Question re download timeout setting

[prothero at earthlearningsolutions.org]

Folks:
Sorry for the trivial question, but..
I have an app on my iphone that I am updating from a several years old app the previously worked on an older version of livecode. It needs to access a mysql database on the internet. It works fine when there is internet service. 

I test access by downloading a file with a simple text code. If there code is returned in the message, I continue accessing the database. However, when there is no internet, the "put URL” command seems to hang forever. I’ve looked for a way to set the timeout for an internet command, but…. can’t,.

Could you direct me to a simple explanation about how to set a reasonable internet not connected message?

Thanks,
Bill
put "https://"&theURL&"/test.html" into theURL

put URL theURL into tOutput    —if the request times out, the output is not received.

if tOutput contains "AB7699HEYIMHERE” then   —code received, internet access is successful

return true

else

return false

end if