None):
+                        ping_timeout=None, mtu=None, server=None):
         timeout = ping_timeout or CONF.validation.ping_timeout
         cmd = ['ping', '-c1', '-w1']
 
@@ -577,12 +577,16 @@
                       'caller': caller, 'ip': ip_address, 'timeout': timeout,
                       'result': 'expected' if result else 'unexpected'
                   })
+        if server:
+            self._log_console_output([server])
         return result
 
     def check_vm_connectivity(self, ip_address,
                               username=None,
                               private_key=None,
                               should_connect=True,
+                              extra_msg="",
+                              server=None,
                               mtu=None):
         """Check server connectivity
 
@@ -592,43 +596,36 @@
         :param should_connect: True/False indicates positive/negative test
             positive - attempt ping and ssh
             negative - attempt ping and fail if succeed
+        :param extra_msg: Message to help with debugging if ``ping_ip_address``
+            fails
+        :param server: The server whose console to log for debugging
         :param mtu: network MTU to use for connectivity validation
 
         :raises: AssertError if the result of the connectivity check does
             not match the value of the should_connect param
         """
+        LOG.debug('checking network connections to IP %s with user: %s',
+                  ip_address, username)
         if should_connect:
             msg = "Timed out waiting for %s to become reachable" % ip_address
         else:
             msg = "ip address %s is reachable" % ip_address
+        if extra_msg:
+            msg = "%s\n%s" % (extra_msg, msg)
         self.assertTrue(self.ping_ip_address(ip_address,
                                              should_succeed=should_connect,
-                                             mtu=mtu),
+                                             mtu=mtu, server=server),
                         msg=msg)
         if should_connect:
             # no need to check ssh for negative connectivity
-            self.get_remote_client(ip_address, username, private_key)
-
-    def check_public_network_connectivity(self, ip_address, username,
-                                          private_key, should_connect=True,
-                                          msg=None, servers=None, mtu=None):
-        # The target login is assumed to have been configured for
-        # key-based authentication by cloud-init.
-        LOG.debug('checking network connections to IP %s with user: %s',
-                  ip_address, username)
-        try:
-            self.check_vm_connectivity(ip_address,
-                                       username,
-                                       private_key,
-                                       should_connect=should_connect,
-                                       mtu=mtu)
-        except Exception:
-            ex_msg = 'Public network connectivity check failed'
-            if msg:
-                ex_msg += ": " + msg
-            LOG.exception(ex_msg)
-            self._log_console_output(servers)
-            raise
+            try:
+                self.get_remote_client(ip_address, username, private_key,
+                                       server=server)
+            except Exception:
+                if not extra_msg:
+                    extra_msg = 'Failed to ssh to %s' % ip_address
+                LOG.exception(extra_msg)
+                raise
 
     def create_floating_ip(self, thing, pool_name=None):
         """Create a floating IP and associates to a server on Nova"""
diff --git a/tempest/scenario/test_network_advanced_server_ops.py b/tempest/scenario/test_network_advanced_server_ops.py
index 87ce951..b0e4669 100644
--- a/tempest/scenario/test_network_advanced_server_ops.py
+++ b/tempest/scenario/test_network_advanced_server_ops.py
@@ -90,9 +90,10 @@
         floating_ip_addr = floating_ip['floating_ip_address']
         # Check FloatingIP status before checking the connectivity
         self.check_floating_ip_status(floating_ip, 'ACTIVE')
-        self.check_public_network_connectivity(floating_ip_addr, username,
-                                               private_key, should_connect,
-                                               servers=[server])
+        self.check_vm_connectivity(floating_ip_addr, username,
+                                   private_key, should_connect,
+                                   'Public network connectivity check failed',
+                                   server)
 
     def _wait_server_status_and_check_network_connectivity(self, server,
                                                            keypair,
diff --git a/tempest/scenario/test_network_basic_ops.py b/tempest/scenario/test_network_basic_ops.py
index 8212e75..c1132cf 100644
--- a/tempest/scenario/test_network_basic_ops.py
+++ b/tempest/scenario/test_network_basic_ops.py
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@
     def _get_server_key(self, server):
         return self.keypairs[server['key_name']]['private_key']
 
-    def check_public_network_connectivity(
+    def _check_public_network_connectivity(
             self, should_connect=True, msg=None,
             should_check_floating_ip_status=True, mtu=None):
         """Verifies connectivty to a VM via public network and floating IP
@@ -199,13 +199,18 @@
         if should_connect:
             private_key = self._get_server_key(server)
             floatingip_status = 'ACTIVE'
+
         # Check FloatingIP Status before initiating a connection
         if should_check_floating_ip_status:
             self.check_floating_ip_status(floating_ip, floatingip_status)
-        # call the common method in the parent class
-        super(TestNetworkBasicOps, self).check_public_network_connectivity(
-            ip_address, ssh_login, private_key, should_connect, msg,
-            self.servers, mtu=mtu)
+
+        message = 'Public network connectivity check failed'
+        if msg:
+            message += '. Reason: %s' % msg
+
+        self.check_vm_connectivity(
+            ip_address, ssh_login, private_key, should_connect,
+            message, server, mtu=mtu)
 
     def _disassociate_floating_ips(self):
         floating_ip, _ = self.floating_ip_tuple
@@ -404,17 +409,17 @@
 
