diff --git a/bittensor/utils/networking.py b/bittensor/utils/networking.py
index 4558907a73..bd93629142 100644
--- a/bittensor/utils/networking.py
+++ b/bittensor/utils/networking.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 """Utils for handling local network with ip and ports."""
 
 import os
+import subprocess
 from typing import Optional
 from urllib import request as urllib_request
 
@@ -66,55 +67,58 @@ def get_external_ip() -> str:
     # --- Try AWS
     try:
         external_ip = requests.get("https://checkip.amazonaws.com").text.strip()
-        assert isinstance(ip_to_int(external_ip), int)
+        ip_to_int(external_ip)
         return str(external_ip)
-    except ExternalIPNotFound:
+    except Exception:
         pass
 
-    # --- Try ipconfig.
+    # --- Try ifconfig.me
     try:
-        process = os.popen("curl -s ifconfig.me")
-        external_ip = process.readline()
-        process.close()
-        assert isinstance(ip_to_int(external_ip), int)
+        result = subprocess.run(
+            ["curl", "-s", "ifconfig.me"], capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=10
+        )
+        external_ip = result.stdout.strip()
+        ip_to_int(external_ip)
         return str(external_ip)
-    except ExternalIPNotFound:
+    except Exception:
         pass
 
     # --- Try ipinfo.
     try:
-        process = os.popen("curl -s https://ipinfo.io")
-        external_ip = json.loads(process.read())["ip"]
-        process.close()
-        assert isinstance(ip_to_int(external_ip), int)
+        result = subprocess.run(
+            ["curl", "-s", "https://ipinfo.io"], capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=10
+        )
+        external_ip = json.loads(result.stdout)["ip"]
+        ip_to_int(external_ip)
         return str(external_ip)
-    except ExternalIPNotFound:
+    except Exception:
         pass
 
     # --- Try myip.dnsomatic
     try:
-        process = os.popen("curl -s myip.dnsomatic.com")
-        external_ip = process.readline()
-        process.close()
-        assert isinstance(ip_to_int(external_ip), int)
+        result = subprocess.run(
+            ["curl", "-s", "myip.dnsomatic.com"], capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=10
+        )
+        external_ip = result.stdout.strip()
+        ip_to_int(external_ip)
         return str(external_ip)
-    except ExternalIPNotFound:
+    except Exception:
         pass
 
     # --- Try urllib ipv6
     try:
         external_ip = urllib_request.urlopen("https://ident.me").read().decode("utf8")
-        assert isinstance(ip_to_int(external_ip), int)
+        ip_to_int(external_ip)
         return str(external_ip)
-    except ExternalIPNotFound:
+    except Exception:
         pass
 
     # --- Try Wikipedia
     try:
         external_ip = requests.get("https://www.wikipedia.org").headers["X-Client-IP"]
-        assert isinstance(ip_to_int(external_ip), int)
+        ip_to_int(external_ip)
         return str(external_ip)
-    except ExternalIPNotFound:
+    except Exception:
         pass
 
     raise ExternalIPNotFound
diff --git a/tests/unit_tests/utils/test_networking.py b/tests/unit_tests/utils/test_networking.py
index a3f2c54ac6..8d5c95a5a7 100644
--- a/tests/unit_tests/utils/test_networking.py
+++ b/tests/unit_tests/utils/test_networking.py
@@ -134,31 +134,22 @@ def mock_call():
 
 
 def test_get_external_ip_os_request_urllib_broken():
-    """Test getting the external IP address when os.popen and requests.get/urllib.request are broken."""
+    """Test getting the external IP address when subprocess.run, requests.get, and urllib.request are broken."""
 
-    class FakeReadline:
-        def readline(self):
-            return 1
-
-    def mock_call():
-        return FakeReadline()
+    def mock_subprocess_run(*args, **kwargs):
+        raise OSError("subprocess.run mocked to fail")
 
     class FakeResponse:
-        def text(self):
-            return 1
+        text = "not-an-ip"
 
-    def mock_call_two():
-        return FakeResponse()
+    def mock_requests_get(*args, **kwargs):
+        raise requests.exceptions.ConnectionError("requests.get mocked to fail")
 
-    class FakeRequest:
-        def urlopen(self):
-            return 1
-
-    with mock.patch.object(os, "popen", new=mock_call):
-        with mock.patch.object(requests, "get", new=mock_call_two):
-            urllib.request = MagicMock(return_value=FakeRequest())
-            with pytest.raises(Exception):
-                assert utils.networking.get_external_ip()
+    with mock.patch("subprocess.run", new=mock_subprocess_run):
+        with mock.patch.object(requests, "get", new=mock_requests_get):
+            with mock.patch("bittensor.utils.networking.urllib_request.urlopen", side_effect=OSError("urlopen mocked to fail")):
+                with pytest.raises(Exception):
+                    assert utils.networking.get_external_ip()
 
 
 # Test formatting WebSocket endpoint URL