diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 2de1751..15f7afe 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@uci/socket",
-  "version": "0.2.23",
+  "version": "0.2.24",
   "description": "JSON packet intra(named)/inter(TCP) host communication over socket",
   "main": "src",
   "scripts": {
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
     "s": "node -r esm examples/server",
     "devs": "UCI_ENV=dev ./node_modules/.bin/nodemon -r esm examples/server",
     "devs:anon": "UCI_ANON=true npm run devs",
+    "devs:anon:debug": "UCI_LOG_LEVEL=debug npm run devs:anon",
     "devs:debug": "UCI_LOG_LEVEL=debug npm run devs",
     "client": "node -r esm examples/client",
     "devc": "UCI_ENV=dev ./node_modules/.bin/nodemon -r esm examples/client",
diff --git a/src/consumer.js b/src/consumer.js
index 4f3fe43..a199546 100644
--- a/src/consumer.js
+++ b/src/consumer.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { Socket } from 'net'
 import path from 'path'
 import { promisify } from 'util'
-import pause from 'delay'
+// import pause from 'delay'
 import btc from 'better-try-catch'
 import JsonStream from './json-stream'
 
@@ -48,128 +48,152 @@ class SocketConsumer extends Socket {
     this.opts = opts
     // default is keepAlive true, must set to false to explicitly disable
     // if keepAlive is true then consumer will also be reconnecting consumer
-    this.initTimeout = opts.initTimeout==null ? 60000 : opts.initTimeout * 1000
+    this.initTimeout = opts.initTimeout > 4 ? opts.initTimeout * 1000 : null
+    this.pingFailedTimeout = opts.pingFailedTimeout * 1000 || 10000
+    this.reconnectLimit = opts.reconnectLimit || 0
     this.retryWait = opts.retryWait==null ? 5000 : opts.retryWait * 1000
+    console.log(this.retryWait)
+    this.heartBeat = !!process.env.HEARTBEAT || opts.heartBeat
     this.keepAlive = 'keepAlive' in opts ? opts.keepAlive : true
-    this._connected = false
-    this._authenticated = false
     this.stream = new JsonStream()
     // bind to class for other class functions
     this.connect = this.connect.bind(this)
     this.close = promisify(this.end).bind(this)
-    // this.__ready = this.__ready.bind(this)
-    this._conAttempt = 1
-    this._aborted = false
-    this._reconnect = false
-    this.retryPause = {} // timeout that may need to be cancelled if init timeout throws
-    // this._packetProcess = this._packetProcess.bind(this)
+    this._reconnectCount = 0
+    this._connected = false
+    this._authenticated = false
+    this._connection = 'offline'
+    this._first = true  // first connection or not
+    this._pingTimeout // value sent from socket upon connect
   }
 
   get connected() { return this._connected}
   get active() { return !!this._authenticated }
+  get connection() { return this._connection }
 
-  async connect() {
-    return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+  notify(state, moreOpts={}) {
+    this._connection = state || this._connection
+    let opts = {state:this._connection, id:this.id, opts:this.opts, authenticated:this._authenticated, connected:this._connected}
+    Object.assign(opts,moreOpts)
+    this.emit('connection',opts)
+  }
 
-      if (this.opts.host === '127.0.0.1'|| this.opts.host ==='localhost')
-        log.warn({method:'connect', line:107, msg:'tcp consumer on same machine as host, use named Pipe(Unix) Socket Instead'})
+  status(level='debug', msg) {
+    let opts = {level:level, msg:msg, id:this.id, opts:this.opts, authenticated:this._authenticated, connected:this._connected, state:this._connection}
+    if (typeof msg !== 'string') Object.assign(opts,msg)
+    this.emit('status',opts)
+    log[level](opts)
+  }
 
-      log.debug('first connnect attempt for', this.opts.id)
-      this.emit('status',{level:'info', msg:'attempting initial connection', id:this.id, opts:this.opts, ready:false})
+  async connect(timeout=0) {
+    console.log('=================================================connect=========================================================================================')
+    this.initTimeout = timeout > 4 ? timeout * 1000 : this.initTimeout
+    this.notify('starting')
+    if (this.opts.host === '127.0.0.1'|| this.opts.host ==='localhost') {
+      let msg ='tcp consumer on same machine as host, use named Pipe(Unix) Socket Instead'
+      log.warn({method:'connect', msg:'msg'})
+      this.status('warn',msg)
+    }
 
