Creating certificates with --nginx works. Renew or certonly doesn't

OK here is the problem now:
[HTTP connections are failing]

Detail: Fetching http://fekle.in/.well-known/acme-challenge/W3RCYUFMIKpjxiAsIWDkbfdRwEmaS5rDYKxkPBQV67s: Timeout during connect (likely firewall problem)
Detail: Fetching http://www.vidyut.net/.well-known/acme-challenge/T3P7hzJz9qxmliZf49MrnNQ9bATu1Df2JsQVWTgACo8: Timeout during connect (likely firewall problem)
Detail: Fetching http://aamjanata.in/.well-known/acme-challenge/x709isMxi0FyZcjJ5XNFM_BvdawkZUCeG5OUg_S5ee0: Timeout during connect (likely firewall problem)
Detail: Fetching http://homeschoolingindia.in/.well-known/acme-challenge/_zwUK13JYIK3_b3cVxG35TWd6jWPeHTa8C9bxmMEop8: Timeout during connect (likely firewall problem)
Detail: Fetching http://www.vidyut.info/.well-known/acme-challenge/p-XTT4PxhkeEE3gu0UWavpE28fNXn9KYCeCHLRzuMAY: Timeout during connect (likely firewall problem)
Detail: Fetching http://vidyut.net/.well-known/acme-challenge/CYrjEe_ft0e695k6sw_K2lzN5s90RNlN8yAKxm928AU: Timeout during connect (likely firewall problem)
Detail: Fetching http://www.homeschoolingindia.in/.well-known/acme-challenge/EiAOpTmCdvORHuc2Q9kHfw-XucYIWkTdcTN3_fmCQy4: Timeout during connect (likely firewall problem)
Detail: Fetching http://www.aamjanata.com/.well-known/acme-challenge/7aV4FGaLTvGdQbeQ2DmnTBKMSCKrMXP_cXjXCojAxRc: Timeout during connect (likely firewall problem)
Detail: Fetching http://www.digitalindia.watch/.well-known/acme-challenge/rtfvxoO9SQolez0W2xxKfIwoys318o6AotdsgG7yll8: Timeout during connect (likely firewall problem)
Detail: Fetching http://vidyut.info/.well-known/acme-challenge/0Vq-uMJPk-wT3ePib8P16NFgevJ3Rthkynm2p7qLpDs: Timeout during connect (likely firewall problem)

But it should have been using the --webroot setting that worked to get the cert!!!
hmm…