Unable to install python packages using pip, getting a ConnectTimeoutError instead. How do I fix this?

Question

I am using Visual Studio 2022 for the first time for work. I just installed python and am now attempting to use pip to install the packages I need for my project. However, I get the following warning and subsequent installation error whenever I try to run a command to install a package (in this case, 'pip install pandas'):

I have looked at common resolutions to this problem on Github and Stackoverflow; however, I have had no luck. I have kept the Q&A assist answer attached because its solutions did not work, which provides more information. I have also attempted using a virtual environment. How do I fix this issue?

PS C:\Users\670336418\source\repos\FedExTracking> pip install pandas
Defaulting to user installation because normal site-packages is not writeable
WARNING: Retrying (Retry(total=4, connect=None, read=None, redirect=None, status=None)) after connection broken by 'ConnectTimeoutError(<pip._vendor.urllib3.connection.HTTPSConnection object at 0x000001673D9074D0>, 'Connection to pypi.org timed out. (connect timeout=15)')': /simple/pandas/
WARNING: Retrying (Retry(total=3, connect=None, read=None, redirect=None, status=None)) after connection broken by 'ConnectTimeoutError(<pip._vendor.urllib3.connection.HTTPSConnection object at 0x000001673D8BFED0>, 'Connection to pypi.org timed out. (connect timeout=15)')': /simple/pandas/
WARNING: Retrying (Retry(total=2, connect=None, read=None, redirect=None, status=None)) after connection broken by 'ConnectTimeoutError(<pip._vendor.urllib3.connection.HTTPSConnection object at 0x000001673D978050>, 'Connection to pypi.org timed out. (connect timeout=15)')': /simple/pandas/
WARNING: Retrying (Retry(total=1, connect=None, read=None, redirect=None, status=None)) after connection broken by 'ConnectTimeoutError(<pip._vendor.urllib3.connection.HTTPSConnection object at 0x000001673D978190>, 'Connection to pypi.org timed out. (connect timeout=15)')': /simple/pandas/
WARNING: Retrying (Retry(total=0, connect=None, read=None, redirect=None, status=None)) after connection broken by 'ConnectTimeoutError(<pip._vendor.urllib3.connection.HTTPSConnection object at 0x000001673D9782D0>, 'Connection to pypi.org timed out. (connect timeout=15)')': /simple/pandas/
ERROR: Could not find a version that satisfies the requirement pandas (from versions: none)
ERROR: No matching distribution found for pandas

Answer 1

The ConnectTimeoutError you are encountering when trying to install Python packages using pip suggests that your connection to the Python Package Index (PyPI) is timing out. Here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot and potentially resolve this issue:

1. Check Internet Connection: Ensure that your internet connection is stable and that you can access other websites.
2. Firewall and Proxy Settings: If you are behind a firewall or using a proxy, it may be blocking access to PyPI. Make sure that the necessary domains and servers are added to your allowlist. You can refer to the documentation on installing Visual Studio behind a firewall for more details.
3. Upgrade pip: Sometimes, upgrading pip can help resolve connectivity issues. You can do this by running:

      python -m pip install --upgrade pip
   

4. Reinstall pip: If upgrading doesn't work, you can try reinstalling pip. On Windows, you can do this with:

      python -m ensurepip --upgrade
   

5. Use a Different Package Index: If the issue persists, you might want to try using a different package index or mirror. You can specify a different index URL with the -i option:

      pip install pandas -i https://pypi.python.org/simple
   

6. Check for Package Availability: Ensure that the package you are trying to install is available on PyPI. You can check this by visiting the PyPI website.

If these steps do not resolve the issue, consider checking community forums like StackOverflow for similar issues or contacting your network administrator for assistance.

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References:

• Trouble installing a package with pip install
• The Python development workload fails to install in Visual Studio