-      console.log('TIMEOUT IN SOCKE CONNECT',this.initTimeout)
+    this.once('error', errorHandler.bind(this))
+    this.once('connect',connectHandler.bind(this))
+
+    super.connect(this.opts)
+
+    // returns promise for initial connection with reject on timeout
+    if (this._first && this.initTimeout) {
 
       let initTimeout = {}
-      if (this.initTimeout > 499) {
-        initTimeout = setTimeout(() => {
-          clearTimeout(this.retryPause)
-          this.emit('status',{level:'error', msg:'initial connection timed out', id:this.id, timeout:this.initTimeout, wait:this.retryWait, opts:this.opts, ready:false})
-          this.removeAllListeners()
-          log.fatal({method:'connect', line:69, opts: this.opts, msg:`unable to initially connect to ${this.opts.name} in ${this.initTimeout/1000} secs no more attempts!`})
-          this.stream.removeAllListeners()
-          reject({ opts: this.opts, msg: `unable to connect initially to socket server in ${this.initTimeout/1000} secs, giving up no more attempts`})
+      this._first=false
+
+      return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+
+        initTimeout = setTimeout(async () => {
+          this.disconnect()
+          let msg=`unable to connect initially to socket server in ${this.initTimeout/1000} secs, giving up no more attempts`
+          this.status('fatal',msg)
+          this.notify('failed',{timeout:this.initTimeout, msg:msg})
+          reject({ error:msg, opts: this.opts})
         }
           , this.initTimeout)
-      }
 
-      const initialHandshake = async (packet) => {
-
-        if (packet._handshake) {
-          clearTimeout(initTimeout)
-          this._connected = true
-          let authPacket = this._authenticate() || {}
-          authPacket._authenticate = true
-          authPacket.clientName = this.id
-          let res = (await this._authenticateSend(authPacket)) || {}
-          if (!res.authenticated) {
-            this.emit('status',{level:'info', msg:`authentication failed: ${res.reason}`, id:this.id, opts:this.opts, authenticated:this._authenticated, connected:this._connected})
-            reject('unable to authenticate')
-          }
-          else {
-            this._authenticated = res.authenticated
-            this.removeListener('error',initialErrorHandler)
-            this._listen() // setup for active connection
-            log.info({method:'connect', line:87, msg:'initial connect/authentication complete ready for communication'})
-            this.emit('status',{level:'info', msg:'authentication succesfull', id:this.id, opts:this.opts, authenticated:this._authenticated, connected:this._connected})
-            this.emit('consumer-connection',{state:'connected',name:this.id})
-            if (this.opts.conPacket) (this.send(this.conPacket))
-            resolve('initial connection successful')
+        const successHandler = (ev) => {
+          if (ev.state === 'online') {
+            clearTimeout(initTimeout)
+            this.removeListener('connection',successHandler)
+            this.status('info','initial connection successfull')
+            resolve({opts: this.opts, msg: 'initial connection successfull'})
           }
         }
-      }
+
+        this.on('connection',successHandler)
+
+      })
+    }
+    this._first=false
+    return 'connection in progress'
+
+  }  // end connect
 
 
-      const initialConnectHandler = async () => {
-        this.on('data', this.stream.onData)
-        this.stream.once('message', initialHandshake.bind(this))
-        log.debug({method:'connect', line:113, msg:'connected waiting for socket ready handshake'})
-        this.emit('status',{level:'debug', msg:'consumer connected'})
-      }
-
-      const initialErrorHandler = async (err) => {
-        let msg = {level:'error', method:'connect', line:101, error:err, msg:`error during initial connect, trying again in ${this.retryWait/1000} secs`}
-        log.error(msg)
-        this.emit('status',msg)
-        let connect = () => { super.connect(this.opts)}
-        this.retryPause = setTimeout(connect.bind(this),this.retryWait)
-      }
-
-
-      this.once('connect', initialConnectHandler)
-      this.on('error', initialErrorHandler)
-      super.connect(this.opts)
-
-    }) // end initial promise
+  // manual disonnect
+  async disconnect() {
+    clearTimeout(this._errorRetry)
+    this.removeAllListeners('ping')
+    this.removeAllListeners('connect')
+    this.removeAllListeners('error')
+    this.removeAllListeners('data')
+    this.removeAllListeners('pushed')
+    this.stream.removeAllListeners()
+    this._connected=false
+    this._authenticated=false
+    this.notify('disconnected')
+    this._first = true
   }
 
