meteor fails, can't install npm-packages from

I have been diagnosing this issue for a few days and have tested the top issue resolutions that appear for "meteor" and "npm" dependencies that look similar to this one. Both I and my back-end engineer are stumped.

I'm using an OSX 10.10.3, ruby 1.9.3, node v0.10.36, npm 1.4.28, meteor 1.1.02.

Also, I am not behind a proxy as the error seems to indicate.

My environment PATH is:

export PATH="/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin"

Here's the error:

=> Started proxy.                             
=> Started MongoDB.                           
npm-container: updating npm dependencies -- hummus, shipping-ups...
npm WARN package.json packages-for-meteor-smartpackage-1wscwem@0.0.0 No
description
npm WARN package.json packages-for-meteor-smartpackage-1wscwem@0.0.0 No
repository field.
npm WARN package.json packages-for-meteor-smartpackage-1wscwem@0.0.0 No README
data
../src/deps/LibTiff/tif_unix.c:140:6: warning: cast to 'thandle_t' (aka 'void
*') from smaller integer type 'int' [-Wint-to-void-pointer-cast]
(thandle_t) fd,
^
1 warning generated.
../src/deps/LibTiff/tif_write.c:633:49: warning: comparison of integers of
different signs: 'toff_t' (aka 'unsigned int') and 'tsize_t' (aka 'int')
[-Wsign-compare]
&& td->td_stripbytecount[strip] >= cc )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^  ~~
1 warning generated.
npm ERR! fetch failed
http://npm.iad.ua.com:4873/strip-ansi/-/strip-ansi-2.0.1.tgz
npm ERR! fetch failed
http://npm.iad.ua.com:4873/escape-string-regexp/-/escape-string-regexp-1.0.3.tgz
npm ERR! fetch failed http://npm.iad.ua.com:4873/has-ansi/-/has-ansi-1.0.3.tgz
npm ERR! fetch failed
http://npm.iad.ua.com:4873/ansi-styles/-/ansi-styles-2.0.1.tgz
npm ERR! fetch failed
http://npm.iad.ua.com:4873/cryptiles/-/cryptiles-2.0.4.tgz
../deps/libexpat/lib/xmltok.c:471:1: warning: missing field 'isName2'
initializer [-Wmissing-field-initializers]
};
^
../deps/libexpat/lib/xmltok.c:484:1: warning: missing field 'isName2'
initializer [-Wmissing-field-initializers]
};
^
../deps/libexpat/lib/xmltok.c:504:1: warning: missing field 'isName2'
initializer [-Wmissing-field-initializers]
};
^
../deps/libexpat/lib/xmltok.c:517:1: warning: missing field 'isName2'
initializer [-Wmissing-field-initializers]
};
^
../deps/libexpat/lib/xmltok.c:730:1: warning: missing field 'isName2'
initializer [-Wmissing-field-initializers]
};
^
../deps/libexpat/lib/xmltok.c:749:1: warning: missing field 'isName2'
initializer [-Wmissing-field-initializers]
};
^
../deps/libexpat/lib/xmltok.c:762:1: warning: missing field 'isName2'
initializer [-Wmissing-field-initializers]
};
^
../deps/libexpat/lib/xmltok.c:775:1: warning: missing field 'isName2'
initializer [-Wmissing-field-initializers]
};
^
../deps/libexpat/lib/xmltok.c:871:1: warning: missing field 'isName2'
initializer [-Wmissing-field-initializers]
};
^
../deps/libexpat/lib/xmltok.c:890:1: warning: missing field 'isName2'
initializer [-Wmissing-field-initializers]
};
^
10 warnings generated.
npm ERR! fetch failed http://npm.iad.ua.com:4873/sntp/-/sntp-1.0.9.tgz
npm ERR! fetch failed
http://npm.iad.ua.com:4873/ansi-styles/-/ansi-styles-2.0.1.tgz
npm ERR! fetch failed http://npm.iad.ua.com:4873/has-ansi/-/has-ansi-1.0.3.tgz
npm ERR! fetch failed
http://npm.iad.ua.com:4873/escape-string-regexp/-/escape-string-regexp-1.0.3.tgz
npm ERR! fetch failed
http://npm.iad.ua.com:4873/strip-ansi/-/strip-ansi-2.0.1.tgz
npm ERR! fetch failed
http://npm.iad.ua.com:4873/cryptiles/-/cryptiles-2.0.4.tgz
npm ERR! fetch failed http://npm.iad.ua.com:4873/sntp/-/sntp-1.0.9.tgz
npm ERR! fetch failed
http://npm.iad.ua.com:4873/escape-string-regexp/-/escape-string-regexp-1.0.3.tgz
npm ERR! fetch failed http://npm.iad.ua.com:4873/has-ansi/-/has-ansi-1.0.3.tgz
npm ERR! fetch failed
http://npm.iad.ua.com:4873/ansi-styles/-/ansi-styles-2.0.1.tgz
npm ERR! fetch failed
http://npm.iad.ua.com:4873/strip-ansi/-/strip-ansi-2.0.1.tgz
npm ERR! fetch failed
http://npm.iad.ua.com:4873/cryptiles/-/cryptiles-2.0.4.tgz
npm ERR! fetch failed http://npm.iad.ua.com:4873/sntp/-/sntp-1.0.9.tgz
npm ERR! network connect ETIMEDOUT
npm ERR! network This is most likely not a problem with npm itself
npm ERR! network and is related to network connectivity.
npm ERR! network In most cases you are behind a proxy or have bad network
settings.
npm ERR! network 
npm ERR! network If you are behind a proxy, please make sure that the
npm ERR! network 'proxy' config is set properly.  See: 'npm help config'

npm ERR! System Darwin 14.3.0
npm ERR! command
"/Users/aurorajohansenwardigo/.meteor/packages/meteor-tool/.1.1.3.1wysac9++os.osx.x86_64+web.browser+web.cordova/mt-os.osx.x86_64/dev_bundle/bin/node"
"/Users/aurorajohansenwardigo/.meteor/packages/meteor-tool/.1.1.3.1wysac9++os.osx.x86_64+web.browser+web.cordova/mt-os.osx.x86_64/dev_bundle/bin/npm"
"install"
npm ERR! cwd
/Users/aurorajohansenwardigo/Documents/Projects/<project folder path>/<git branch>/packages/npm-container/.npm/package-new-fwmz2e
npm ERR! node -v v0.10.36
npm ERR! npm -v 1.4.28
npm ERR! syscall connect
npm ERR! code ETIMEDOUT
npm ERR! errno ETIMEDOUT
npm ERR! not ok code 0

=> Errors prevented startup:                  

   While building package npm-container:
   error: couldn't install npm packages from npm-shrinkwrap

=> Your application has errors. Waiting for file change.

Please let me know if you need any additional info for diagnosis.

Went back to basics and was able to get the app to run by using the following steps:

meteor remove meteorhacks:npm

If the remove command doesn't work, manually delete the "meteorhacks:npm" and "npm-contanier" references from the .meteor > packages file. Then delete the folder: /packages/npm-container

Add meteorhacks:npm back into the project: