diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 5a02af6..175772b 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ quick-xml = { git = "https://github.com/tafia/quick-xml.git", features = ["async
 # TODO: remove unneeded features
 rsasl = { version = "2", default_features = true, features = ["provider_base64", "plain", "config_builder"] }
 serde = "1.0.180"
+serde_with = "3.4.0"
 tokio = { version = "1.28", features = ["full"] }
 tokio-native-tls = "0.3.1"
 tracing = "0.1.40"
diff --git a/src/connection.rs b/src/connection.rs
index ccc2ae7..b42711e 100644
--- a/src/connection.rs
+++ b/src/connection.rs
@@ -15,16 +15,21 @@ use crate::Result;
 pub type Tls = TlsStream<TcpStream>;
 pub type Unencrypted = TcpStream;
 
+#[derive(Debug)]
 pub enum Connection {
     Encrypted(Jabber<Tls>),
     Unencrypted(Jabber<Unencrypted>),
 }
 
 impl Connection {
+    #[instrument]
     pub async fn ensure_tls(self) -> Result<Jabber<Tls>> {
         match self {
             Connection::Encrypted(j) => Ok(j),
-            Connection::Unencrypted(j) => Ok(j.starttls().await?),
+            Connection::Unencrypted(mut j) => {
+                info!("upgrading connection to tls");
+                Ok(j.starttls().await?)
+            }
         }
     }
 
@@ -36,7 +41,7 @@ impl Connection {
     // }
 
     #[instrument]
-    async fn connect(server: &str) -> Result<Self> {
+    pub async fn connect(server: &str) -> Result<Self> {
         info!("connecting to {}", server);
         let sockets = Self::get_sockets(&server).await;
         debug!("discovered sockets: {:?}", sockets);
diff --git a/src/jabber.rs b/src/jabber.rs
index 3583d19..1436bfa 100644
--- a/src/jabber.rs
+++ b/src/jabber.rs
@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
+use std::str;
 use std::sync::Arc;
 
 use quick_xml::{events::Event, se::Serializer, NsReader, Writer};
 use rsasl::prelude::SASLConfig;
 use serde::Serialize;
 use tokio::io::{AsyncRead, AsyncWrite, AsyncWriteExt, BufReader, ReadHalf, WriteHalf};
+use tracing::{debug, info, trace};
 
 use crate::connection::{Tls, Unencrypted};
 use crate::error::JabberError;
@@ -17,7 +19,7 @@ where
     S: AsyncRead + AsyncWrite + Unpin,
 {
     reader: NsReader<BufReader<ReadHalf<S>>>,
-    writer: Writer<WriteHalf<S>>,
+    writer: WriteHalf<S>,
     jid: Option<JID>,
     auth: Option<Arc<SASLConfig>>,
     server: String,
@@ -35,7 +37,6 @@ where
         server: String,
     ) -> Self {
         let reader = NsReader::from_reader(BufReader::new(reader));
-        let writer = Writer::new(writer);
         Self {
             reader,
             writer,
@@ -49,112 +50,71 @@ where
 impl<S> Jabber<S>
 where
     S: AsyncRead + AsyncWrite + Unpin,
-    Writer<tokio::io::WriteHalf<S>>: AsyncWriteExt,
-    Writer<tokio::io::WriteHalf<S>>: AsyncWrite,
 {
+    // pub async fn negotiate(self) -> Result<Jabber<S>> {}
+
     pub async fn start_stream(&mut self) -> Result<()> {
         // client to server
 
         // declaration
-        self.writer.write_event_async(DECLARATION.clone()).await?;
+        let mut xmlwriter = Writer::new(&mut self.writer);
+        xmlwriter.write_event_async(DECLARATION.clone()).await?;
 