+  async reconnect () {
+    if (this._connected) this.disconnect()
+    this._first = false
+    if ( this.reconnectLimit === 0 || this._reconnectCount < this.reconnectLimit ) {
+      this._reconnectCount += 1
+      this.status('warn',`Attempting a reconnect:  attempt ${this._reconnectCount} of ${this.reconnectLimit ||'unlimited'}`)
+      this.connect()
+    }
+    else {
+      this.status('fatal',`${this.reconnectLimit} reconnect attempts exceeded no more tries`)
+    }
+  }
+
+
   async send(ipacket) {
     return new Promise(async resolve => {
-      if (!this._connected) {
+      if (!this.active) {
         resolve({ error: 'socket consumer not connected, aborting send' })
-      }
-      let packet = Object.assign({}, ipacket)  // need to avoid mutuation for different consumers using same packet instance
-      setTimeout(() => {resolve({ error: 'no response from socket in 10sec' })}, 10000)
-      packet._header = {
-        id: Math.random()
-          .toString()
-          .slice(2), // need this for when multiple sends for different consumers use same packet instanceack
-        sender: { name: this.name, instanceID: this.id },
-        path: this.opts.path,
-        port: this.opts.port,
-        host: this.opts.host
-      }
-      let [err, res] = await btc(this.stream.serialize)(packet)
-      if (err)
-        resolve({error: 'unable to serialize packet for sending',packet: packet})
-      await this.__write(res)
-      this.once(packet._header.id, async function(reply) {
-        let res = await this._packetProcess(reply)
-        if (!res) { // if packetProcess was not promise
-          res = reply
-          log.debug({method:'send', line:180, msg:'consumer function was not promise returning further processing may be out of sequence'})
+      } else {
+        let packet = Object.assign({}, ipacket)  // need to avoid mutuation for different consumers using same packet instance
+        setTimeout(() => {resolve({ error: 'no response from socket in 10sec' })}, 10000)
+        packet._header = {
+          id: Math.random()
+            .toString()
+            .slice(2), // need this for when multiple sends for different consumers use same packet instanceack
+          sender: { name: this.name, instanceID: this.id },
+          path: this.opts.path,
+          port: this.opts.port,
+          host: this.opts.host
         }
-        resolve(res)  // resolves processed packet not return packet
-      }) //end listener
+        let [err, res] = await btc(this.stream.serialize)(packet)
+        if (err)
+          resolve({error: 'unable to serialize packet for sending',packet: packet})
+        await this.__write(res) // write errors will be caught by socket error listener and result in reconnect
+        this.once(packet._header.id, async function(reply) {
+          let res = await this._packetProcess(reply)
+          if (!res) { // if packetProcess was not promise
+            res = reply
+            log.debug({method:'send', line:180, msg:'consumer function was not promise returning further processing may be out of sequence'})
+          }
+          resolve(res)  // resolves processed packet not return packet
+        }) //end listener
+      }
     })
   }
 
@@ -184,6 +208,12 @@ class SocketConsumer extends Socket {
     this._authenticate = func
   }
 
+  // stream needs an .onData method and will be stream bound handler for data event
+  resgisterStreamProcessor (func) {
+    this.stream = func
+  }
+
+
   // PRIVATE METHODS
 
