Do sockets timeout?

I am communicating with a Digital Acquisition Controller over TCP/IP and the sockets class.  After it starts running for about 2 minutes (or sometimes less) it just loses communication: i.e., I cant ping it.  I've tested the physical connection by connecting directly to its internal web interface and letting it randomly sample.  I let this go overnight and there was no problem.  My socket code was cloned from the manufacturers example, which exhibits the same problem.  Is there some special flag or advanced parameter I should try?

Here is a new error I am getting:

System.IO.IOException:Unable to read data from the transport connection:  A connection attempt failed because the connected party did not properly respond after a period of time, or established connection failed because connected host has failed to respond, --> System.Net.Sockets.SocketExceptionA connection attempt failed because the connected party did not properly respond after a period of time, or established connection failed because connected host has failed to respond
at System.Net.Sockets.Socket.Receive(Byte[] buffer, Int32 offset, Int32 size, SocketFlags socketFlags)
at System.Net.Sockets.Socket.NetworkStream.Read(Byte[] buffer, Int32 offset, Int32 size,)
-- End of inner exception stack trace --
at   System.Net.Sockets.Socket.NetworkStream.Read(Byte[] buffer, Int32 offset, Int32 size,)
at Keithley2701Classlib.General.KI2701Read(String& KIdata) in C:\WIL\2701ClassLib\General.cs:line 245


Line 245 has this exception:

System.NullReferenceException was unhandled
  Message="Object reference not set to an instance of an object."
  Source="Inhallation"
  StackTrace:
       at Inhallation.frmVoltmeter.read() in C:\WIL\Inhallation\frmVoltmeter.cs:line 453
       at Inhallation.frmVoltmeter.Start_Environmental_Monitoring() in C:\WIL\Inhallation\frmVoltmeter.cs:line 207
       at Inhallation.frmVoltmeter.btnStart_Click(Object sender, EventArgs e) in C:\WIL\Inhallation\frmVoltmeter.cs:line 906
       at System.Windows.Forms.Control.OnClick(EventArgs e)
       at System.Windows.Forms.Button.OnClick(EventArgs e)
       at System.Windows.Forms.Button.OnMouseUp(MouseEventArgs mevent)
       at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WmMouseUp(Message& m, MouseButtons button, Int32 clicks)
       at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WndProc(Message& m)
       at System.Windows.Forms.ButtonBase.WndProc(Message& m)
       at System.Windows.Forms.Button.WndProc(Message& m)
       at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.OnMessage(Message& m)
       at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.WndProc(Message& m)
       at System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow.DebuggableCallback(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam)
       at System.Windows.Forms.UnsafeNativeMethods.DispatchMessageW(MSG& msg)
       at System.Windows.Forms.Application.ComponentManager.System.Windows.Forms.UnsafeNativeMethods.IMsoComponentManager.FPushMessageLoop(Int32 dwComponentID, Int32 reason, Int32 pvLoopData)
       at System.Windows.Forms.Application.ThreadContext.RunMessageLoopInner(Int32 reason, ApplicationContext context)
       at System.Windows.Forms.Application.ThreadContext.RunMessageLoop(Int32 reason, ApplicationContext context)
       at System.Windows.Forms.Application.Run(Form mainForm)
       at Keithley2701ClassLib.frmMain.Main() in C:\WIL\Inhallation\frmMain.cs:line 260

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