         // opening stream element
         let server = &self.server.to_owned().try_into()?;
         let stream_element = Stream::new_client(None, server, None, "en");
         // TODO: nicer function to serialize to xml writer
         let mut buffer = String::new();
-        let ser = Serializer::new(&mut buffer);
+        let ser = Serializer::with_root(&mut buffer, Some("stream:stream")).expect("stream name");
         stream_element.serialize(ser).unwrap();
-        self.writer.write_all(buffer.as_bytes());
+        trace!("sent: {}", buffer);
+        self.writer.write_all(buffer.as_bytes()).await.unwrap();
 
         // server to client
 
         // may or may not send a declaration
         let mut buf = Vec::new();
         let mut first_event = self.reader.read_resolved_event_into_async(&mut buf).await?;
+        trace!("received: {:?}", first_event);
         match first_event {
             (quick_xml::name::ResolveResult::Unbound, Event::Decl(e)) => {
                 if let Ok(version) = e.version() {
                     if version.as_ref() == b"1.0" {
-                        first_event = self.reader.read_resolved_event_into_async(&mut buf).await?
+                        first_event = self.reader.read_resolved_event_into_async(&mut buf).await?;
+                        trace!("received: {:?}", first_event);
                     } else {
                         // todo: error
                         todo!()
                     }
                 } else {
-                    first_event = self.reader.read_resolved_event_into_async(&mut buf).await?
+                    first_event = self.reader.read_resolved_event_into_async(&mut buf).await?;
+                    trace!("received: {:?}", first_event);
                 }
             }
             _ => (),
         }
 
         // receive stream element and validate
-        let stream_response: Stream;
         match first_event {
             (quick_xml::name::ResolveResult::Bound(ns), Event::Start(e)) => {
                 if ns.0 == crate::stanza::stream::XMLNS.as_bytes() {
-                    // stream_response = Stream::new(
-                    //     e.try_get_attribute("from")?.try_map(|attribute| {
-                    //         str::from_utf8(attribute.value.as_ref())?
-                    //             .try_into()?
-                    //             .as_ref()
-                    //     })?,
-                    //     e.try_get_attribute("to")?.try_map(|attribute| {
-                    //         str::from_utf8(attribute.value.as_ref())?
-                    //             .try_into()?
-                    //             .as_ref()
-                    //     })?,
-                    //     e.try_get_attribute("id")?.try_map(|attribute| {
-                    //         str::from_utf8(attribute.value.as_ref())?
-                    //             .try_into()?
-                    //             .as_ref()
-                    //     })?,
-                    //     e.try_get_attribute("version")?.try_map(|attribute| {
-                    //         str::from_utf8(attribute.value.as_ref())?
-                    //             .try_into()?
-                    //             .as_ref()
-                    //     })?,
-                    //     e.try_get_attribute("lang")?.try_map(|attribute| {
-                    //         str::from_utf8(attribute.value.as_ref())?
-                    //             .try_into()?
-                    //             .as_ref()
-                    //     })?,
-                    // );
+                    e.attributes().try_for_each(|attr| -> Result<()> {
+                        let attr = attr?;
+                        match attr.key.into_inner() {
+                            b"from" => {
+                                self.server = str::from_utf8(&attr.value)?.to_owned();
+                                Ok(())
+                            }
+                            _ => Ok(()),
+                        }
+                    });
                     return Ok(());
                 } else {
                     return Err(JabberError::BadStream);
                 }
             }
             // TODO: errors for incorrect namespace
-            (quick_xml::name::ResolveResult::Unbound, Event::Decl(_)) => todo!(),
-            (quick_xml::name::ResolveResult::Unknown(_), Event::Start(_)) => todo!(),
-            (quick_xml::name::ResolveResult::Unknown(_), Event::End(_)) => todo!(),
-            (quick_xml::name::ResolveResult::Unknown(_), Event::Empty(_)) => todo!(),
-            (quick_xml::name::ResolveResult::Unknown(_), Event::Text(_)) => todo!(),
-            (quick_xml::name::ResolveResult::Unknown(_), Event::CData(_)) => todo!(),
-            (quick_xml::name::ResolveResult::Unknown(_), Event::Comment(_)) => todo!(),
-            (quick_xml::name::ResolveResult::Unknown(_), Event::Decl(_)) => todo!(),
-            (quick_xml::name::ResolveResult::Unknown(_), Event::PI(_)) => todo!(),
-            (quick_xml::name::ResolveResult::Unknown(_), Event::DocType(_)) => todo!(),
-            (quick_xml::name::ResolveResult::Unknown(_), Event::Eof) => todo!(),
-            (quick_xml::name::ResolveResult::Unbound, Event::Start(_)) => todo!(),
-            (quick_xml::name::ResolveResult::Unbound, Event::End(_)) => todo!(),
-            (quick_xml::name::ResolveResult::Unbound, Event::Empty(_)) => todo!(),
-            (quick_xml::name::ResolveResult::Unbound, Event::Text(_)) => todo!(),
-            (quick_xml::name::ResolveResult::Unbound, Event::CData(_)) => todo!(),
-            (quick_xml::name::ResolveResult::Unbound, Event::Comment(_)) => todo!(),
-            (quick_xml::name::ResolveResult::Unbound, Event::PI(_)) => todo!(),
-            (quick_xml::name::ResolveResult::Unbound, Event::DocType(_)) => todo!(),
-            (quick_xml::name::ResolveResult::Unbound, Event::Eof) => todo!(),
-            (quick_xml::name::ResolveResult::Bound(_), Event::End(_)) => todo!(),
-            (quick_xml::name::ResolveResult::Bound(_), Event::Empty(_)) => todo!(),
-            (quick_xml::name::ResolveResult::Bound(_), Event::Text(_)) => todo!(),
-            (quick_xml::name::ResolveResult::Bound(_), Event::CData(_)) => todo!(),
-            (quick_xml::name::ResolveResult::Bound(_), Event::Comment(_)) => todo!(),
-            (quick_xml::name::ResolveResult::Bound(_), Event::Decl(_)) => todo!(),
-            (quick_xml::name::ResolveResult::Bound(_), Event::PI(_)) => todo!(),
-            (quick_xml::name::ResolveResult::Bound(_), Event::DocType(_)) => todo!(),
-            (quick_xml::name::ResolveResult::Bound(_), Event::Eof) => todo!(),
+            _ => Err(JabberError::BadStream),
         }
     }
 }
@@ -164,7 +124,7 @@ where
 // }
 