   // default authentication using a simple token
@@ -194,123 +224,30 @@ class SocketConsumer extends Socket {
   async _authenticateSend (authPacket={}) {
     return new Promise(async resolve => {
       setTimeout(() => {resolve({ error: 'no response from socket in 10sec' })}, 10000)
-      let [err, res] = await btc(this.stream.serialize)(authPacket)
+      let [err, serPacket] = await btc(this.stream.serialize)(authPacket)
       if (err)
         resolve({error: 'unable to serialize packet for sending',packet: authPacket})
-      this.stream.on('message',(res) =>  {
-        this.stream.removeAllListeners('message')
+      this.stream.once('message',(res) =>  {
         resolve(res)
-
       })
-      await this.__write(res)
-
-
+      let res = await this.__write(serPacket)
+      if (res.error) resolve(res)
+      // otherwise wait for message listener above to return
     })
   }
 
-  // set up incoming message listening and error/reonnect handling
-  async _listen() {
-    // Define Handlers and Other Functions
-    const reconnectHandler = () => {
-      this.stream.once('message', handshake.bind(this))
-      log.debug({method:'connect', line:113, msg:'connected waiting for socket ready handshake'})
-      this.emit('status',{level:'info', msg:'attemping reconnect', id:this.id, opts:this.opts, authenticated:this._authenticated, connected:this._connected})
-    }
-
-    const handshake = async (packet) => {
-      if (packet._handshake) {
-        this._connected = true
-        let authPacket = this._authenticate() || {}
-        authPacket._authenticate = true
-        authPacket.clientName = this.id
-        let res = (await this._authenticateSend(authPacket)) || {}
-        if (!res.authenticated) {
-          this.emit('status',{level:'error', msg:`authentication failed: ${res.reason}`, id:this.id, opts:this.opts, authenticated:this._authenticated, connected:this._connected})
-          this.emit('error',{code:'authentification failed'})
-        }
-        else {
-          this._authenticated = res.authenticated
-          log.info({method:'connect', line:87, msg:'initial connect/authentication complete ready for communication'})
-          this.emit('status',{level:'info', msg:'authentication successful', id:this.id, opts:this.opts, authenticated:this._authenticated, connected:this._connected})
-          if (this.keepAlive) { // only attempt reconnect if keepAlive is set which it is by default
-            this.on('ping',pingHandler)
-            this.setKeepAlive(this.keepAlive,3000)  // keep connection alive unless disabled
-          }
-          this.stream.on('message', messageHandler.bind(this))  // reset default message handler
-          this.emit('status',{level:'info', msg:'reconnected', id:this.id, opts:this.opts, authenticated:this._authenticated, connected:this._connected})
-          this.emit('consumer-connection', {state:'reconnected', name:this.id})
-          if (this.opts.conPacket) (this.send(this.conPacket))
-        }
-      }
-    }
-
-    const errorHandler = async (err) => {
-      log.debug({msg:'connection error emitted ', error:err})
-      this._connected = false
-      this._authenticated = false
-      this.emit('status',{level:'error', msg:'connection error', id:this.id, opts:this.opts, authenticated:this._authenticated, connected:this._connected})
-      log.debug({ method:'connect', line:130, error: err.code, msg:`connect error ${err.code}, attempting reconnect after ${this.retryWait/1000} secs`})
-      this.emit('consumer-connection', {state:'disconnected', name:this.id})
-      await pause(this.retryWait)
-      this.stream.removeAllListeners('message') // remove regular message handler in prep for reconnect
-      this.removeAllListeners('connect')
-      this.removeAllListeners('ping')
-      this.once('connect',reconnectHandler)
-      super.connect(this.opts)
-    }
-
-    const pushHandler = async (packet) => {
-      // TODO do some extra security here?
-      log.debug('packed was pushed from socket sever, processing',packet)
-      let res = await this._packetProcess(packet)
-      if (!res) {
-        // if process was not promise returning then res will be undefined
-        log.debug('consumer packet processing function was not promise returning')
-      }
-    }
-
-    const pingHandler = async (packet) => {
-      clearTimeout(pingTimeout)
-      log.trace({method:'connect', line:191, msg:'received ping, restting timeout'})
-      this._pingTimeout= packet.pingInterval + 1000
-      monitorPing.call(this)
-    }
-
-    let pingTimeout = {}
-    function monitorPing () {
-      pingTimeout = setTimeout( () => {
-        log.error({method:'connect', line:142, msg:'socket (server) not availabe'})
-        this.removeAllListeners('ping')
-        this._connected = false
-        this.emit('error', { code: 'PING-FAILED' })
-      },this._pingTimeout)
-    }
-
-    // general handler
-    function messageHandler(packet) {
-      if (packet._header.id !== 'ping') log.debug('incoming packet from socket sever',packet)
-      this.emit(packet._header.id, packet)
-    }
-
-    // Start Message Listening and Error/Reconnect Handling
-    log.debug('listening for incoming packets from socket')
-    this.stream.on('message', messageHandler.bind(this))
-    this.setKeepAlive(this.keepAlive,3000)  // keep connection alive unless disabled
-    this.on('pushed', pushHandler )
-    this.on('error', errorHandler)
-    if (this.keepAlive) { // keepAlive also activates ping Monitor
-      this.on('ping',pingHandler)
-    }
-  }
-
   async __write(packet) {
     // timeout already set if sockect can't be drained in 10 secs
     return new Promise(resolve => {
       const cb = () => resolve('packet written to consumer side socket stream ')
-      if (!super.write(packet)) {
-        this.once('drain', cb)
-      } else {
-        process.nextTick(cb)
+      try {
+        if (!super.write(packet)) {
+          this.once('drain', cb)
+        } else {
+          process.nextTick(cb)
+        }
+      } catch (err){
+        resolve({error:`error during write to socket - ${err.code}`, err:err})
       }
     })
   }
@@ -325,3 +262,129 @@ class SocketConsumer extends Socket {
 } // end class
 
