diff --git a/lib/socketserver/GwSocketServer.cpp b/lib/socketserver/GwSocketServer.cpp
index 26521e3..1bee3a6 100644
--- a/lib/socketserver/GwSocketServer.cpp
+++ b/lib/socketserver/GwSocketServer.cpp
@@ -150,6 +150,7 @@ size_t GwSocketServer::sendToClients(const char *buf, int source,bool partial)
 {
     if (!clients)
         return 0;
+    bool hasSend=false;    
     int len = strlen(buf);
     int sourceIndex = source - minId;
     for (int i = 0; i < maxClients; i++)
@@ -161,10 +162,10 @@ size_t GwSocketServer::sendToClients(const char *buf, int source,bool partial)
             continue;
         if (client->connected())
         {
-            client->enqueue((uint8_t *)buf, len);
+            if(client->enqueue((uint8_t *)buf, len)) hasSend=true;
         }
     }
-    return len;
+    return hasSend?len:0;
 }
 
 int GwSocketServer::numClients()
diff --git a/lib/socketserver/GwTcpClient.cpp b/lib/socketserver/GwTcpClient.cpp
index 10de8a8..5a81470 100644
--- a/lib/socketserver/GwTcpClient.cpp
+++ b/lib/socketserver/GwTcpClient.cpp
@@ -1,4 +1,13 @@
 #include "GwTcpClient.h"
+#include <functional>
+#include <ESPmDNS.h>
+
+class ResolveArgs{
+    public:
+        String host;
+        uint32_t timeout;
+        GwTcpClient *client;
+};
 
 bool GwTcpClient::hasConfig(){
     return configured;
@@ -15,13 +24,48 @@ void GwTcpClient::stop()
     }
     state = C_DISABLED;
 }
+void GwTcpClient::startResolving(){
+    LOG_DEBUG(GwLog::DEBUG,"TcpClient::resolveHost to %s:%d",
+        remoteAddress.c_str(),port);
+    state = C_INITIALIZED;
+    IPAddress addr;
+    if (! addr.fromString(remoteAddress)){
+        if (remoteAddress.endsWith(".local")){
+            //try to resolve
+            resolveHost(remoteAddress.substring(0,remoteAddress.length()-6));
+        }
+        else{
+            error="invalid ip "+remoteAddress;
+            LOG_DEBUG(GwLog::ERROR,"%s",error.c_str());
+            return;
+        }
+    }
+    else{
+        setResolved(addr,true);
+        startConnection();  
+    }
+}
 void GwTcpClient::startConnection()
 {
     LOG_DEBUG(GwLog::DEBUG,"TcpClient::startConnection to %s:%d",
         remoteAddress.c_str(),port);
+    ResolvedAddress addr=getResolved();    
     state = C_INITIALIZED;
-    error="";
     connectStart=millis();
+    if (! addr.resolved){
+        error="unable to resolve "+remoteAddress;
+        LOG_DEBUG(GwLog::ERROR,"%s",error.c_str());
+        return;
+    }
+    else{
+        if (error.isEmpty()) error="connecting...";
+    }
+    uint32_t ip_addr = addr.address;
+    struct sockaddr_in serveraddr;
+    memset((char *) &serveraddr, 0, sizeof(serveraddr));
+    serveraddr.sin_family = AF_INET;
+    memcpy((void *)&serveraddr.sin_addr.s_addr, (const void *)(&ip_addr), 4);
+    serveraddr.sin_port = htons(port);
     int sockfd = socket(AF_INET, SOCK_STREAM, 0);
     if (sockfd < 0) {
         error="unable to create socket";
@@ -29,18 +73,6 @@ void GwTcpClient::startConnection()
         return; 
     }
     fcntl( sockfd, F_SETFL, fcntl( sockfd, F_GETFL, 0 ) | O_NONBLOCK );
-    IPAddress addr;
-    if (! addr.fromString(remoteAddress)){
-        error="invalid ip "+remoteAddress;
-        LOG_DEBUG(GwLog::ERROR,"%s",error.c_str());
-        return;
-    }
-    uint32_t ip_addr = addr;
-    struct sockaddr_in serveraddr;
-    memset((char *) &serveraddr, 0, sizeof(serveraddr));
-    serveraddr.sin_family = AF_INET;
-    memcpy((void *)&serveraddr.sin_addr.s_addr, (const void *)(&ip_addr), 4);
-    serveraddr.sin_port = htons(port);
     int res = lwip_connect_r(sockfd, (struct sockaddr*)&serveraddr, sizeof(serveraddr));
     if (res < 0 ) {
         if (errno != EINPROGRESS){
@@ -64,13 +96,21 @@ void GwTcpClient::checkConnection()
     unsigned long now=millis();
     LOG_DEBUG(GwLog::DEBUG+3,"TcpClient::checkConnection state=%d, start=%ul, now=%ul",
         (int)state,connectStart,now);
+    if (state == C_RESOLVING){
+        //TODO: timeout???
+        return;
+    }
+    if (state == C_RESOLVED){
+        startConnection();
+        return;
+    }    
     if (! connection->hasClient()){
         state = hasConfig()?C_INITIALIZED:C_DISABLED;
     }
     if (state == C_INITIALIZED){
         if ((now - connectStart) > CON_TIMEOUT){
             LOG_DEBUG(GwLog::LOG,"retry connect to %s",remoteAddress.c_str());
-            startConnection();
+            startResolving();
         }
         return;
     }
@@ -98,6 +138,7 @@ void GwTcpClient::checkConnection()
             connection->stop();
             return;
         }
+        return;
     } else {
         int sockerr;
         socklen_t len = (socklen_t)sizeof(int);
@@ -116,18 +157,28 @@ void GwTcpClient::checkConnection()
             return;
         }
     }
-    LOG_DEBUG(GwLog::LOG,"connected to %s",remoteAddress.c_str());
-    state=C_CONNECTED;
+    if (connection->connected()){
+        error="";
+        LOG_DEBUG(GwLog::LOG,"connected to %s",remoteAddress.c_str());
+        state=C_CONNECTED;
+    }
+    else{
+        error=String("connect error ")+String(strerror(errno));
+        LOG_DEBUG(GwLog::ERROR,"%s",error.c_str());
+        state=C_INITIALIZED;
+    }
 }
 
