Frequently the lab has networking issues that prevent the moblab from downloading the base container at bootup, causing moblab-vm's to flake.

DEBUG:root:Running 'sudo curl -s https://storage.googleapis.com/abci-ssp/autotest-containers/moblab_base_07.tar.xz -o /tmp/moblab_base_07.tar.xz_sefN8v'
WARNING:root:run process timeout (180) fired on: sudo curl -s https://storage.googleapis.com/abci-ssp/autotest-containers/moblab_base_07.tar.xz -o /tmp/moblab_base_07.tar.xz_sefN8v
DEBUG:root:Running 'sudo test -e "/usr/local/autotest/containers/moblab_base_07"'
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/local/autotest/site_utils/lxc.py", line 68, in <module>
    main()
  File "/usr/local/autotest/site_utils/lxc.py", line 62, in main
    image.setup(name=options.name, force_delete=options.force_delete)
  File "/usr/local/autotest/site_utils/lxc/base_image.py", line 93, in setup
    self._download_and_install_base_container()
  File "/usr/local/autotest/site_utils/lxc/base_image.py", line 158, in _download_and_install_base_container
    lxc.download_extract(container_url, tar_path, self.container_path)
  File "/usr/local/autotest/site_utils/lxc/lxc.py", line 75, in download_extract
    _download_via_curl(url, tmp_file.name)
  File "/usr/local/autotest/client/common_lib/cros/retry.py", line 224, in func_retry
    remaining_time)
  File "/usr/local/autotest/client/common_lib/cros/retry.py", line 123, in timeout
    default_result = func(*args, **kwargs)
  File "/usr/local/autotest/site_utils/lxc/lxc.py", line 89, in _download_via_curl
    stderr_tee=common_utils.TEE_TO_LOGS, timeout=3*60)
  File "/usr/local/autotest/client/common_lib/utils.py", line 752, in run
    timeout)[0]
  File "/usr/local/autotest/client/common_lib/utils.py", line 834, in join_bg_jobs
    "Command(s) did not complete within %d seconds" % timeout)
autotest_lib.client.common_lib.error.CmdTimeoutError: Command <sudo curl -s https://storage.googleapis.com/abci-ssp/autotest-containers/moblab_base_07.tar.xz -o /tmp/moblab_base_07.tar.xz_sefN8v> failed, rc=0, Command(s) did not complete within 180 seconds
* Command: 
    sudo curl -s https://storage.googleapis.com/abci-ssp/autotest-
    containers/moblab_base_07.tar.xz -o /tmp/moblab_base_07.tar.xz_sefN8v
Exit status: 0
Duration: 184.273108006

For VM's install the base container in the image, and prefer that install over downloading an image at bootup.