 export default SocketConsumer
+
+
+// CONNECTION HANDLERS
+
+async function connectHandler () {
+  this.removeAllListeners('error') // turn off error handler during handshake
+  this._doneAuthenticate = setTimeout(() =>{
+    let msg ='authentication not completed in 3 secs, forcing reconnect attempt'
+    this.notify('failed',{msg:msg})
+    this.status('warn',msg)
+    this.reconnect()
+  },3000)
+  this.on('data', this.stream.onData)
+  this.stream.on('message', handshake.bind(this))
+  this.status('info','in process of connecting waiting for socket handshake/authenticate')
+  this.notify('connecting')
+}
+
+async function handshake (packet) {
+  if (packet._handshake) {
+    this._connected = true
+    this.notify('handshake')
+    this.status('info','connection handshaking')
+    let authPacket = this._authenticate() || {}
+    authPacket._authenticate = true
+    authPacket.clientName = this.id
+    let res = await this._authenticateSend(authPacket)
+    this.stream.removeAllListeners('message')
+    clearTimeout(this._doneAuthenticate)
+    if (res.error) {
+      let msg =`error during authentication ${res.error}, attempting reconnect in ${this.retryWait/1000}s to see if error clears`
+      this.notify('error',{msg:msg})
+      this.status('error',msg)
+      this._errorRetry = setTimeout(this.reconnect.bind(this),this.retryWait)
+    } else {
+      if (!res.authenticated) {
+        let msg =`authentication failed: ${res.reason}, disconnecting with no reconnect`
+        this.notify('failed',{msg:msg})
+        this.status('fatal',msg)
+        this.disconnect()
+      }
+      else {
+        this._authenticated = res.authenticated
+        let msg ='authentication succeeded connection ready'
+        this.status('info',msg)
+        this.notify('online',{msg:msg})
+        this._reconnectCount = 0
+        this.stream.on('message', messageHandler.bind(this))  // reset default message handler
+        this.on('pushed', pushHandler.bind(this) )
+        this.once('error', errorHandler.bind(this)) // listen for errors on authenticated socket
+        if (this.keepAlive) { // only attempt reconnect if keepAlive is set which it is by default
+          this.on('ping',pingHandler.bind(this))
+          this.setKeepAlive(this.keepAlive,3000)  // keep connection alive unless disabled
+        }
+        if (this.opts.conPacket) (this.send(this.conPacket))
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+// general message handler handler
+function messageHandler(packet) {
+  if (packet._header.id !== 'ping') {  // ping has it's own listner
+    let obj = { msg:'incoming packet from socket sever',packet:packet}
+    this.status('trace',obj)
+  }
+  this.emit(packet._header.id, packet)
+}
+
+// assume all errors are fatal and the socket needs to be disconnected/reconnected
+async function errorHandler (err) {
+  this.disconnect()
+  let msg = {error:err, msg:`error, socket has been disconnected, trying reconnect in ${this.retryWait/1000} secs`}
+  this.notify('error',{error:err,msg:msg})
+  this.status('error',msg)
+  this._errorRetry = setTimeout(this.reconnect.bind(this),this.retryWait)
+}
+
+// const pushHandler = async (packet) => {
+async function pushHandler (packet) {
+  // TODO do some extra security here?
+  let msg = {msg:'packed was pushed from socket sever, processing', packet:packet}
+  this.status('trace',msg)
+  let res = await this._packetProcess(packet)
+  if (!res) {
+    // if process was not promise returning then res will be undefined
+    log.debug('consumer packet processing function was not promise returning')
+  }
+}
+
+// const pingHandler = async (packet) => {
+async function pingHandler (packet) {
+  if (this.heartBeat) console.log('lub dub')
+  clearTimeout(this._ping)
+  this._pingTimeout= (packet.pingInterval || 5000) + 1000 // set value from server
+  monitorPing.call(this)
+}
+
+async function pingFailedHandler () {
+  clearTimeout(this._pingFailed)
+  clearTimeout(this._ping) // clear any others set
+  this.removeAllListeners('ping')
+  this.on('ping',pingHandler.bind(this))
+  let msg = 'ping has been received again, back to normal connection'
+  this.notify('online',{msg:msg})
+  this.status('info',msg)
+}
+
+
+function monitorPing () {
+  this._ping = setTimeout( () => {
+    this.removeAllListeners('ping')
+    let msg = `ping failed waiting ${this.pingFailedTimeout/1000} secs to come back online before forced retry`
+    this.notify('offline',{msg:msg})
+    this.status('warn',msg)
+    this.on('ping',pingFailedHandler.bind(this))
+    this._pingFailed = setTimeout (() => {
+      this.removeAllListeners('ping')
+      let msg =`no ping received for  ${this.pingFailedTimeout/1000} secs, force disconnect/reconnect`
+      this.notify('failed',{msg:msg})
+      this.status('warn',msg)
+      this.reconnect()
+      // this.emit('error',{code:'PING_FAILED'})
+    }, this.pingFailedTimeout)
+  },this._pingTimeout)
+}
diff --git a/src/json-stream.js b/src/json-stream.js
index c379a98..7b4baf6 100644
--- a/src/json-stream.js
+++ b/src/json-stream.js
@@ -18,8 +18,19 @@ class JsonStream extends EventEmitter {
     this._delimeter = opts.delimiter || '#'
     this.onData = this.onData.bind(this)
     this.serialize = this.serialize.bind(this)
+    this._state = 'online'
+    this._queue = []
   }
 
