diff --git a/contrib/for-tests/network-tester/webserver.go b/contrib/for-tests/network-tester/webserver.go
index eca05330cb5..e39b20dd8fe 100644
--- a/contrib/for-tests/network-tester/webserver.go
+++ b/contrib/for-tests/network-tester/webserver.go
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ func contactOthers(state *State) {
 		Host:   os.Getenv("KUBERNETES_RO_SERVICE_HOST") + ":" + os.Getenv("KUBERNETES_RO_SERVICE_PORT"),
 		Path:   "/api/v1beta1",
 	}
-	client := &client.Client{client.NewRESTClient(&masterRO, latest.Codec)}
+	client := &client.Client{client.NewRESTClient(&masterRO, "v1beta1", latest.Codec, true)}
 
 	// Do this repeatedly, in case there's some propagation delay with getting
 	// newly started pods into the endpoints list.
diff --git a/test/e2e/network.go b/test/e2e/network.go
index d035b267fb7..18e00d1d010 100644
--- a/test/e2e/network.go
+++ b/test/e2e/network.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 package e2e
 
 import (
+	"net/http"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/api"
@@ -34,6 +35,17 @@ func TestNetwork(c *client.Client) bool {
 		return true
 	}
 
+	// Test basic external connectivity.
+	resp, err := http.Get("http://google.com/")
+	if err != nil {
+		glog.Errorf("unable to talk to the external internet: %v", err)
+		return false
+	}
+	if resp.StatusCode != http.StatusOK {
+		glog.Errorf("unexpected error code. expected 200, got: %v (%v)", resp.StatusCode, resp)
+		return false
+	}
+
 	ns := api.NamespaceDefault
 	// TODO(satnam6502): Replace call of randomSuffix with call to NewUUID when service
 	//                   names have the same form as pod and replication controller names.