1. A method for execution by one or more processing modules of one or more requesting devices of a dispersed storage network (DSN), the method comprises: sending access requests to a threshold number of storage units of the DSN; receiving, from each of at least some of the threshold number of storage units, an access response or an error response; and when one error response is received from a storage unit of the at least some of the threshold number of storage units in response to one of the access requests: ascertaining a likely cause for an error corresponding to the error response; and determining, based on the likely cause for the error, whether to: resend the one of the access requests to the storage unit; issue a modified access request to the storage unit; or send the one of the access requests to another storage unit.