+  get state () {return this._state}
+  offline () { this._state = 'offline' }
+  pause () {this._state = 'paused'}  // queue messages in handler
+  resume () {
+    // emit the messages in the queue
+    this._state='online'
+  }
+  online() {this._state = 'online'}
+
   onData(data) {
     data = decoder.write(data)
     try {
@@ -91,7 +102,11 @@ class JsonStream extends EventEmitter {
       throw err
     }
     message = message || {}
-    this.emit('message', message)
+    // console.log('stream message', message, this._state)
+    if (this._stream ==='pause') {
+      if (message._header.id !== 'ping') this.queue.shift(message)
+    }
+    if(this._state==='online') this.emit('message', message)
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/socket-class.js b/src/socket-class.js
index 48283e9..70da3be 100644
--- a/src/socket-class.js
+++ b/src/socket-class.js
@@ -138,7 +138,6 @@ export default function socketClass(Server) {
               let errors = {level:'fatal',msg:'something fatal is going on, 6 errors', errors:this.errors}
               log.fatal(errors)
               this.listening=false
-              this.emit('status', {active:this.active})
               this.emit('status', errors)
             }
           })
@@ -246,7 +245,7 @@ export default function socketClass(Server) {
     removeClient (id) {
       let index = this.getClientIndex(id)
       let client=this.clients[index]
-      this.emit('consumer-connection',{state:'disconnected', id:client.id, name:client.name, socketSide:true})
+      this.emit('status',{level:'info', msg:'a consumer disconnected', name:client.name, id:client.id})
       client.removeAllListeners()
       client.stream.removeAllListeners()
       this.clients.splice(index,1)
@@ -254,8 +253,7 @@ export default function socketClass(Server) {
     }
 
