http_client.py

import httplib                                                                  
import time                                                                     
from socket import timeout                                                      

HOST = "my test host"

start = time.time()                                                             
try:                                                                            
    conn = httplib.HTTPConnection(HOST, timeout=0.5)                         
    conn.request(method="GET", url="/tmp/slow.php")                             
    response = conn.getresponse()                                               
    content = response.read()                                                   
except timeout:                                                                 
    print "Had a timeout!"                                                      
end = time.time()                                                               
                                                                                
                                                                                
print "Timeout 0.5 time: ", end-start                                           
                                                                                
start = time.time()                                                             
try:                                                                            
    conn = httplib.HTTPConnection(HOST, timeout=2.5)                         
    conn.request(method="GET", url="/tmp/slow.php")                             
    response = conn.getresponse()                                               
    content = response.read()                                                   
except timeout:                                                                 
    print "Had a timeout!"                                                      
                                                                                
end = time.time()                                                               
                                                                                
print "Timeout 2.5 time: ", end-start