 impl Jabber<Unencrypted> {
-    pub async fn starttls(mut self) -> Result<Jabber<Tls>> {
+    pub async fn starttls(&mut self) -> Result<Jabber<Tls>> {
         todo!()
     }
     //     let mut starttls_element = BytesStart::new("starttls");
@@ -203,3 +163,41 @@ impl Jabber<Unencrypted> {
     //     Err(JabberError::TlsNegotiation)
     // }
 }
+
+impl std::fmt::Debug for Jabber<Tls> {
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut std::fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> std::fmt::Result {
+        f.debug_struct("Jabber")
+            .field("connection", &"tls")
+            .field("jid", &self.jid)
+            .field("auth", &self.auth)
+            .field("server", &self.server)
+            .finish()
+    }
+}
+
+impl std::fmt::Debug for Jabber<Unencrypted> {
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut std::fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> std::fmt::Result {
+        f.debug_struct("Jabber")
+            .field("connection", &"unencrypted")
+            .field("jid", &self.jid)
+            .field("auth", &self.auth)
+            .field("server", &self.server)
+            .finish()
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+    use crate::connection::Connection;
+    use test_log::test;
+
+    #[test(tokio::test)]
+    async fn start_stream() {
+        let connection = Connection::connect("blos.sm").await.unwrap();
+        match connection {
+            Connection::Encrypted(mut c) => c.start_stream().await.unwrap(),
+            Connection::Unencrypted(mut c) => c.start_stream().await.unwrap(),
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 738735d..a7f0494 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #![allow(unused_must_use)]
-#![feature(let_chains)]
+// #![feature(let_chains)]
 
 // TODO: logging (dropped errors)
 pub mod connection;