diff --git a/rowbot b/rowbot
index ec2d802..c117d64 100755
--- a/rowbot
+++ b/rowbot
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
 ###
-# parse arguments
+# argument parser for parsing arguments
 ##
 
 declare -A opts
@@ -38,8 +38,45 @@ done
 server=${opts[server]:-irc.libera.chat}
 tls=${opts[tls]:-no}
 
-if [[ tls = no ]]; then
-  port=${opts[port]:-6667}
-else
+if [[ $tls = yes ]]; then
+  if ! hash socat 2>/dev/null; then
+    printf 'please install socat to use tls with rowbot.\n' >&2
+    exit 1
+  fi
+
   port=${opts[port]:-6697}
+else
+  port=${opts[port]:-6667}
 fi
+
+###
+# net code
+###
+
+if [[ $tls = yes ]]; then
+  coproc sock { socat OPENSSL:"$server":"$port" -; }
+  in_sock=${sock[0]} out_sock=${sock[1]}
+else
+  exec {sock}<>/dev/tcp/"$server"/"$port"
+  in_sock=$sock out_sock=$sock
+fi
+
+send() {
+  local fmt
+  printf -v fmt "$1" "${@:2}"
+  printf '%s\r\n' "$fmt" >&"$out_sock"
+}
+
+recv() {
+  declare -n sock_line=$1
+  IFS= read -r "$1" <&"$in_sock"
+  sock_line=${sock_line%$'\r'}
+}
+
+###
+# driver
+###
+
+while recv line; do
+  declare -p line
+done