diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 18f0d55..06cae05 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ use lazy_static::lazy_static;
 use regex::Regex;
 use std::io::{Error, Read, Write};
 use std::net::TcpStream;
-use std::time::Duration;
+use std::borrow::Cow;
 
 lazy_static! {
     static ref PING_RE: Regex = Regex::new(r"^PING\s*:").unwrap();
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ lazy_static! {
 pub struct Client {
     stream: TcpStream,
     config: Config,
+    pub has_identified: bool,
 }
 
 pub struct Config {
@@ -19,8 +20,16 @@ pub struct Config {
     mode: String,
 }
 
+pub enum CapMode {
+    LS,
+    END
+}
+
 pub enum Command {
     PING(String),
+    CAP(CapMode),
+    USER(String, String, String, String),
+    NICK(String)
 }
 
 impl Command {
@@ -41,7 +50,18 @@ impl Client {
     pub fn new(host: &str, port: u16, config: Config) -> Result<Self, Error> {
         let stream = TcpStream::connect(format!("{}:{}", host, port))?;
 
-        Ok(Self { stream, config })
+        Ok(Self { stream, config, has_identified: false })
+    }
+
+    pub fn try_identify(&mut self) -> Result<(), Error> {
+        if !self.has_identified {
+            self.write_command(Command::CAP(CapMode::LS))?;
+            self.write_command(Command::USER(self.config.username.clone(), "*".into(), "*".into(), self.config.username.clone()))?;
+            self.write_command(Command::NICK(self.config.nickname.clone()))?;
+            self.write_command(Command::CAP(CapMode::END))?;
+        }
+
+        Ok(())
     }
 
     // temporarily pub, change this later
@@ -50,7 +70,11 @@ impl Client {
 
         match self.stream.read(&mut buffer) {
             Ok(_) => {}
-            Err(_) => return None,
+            Err(e) => {
+                println!("error occured {}", e);
+
+                return None;
+            },
         };
 
         Some(String::from_utf8_lossy(&buffer).into())
@@ -64,12 +88,41 @@ impl Client {
         None // if it's none, there's no new messages
     }
 
-    pub fn write(&mut self, data: &str) -> Result<(), Error> {
-        self.stream.write_all(data.as_bytes())?;
+    fn write(&mut self, data: &str) -> Result<(), Error> {
+        let bytes = self.stream.write(data.as_bytes())?;
+        println!("Wrote {} bytes", bytes);
         // self.stream.flush()?;
 
         Ok(())
     }
+
+    pub fn write_command(&mut self, command: Command) -> Result<(), Error> {
+        use Command::*;
+        let computed = match command {
+            CAP(mode) => {
+                use CapMode::*;
+                Cow::Borrowed(match mode {
+                    LS => "CAP LS 302",
+                    END => "CAP END"
+                }) as Cow<str>
+            },
+            USER(username, s1, s2, realname) => {
+                let formatted = format!("USER {} {} {} :{}", username, s1, s2, realname);
+
+                Cow::Owned(formatted) as Cow<str>
+            },
+            NICK(nickname) => {
+                let formatted = format!("NICK {}", nickname);
+
+                Cow::Owned(formatted) as Cow<str>
+            },
+            _ => Cow::Borrowed("") as Cow<str>
+        };
+
+        self.write(&computed)?;
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
 }
 
 impl Config {
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index f13f4f8..6b42d02 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -9,14 +9,18 @@ macro_rules! loop_n {
     }};
 }
 
-fn main() {
-    let config = Config::new("test", None, Some("+B"));
+fn main() -> Result<(), std::io::Error> {
+    let config = Config::new("test", Some("test"), Some("+B"));
     let mut client =
         Client::new("192.168.1.28", 6667, config).expect("Unable to connect to IRC server");
 
     loop {
+        client.try_identify()?;
+        // client.has_identified = true;
         if let Some(line) = client.read_string() {
             print!("{}", line);
         }
     }
+
+    Ok(())
 }