diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index e28d5f9..996d674 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@uci/base",
-  "version": "0.1.37",
+  "version": "0.1.38",
   "description": "Multi type and transport JSON packet communication base class.  Used in UCI extended classes",
   "main": "src/base",
   "scripts": {
diff --git a/src/base.js b/src/base.js
index 15a476c..ab10d15 100644
--- a/src/base.js
+++ b/src/base.js
@@ -62,7 +62,8 @@ const TRANSLATE = {
 class Base extends EventEmitter {
   constructor(opts = {}) {
     super()
-    this.id = opts.id || opts.name || 'uci-base:' + new Date().getTime()
+    this.name = opts.name || opts.appName || 'a base class instance'
+    this.id = opts.id || 'uci-base:' + new Date().getTime()
     log = logger({ name: 'base', id: this.id })
     this.desc = opts.desc // additional details for humans
     this._socket = {} // holds all the various communication sockets
@@ -71,37 +72,31 @@ class Base extends EventEmitter {
     this.retryWait = opts.retryWait
     this.defaultReturnCmd = opts.defaultReturnCmd
     this._cmdProcessors = { _default: cmdProcessor }
+    this.ready = new Ready({emitter: this})
     // _c and _s are the default namespaces
     this._namespaces =Object.assign({},namespaces)
     this._c = Object.assign({},defaultCmds.c)
     this._s = Object.assign({},defaultCmds.s)
+    // make available a method that will bind a whole object tree of functions
+    // Note: functions called via a command namespace are called by base connext by default
+    // if called directlly/locally they should be bound to base context if desired
+    this.bindFuncs = bindFuncs
     if (opts.useRootNS) {
       // add root of instance to checking for command functions - not recommended!
       this._namespaces.s.splice(-1, 0, null)
       this._namespaces.c.splice(-1, 0, null)
     }
-    // method that will bind a whole object tree of functions
-    this.bindFuncs = bindFuncs
-    // predefined sockets:
-    // comma delimited list of this form  '<name>#<c/p/s>><n=np/t=tcp/m=mqtt/w=web>'
-    this._socket = {}
+    // this.bindFuncs = bindFuncs   // make available a method that will bind a whole object tree of functions
+    this._socket = {} // where all sockets are stored
+    // at creation defined sockets:
+    if (opts.port) this.registerSocket(`${opts.name||'base'}${opts.port&&opts.path ? ':t':''}`,'s','t',{port:opts.port})
+    if (opts.path) this.registerSocket(`${opts.name||'base'}${opts.port&&opts.path ? ':n':''}`,'s','n',{path: opts.path})
     if (opts.sockets) {
-      opts.sockets.split(/[,|\s]+/).forEach(socketStr => {
-        let socket = {}
-        socketStr.split(/[>#]+/).map(function(prop, index) {
-          socket[SOCKET_INFO_KEYS[index]] = prop
-        })
-        this.registerSocket(
-          socket.name,
-          socket.type,
-          socket.transport,
-          opts[socket.name]
-        )
-      })
+      let sockets = opts.sockets
+      sockets = Array.isArray(sockets) ? sockets:[sockets]
+      sockets.forEach(socket => this.registerSocket(socket))
     }
 
-    this.ready = new Ready({emitter: this, verbose:process.env.UCI_READY_VERBOSE})
-
   } // end constructor
 
