diff --git a/src/client.py b/src/client.py
--- a/src/client.py
+++ b/src/client.py
@@ -17,13 +17,8 @@ class Connection:
 		fr=self.socket.makefile(mode="rb")
 		fw=self.socket.makefile(mode="wb")
 
-		networkReader=NetworkReader(fr)
-		networkReader.start()
-		networkWriter=NetworkWriter(fw)
-		networkWriter.start()
-
-		self.incoming=networkReader.output # synchronized message queue
-		self.outcoming=networkWriter.input
+		self.incoming=NetworkReader(fr)
+		self.outcoming=NetworkWriter(fw)
 
 	def __enter__(self):
 		return self.incoming,self.outcoming
@@ -40,16 +35,15 @@ def negotiate():
 	# initialize session
 	with Connection() as (incoming,outcoming):
 		jsonData={"command":"init", "blockSize":localTree.BLOCK_SIZE, "blockCount":localTree.leafCount, "version":conf.version}
-		outcoming.put((jsonData,b""))
+		outcoming.writeMsg(jsonData)
 
 	# determine which blocks to send
 	while len(nodeStack)>0:
 		with Connection() as (incoming,outcoming):
 			i=nodeStack.pop()
-			jsonData={"command":"req", "index":i}
-			outcoming.put((jsonData,b""))
+			outcoming.writeMsg({"command":"req", "index":i})
 
-			jsonData,binData=incoming.get(timeout=2)
+			jsonData,binData=incoming.readMsg()
 			assert jsonData["index"]==i
 			assert jsonData["dataType"]=="hash"
 
@@ -76,12 +70,11 @@ def sendData(blocksToTransfer):
 
 			print("block #{0}: {1}...{2}".format(i2,binData[:5],binData[-5:]))
 
-			outcoming.put((jsonData,binData),timeout=2)
+			outcoming.writeMsg(jsonData,binData)
 			i1=i2
 
 	with Connection() as (incoming,outcoming):
-		jsonData={"command":"end"}
-		outcoming.put((jsonData,b""),timeout=2)
+		outcoming.writeMsg({"command":"end"})
 
 	print("closing...")
 	dataFile.close()