         """
         self._setup_network_and_servers()
-        self.check_public_network_connectivity(should_connect=True)
+        self._check_public_network_connectivity(should_connect=True)
         self._check_network_internal_connectivity(network=self.network)
         self._check_network_external_connectivity()
         self._disassociate_floating_ips()
-        self.check_public_network_connectivity(should_connect=False,
-                                               msg="after disassociate "
-                                                   "floating ip")
+        self._check_public_network_connectivity(should_connect=False,
+                                                msg="after disassociate "
+                                                    "floating ip")
         self._reassociate_floating_ips()
-        self.check_public_network_connectivity(should_connect=True,
-                                               msg="after re-associate "
-                                                   "floating ip")
+        self._check_public_network_connectivity(should_connect=True,
+                                                msg="after re-associate "
+                                                    "floating ip")
 
     @decorators.idempotent_id('b158ea55-472e-4086-8fa9-c64ac0c6c1d0')
     @testtools.skipUnless(utils.is_extension_enabled('net-mtu', 'network'),
@@ -425,10 +430,10 @@
         """Validate that network MTU sized frames fit through."""
         self._setup_network_and_servers()
         # first check that connectivity works in general for the instance
-        self.check_public_network_connectivity(should_connect=True)
+        self._check_public_network_connectivity(should_connect=True)
         # now that we checked general connectivity, test that full size frames
         # can also pass between nodes
-        self.check_public_network_connectivity(
+        self._check_public_network_connectivity(
             should_connect=True, mtu=self.network['mtu'])
 
     @decorators.idempotent_id('1546850e-fbaa-42f5-8b5f-03d8a6a95f15')
@@ -467,7 +472,7 @@
 
         """
         self._setup_network_and_servers()
-        self.check_public_network_connectivity(should_connect=True)
+        self._check_public_network_connectivity(should_connect=True)
         self._check_network_internal_connectivity(network=self.network)
         self._check_network_external_connectivity()
         self._create_new_network(create_gateway=True)
@@ -502,7 +507,7 @@
 
         """
         self._setup_network_and_servers()
-        self.check_public_network_connectivity(should_connect=True)
+        self._check_public_network_connectivity(should_connect=True)
         self._create_new_network()
         self._hotplug_server()
         self._check_network_internal_connectivity(network=self.new_net)
@@ -524,19 +529,19 @@
                 admin_state_up attribute of router to True
         """
         self._setup_network_and_servers()
-        self.check_public_network_connectivity(
+        self._check_public_network_connectivity(
             should_connect=True, msg="before updating "
             "admin_state_up of router to False")
         self._update_router_admin_state(self.router, False)
         # TODO(alokmaurya): Remove should_check_floating_ip_status=False check
         # once bug 1396310 is fixed
 
-        self.check_public_network_connectivity(
+        self._check_public_network_connectivity(
             should_connect=False, msg="after updating "
             "admin_state_up of router to False",
             should_check_floating_ip_status=False)
         self._update_router_admin_state(self.router, True)
-        self.check_public_network_connectivity(
+        self._check_public_network_connectivity(
             should_connect=True, msg="after updating "
             "admin_state_up of router to True")
 
@@ -581,7 +586,7 @@
         renew_timeout = CONF.network.build_timeout
 
         self._setup_network_and_servers(dns_nameservers=[initial_dns_server])
-        self.check_public_network_connectivity(should_connect=True)
+        self._check_public_network_connectivity(should_connect=True)
 
         floating_ip, server = self.floating_ip_tuple
         ip_address = floating_ip['floating_ip_address']
@@ -656,20 +661,20 @@
                                             private_key=private_key,
                                             server=server2)
 
-        self.check_public_network_connectivity(
+        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.ports_client.update_port(port_id, admin_state_up=False)
-        self.check_public_network_connectivity(
+        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.ports_client.update_port(port_id, admin_state_up=True)
-        self.check_public_network_connectivity(
+        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,
@@ -766,7 +771,7 @@
             msg = "Rescheduling test does not apply to distributed routers."
             raise self.skipException(msg)
 
-        self.check_public_network_connectivity(should_connect=True)
+        self._check_public_network_connectivity(should_connect=True)
 
         # remove resource from agents
         hosting_agents = set(a["id"] for a in
@@ -783,7 +788,7 @@
                              'unscheduling router failed')
 
         # verify resource is un-functional
-        self.check_public_network_connectivity(
+        self._check_public_network_connectivity(
             should_connect=False,
             msg='after router unscheduling',
         )
@@ -800,7 +805,7 @@
             "target agent")
 
         # verify resource is functional
-        self.check_public_network_connectivity(
+        self._check_public_network_connectivity(
             should_connect=True,
             msg='After router rescheduling')
 
@@ -834,7 +839,7 @@
 
         # Create server
         self._setup_network_and_servers()
-        self.check_public_network_connectivity(should_connect=True)
+        self._check_public_network_connectivity(should_connect=True)
         self._create_new_network()
         self._hotplug_server()
         fip, server = self.floating_ip_tuple