   /*
@@ -187,16 +182,23 @@ class Base extends EventEmitter {
    * @returns {function} if called before base initialzation it can be ignored as all added sockets will be initialized.  After through it be called to initialize that socket
    */
   registerSocket(name, type = 'c', transport = 'n', options = {}) {
+    // console.log('=========================================REGISTER=========',name)
+    if (isPlainObject(name)) ({name, type = 'c', transport = 'n', options = {}} = name)
+    if (typeof name !=='string') return null
     transport = this._validateTransport(transport)
-    log.debug({ socketName: name, type: type, tranport: transport, options: options, method:'addSocket', line:147, msg:`adding socket ${name}`})
-    options.id = options.id || this.id + ':' + name
-    if (type==='c') options = Object.assign({initTimeout:this.initTimeout, retryWait:this.retryWait},options)
-    if (type==='s') options = Object.assign({defaultReturnCmd:this.defaultReturnCmd},options)
+    // console.log({ socketName: name, type: type, tranport: transport, options: options, method:'addSocket', line:198, msg:`adding socket ${name}`})
+    options.id = options.id || name
+    options.name = options.name || name
+    // TODO add a 'd' type for duplex which creates an 's' first and waits on connect to make a 'c'
+    if (type==='c') options = Object.assign({initTimeout:this.initTimeout, retryWait:this.retryWait},options) // outbound
+    if (type==='s') options = Object.assign({defaultReturnCmd:this.defaultReturnCmd},options) // inbound
+    // TODO get rid of hard coded transports and use registered transports (t and n being default)
     switch (transport) {
     case 'n':
       options.path = options.path || true
       // falls through
     case 't':
+      // console.log('==========socket options==========\n',name,type,transport,options)
       this._socket[name] = new Socket[TRANSLATE[type]](options)
       break
     case 'm':
@@ -232,16 +234,20 @@ class Base extends EventEmitter {
           this.emit(event,obj)
         })
       })
-
       if (type==='c') {
-
-        this.ready.addObserver(name,this.getSocket(name),{event:'connection:socket',condition:ev=>{return ev.state==='connected'}})
+        this.ready.addObserver(name,this._socket[name],{event:'connection:socket',condition:ev=>{return ev.state==='connected'}})
 
         this._socket[name].on('pushed', packet => {
           packet._header.socketName=name
           this.emit('pushed', packet)
         })
       }
+
+      if (type==='s') {
+        // this._socket[name].on('socket',ev=>console.log(ev))
+        this.ready.addObserver(name,this._socket[name],{ event:'socket', condition: ev => (ev || {}).state ==='listening' })
+      }
+
       return this.getSocketInit(name)  // returns the init function (e.g. connect or create) for the socket
     }
   }
@@ -634,12 +640,12 @@ class Base extends EventEmitter {
       packet.cmd,
       this._namespaces[this._type(socket) + this._transport(socket)]
     )
-    if (cmd_func) return await cmd_func.bind(this)(packet)  // todo try .call
+    if (cmd_func) return await cmd_func.call(this,packet)  // todo try .call
     cmd_func = this._getCmdFuncNamespace(
       packet.cmd,
       this._namespaces[this._type(socket)]
     )
-    if (cmd_func) return await cmd_func.bind(this)(packet)
+    if (cmd_func) return await cmd_func.call(this,packet)
     return 'failed'
   }
 
diff --git a/src/processing.js b/src/processing.js
index e08b2c0..1fc5d9e 100644
--- a/src/processing.js
+++ b/src/processing.js
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ let log = logger({ package: 'base',file:'processing.js'})
 
 // common processor, will call based on type s or c the ones below
 const cmdProcessor = async function (packet,socket) {
-  let  [err,res] = await to(_process[this.getSocket(socket).type].bind(this)(packet,socket))
+  let  [err,res] = await to(_process[this.getSocket(socket).type].call(this,packet,socket))
   if (err) {
     let error = {cmd:'error', error:err, packet:packet, socket:socket, function:'processor', line: 15, msg:`'unhandled error in packet command function ${packet.cmd}`}
     log.error(error)
@@ -21,8 +21,6 @@ const cmdProcessor = async function (packet,socket) {
   return res
 }
 
-export { cmdProcessor, defaultCmds, namespaces }
-
 // default processors for socket/server and consumer/client
 const _process = {
   s: async function (packet,socket) {
@@ -64,17 +62,23 @@ const namespaces = {
 
 const defaultCmds ={
   s:{
-    echo: async packet => {
+    echo: function (packet) {
       packet.processed = true
       packet.msg = 'default socket echo'
       return packet
     },
     // add sedning along an ack to any consumers and or pushing to other sockets on this device
-    ack: async packet => {
+    ack: async function (packet) {
       packet.cmd = 'reply'
       packet.ack = true
       packet.msg = 'this is the base default ack, superceed in your instance or extended class'
       return packet
+    },
+    ready: async function (packet) {
+      console.log('=========================READY RECEIVED AND EMITTED ======================================\n',packet)
+      packet.msg = 'ready state was emitted on receiving process'
+      this.emit(packet.event || packet.name || packet.id, !!(packet.ready || packet.value || packet.state))
+      return packet
     }
   },
   c:{
@@ -88,3 +92,5 @@ const defaultCmds ={
     }
   }
 }
+
+export { cmdProcessor, defaultCmds, namespaces }