cannot get commandtimeout or connecttimeout to fire timeout exception

[vegeta4ss]

Both of these properties have a default value of 30 seconds but I am setting them to something much shorter (8) and my application does not seem to recognize the timeout. Even if I allow the default value of 30 seconds to elapse I still am waiting on the timeout.

I am trying to use the connecttimeout to notify my client application that the remote sql server is not available before I try and execute a sql transaction.

I am not sure why this is not working though, the sqlexception for timing out has worked for me before and all I did was set a non-default property. The only change here is that this is a MDI type of project, which shouldn't matter.

Here's my code:

Public Function sqlSelect(ByVal query As String, ByVal outputtype As SelectType, Optional ByVal resultsset_name As String = "results", Optional ByVal commandtype As CommandType = CommandType.Text, Optional ByVal parameters As List(Of SqlParameter) = Nothing) As Object
        Dim cmd As SqlCommand = Nothing

        Try
            cmd = GetSQLCommand(query, commandtype, parameters) 
'command will already have parameters attached and timeout set to 8 here
        Catch sql As SqlException
            MessageBox.Show("A sql error was caught during execution")
        Catch ex As Exception
            exHandler(ex)
        End Try

        Debug.Assert(cmd.CommandTimeout = 8)

        Dim outputdata As Object = Nothing

        Select Case outputtype
            Case SelectType.Sqldatareader
                outputdata = CType(outputdata, SqlDataReader)
                outputdata = FillDataReader(cmd)
            Case SelectType.datatable
                outputdata = CType(outputdata, DataTable)
                outputdata = FillDataTable(cmd)
            Case SelectType.dataset
                outputdata = CType(outputdata, DataSet)
                outputdata = FillDataSet(cmd)
            Case SelectType.xml
                'todo: future expansion
        End Select
        Return outputdata
    End Function

 Private Function FillDataTable(ByVal objcmd As SqlCommand, Optional ByVal strtable As String = "results") As DataTable
        Try
            Dim da As New SqlDataAdapter(objcmd)
            Dim dt As New DataTable(strtable)
            da.Fill(dt)  '<-- this line causes application deadlock
            Return dt
        Catch sql_ex As SqlException
            Throw sql_ex
        Catch ex As Exception
            Throw ex
        End Try
    End Function

Private Function GetSQLCommand(ByVal qrytext As String, Optional ByVal commandtype As CommandType = CommandType.Text, Optional ByVal paramscollection As List(Of SqlParameter) = Nothing) As SqlCommand
        Try
            Dim objcmd As SqlCommand = New SqlCommand(qrytext, Me.Connection())
            objcmd.CommandType = commandtype
            objcmd.CommandTimeout = 8
            If paramscollection Is Nothing Then
                Return objcmd
            Else
                If paramscollection.Count > 0 Then
                    For Each param As SqlParameter In paramscollection
                        objcmd.Parameters.Add(param)
                    Next
                End If
                Return objcmd
            End If
        Catch sqlex As SqlClient.SqlException
            'exHandler(sqlex)
            Throw sqlex
        Catch ex As Exception
            exHandler(ex)
            Throw ex
        End Try
    End Function