     async authenticateClient(client) {
-      // let server = this
-      return new Promise(async function(resolve, reject) {
+      return new Promise(async (resolve, reject) => {
         // when consumer gets the handshake they must follow with authentication
         client.stream.on('message', authenticate.bind(this,client))
         let [err] = await btc(this._send)(client,{_handshake: true, id:client.id})
@@ -281,13 +279,13 @@ export default function socketClass(Server) {
               reject(packet.reason)
             }
             else {
-              log.info({msg:'client authenticated successfuly', client:client.name, client_id:client.id})
-              if (this.allowAnonymous) log.warn({msg:'socket consumer connected anonymously', consumer:client.name, consumer_id:client.id})
+              log.info({msg:'client authenticated successfuly', client:client.name})
+              if (this.allowAnonymous) log.warn({msg:'socket consumer connected anonymously', consumer:client.name})
               resolve(client.authenticated)
             }
           }
         }
-      }.bind(this))
+      })
     }
 
     // private methods
@@ -306,15 +304,11 @@ export default function socketClass(Server) {
     }
 
 
+    // async _connectionHandler({consumer, server}) {    // this gets called for each client connection and is unique to
     async _connectionHandler(consumer) {    // this gets called for each client connection and is unique to each
-      consumer.id = ++this.nextClientID  // server assigned ID
-      log.debug({method:'_listen', line:167, msg:'new consumer connecting', id:consumer.id, totalConsumers:this.clients.length})
-      consumer.socketSide = true
-      consumer.authenticated = false
-      this.clients.push(consumer) // add client to list
+
       const stream = new JSONStream()
       consumer.stream = stream
-      consumer.setKeepAlive(this.keepAlive,3000)
 
       // add listeners
       const clientCloseHandler = (id) => {
@@ -325,7 +319,7 @@ export default function socketClass(Server) {
       consumer.on('close', clientCloseHandler.bind(this,consumer.id) )
 
       consumer.on('error', (err) => {
-        log.error({msg:'client connection error during listen',error:err})
+        log.error({msg:'client connection error',error:err})
         // TODO do more handling than just logging
       })
 
@@ -336,16 +330,25 @@ export default function socketClass(Server) {
         // TODO do more handling than just logging
       })
 
+      consumer.authenticated = true
+
       let [err] = await btc(this.authenticateClient)(consumer)
       if (!this.allowAnonymous) {
         if (err) {
+          consumer.removeAllListeners()
+          consumer.stream.removeAllListeners()
           consumer.end()// abort new connection consumer, cleanup, remove listeners
-          this.removeClient(consumer.id)
           return
         }
       }
-
-      // all's set main message processor
+      // authenticated consumer add to list of clients
+      consumer.id = ++this.nextClientID  // server assigned ID
+      consumer.socketSide = true
+      consumer.authenticated = true
+      this.clients.push(consumer) // add current consumer to clients
+      consumer.setKeepAlive(this.keepAlive,30)
+      log.debug({method:'_listen', line:364, msg:'new consumer connected/authenticated', cname:consumer.name, cid:consumer.id, totalConsumers:this.clients.length})
+      // all's set enable main incoming message processor
       stream.on('message', messageProcess.bind(this, consumer))
 
       if (this.opts.conPacket) {
@@ -354,8 +357,7 @@ export default function socketClass(Server) {
         this._send(consumer,this.opts.conPacket) // send a packet command on to consumer on connection
       }
 
-      this.emit('consumer-connection',{state:'connected', id:consumer.id, name:consumer.name, socketSide:true})
-      this.emit('status',{level:'info', msg:'a consumer connected', name:consumer.name, id:consumer.id})
+      this.emit('status',{level:'info', msg:'a consumer connected and authenticated', name:consumer.name, id:consumer.id})
 
       // that's it.  Connection is active