Error message Process nntpd not running

[Richmond]

Since nntp.aioe.org has upgraded its system from debian 8 I have been
getting this error when starting gnus:

>>> (error Process nntpd not running)
nntp (nntp.aioe.org) open error: ‘>>> (error Process nntpd not
running)’.  Continue? (y or n) y

However if I go to the server buffer and open the server it then works ok.

What does this error mean? Is it a timing issue?

I have

(setq
gnus-select-method                                                              
                     
\

      '(nntp
"nntp.aioe.org"                                                                 
              
\

             (nntp-open-connection-function
nntp-open-tls-stream)                                           \

             (nntp-port-number 563)))

(setq nntp-connection-timeout 240)