 GwTcpClient::GwTcpClient(GwLog *logger)
 {
     this->logger = logger;
     this->connection=NULL;
+    locker=xSemaphoreCreateMutex();
 }
 GwTcpClient::~GwTcpClient(){
     if (connection)
     delete connection;
+    vSemaphoreDelete(locker);
 }
 void GwTcpClient::begin(int sourceId,String address, uint16_t port,bool allowRead)
 {
@@ -138,7 +189,7 @@ void GwTcpClient::begin(int sourceId,String address, uint16_t port,bool allowRea
     configured=true;
     state = C_INITIALIZED;
     this->connection = new GwSocketConnection(logger,0,allowRead);
-    startConnection();
+    startResolving();
 }
 void GwTcpClient::loop(bool handleRead,bool handleWrite)
 {
@@ -149,7 +200,7 @@ void GwTcpClient::loop(bool handleRead,bool handleWrite)
     if (handleRead){
         if (connection->hasClient()){
             if (! connection->connected()){
-                LOG_DEBUG(GwLog::ERROR,"connection closed on %s",connection->remoteIpAddress.c_str());
+                LOG_DEBUG(GwLog::ERROR,"tcp client connection closed on %s",connection->remoteIpAddress.c_str());
                 connection->stop();
             }
             else{
@@ -183,4 +234,54 @@ void GwTcpClient::readMessages(GwMessageFetcher *writer){
     if (state != C_CONNECTED) return;
     if (! connection->hasClient()) return;
     connection->messagesFromBuffer(writer);
+}
+void GwTcpClient::resolveHost(String host)
+{
+    LOG_DEBUG(GwLog::LOG,"start resolving %s",host.c_str());
+    {
+        GWSYNCHRONIZED(&locker);
+        resolvedAddress.resolved = false;
+    }
+    state = C_RESOLVING;
+    error=String("resolving ")+host;
+    ResolveArgs *args=new ResolveArgs();
+    args->host = host;
+    args->timeout = 10000;
+    args->client = this;
+    if (xTaskCreate([](void *p)
+                    {
+                        ResolveArgs *args = (ResolveArgs *)p;
+                        struct ip4_addr addr;
+                        addr.addr = 0;
+                        esp_err_t err = mdns_query_a(args->host.c_str(), args->timeout, &addr);
+                        if (err)
+                        {
+                            args->client->setResolved(IPAddress(), false);
+                        }
+                        else{
+                            args->client->setResolved(IPAddress(addr.addr), true);
+                        }
+                        args->client->logger->logDebug(GwLog::DEBUG,"resolve task end");
+                        delete args;
+                        vTaskDelete(NULL);
+                    },
+                    "resolve", 4000, args, 0, NULL) != pdPASS)
+    {
+            LOG_DEBUG(GwLog::ERROR,"unable to start resolve task");
+            error = "unable to start resolve task";
+            delete args;
+            setResolved(IPAddress(), false);
+    }
+}
+void GwTcpClient::setResolved(IPAddress addr, bool valid){
+    LOG_DEBUG(GwLog::LOG,"setResolved %s, valid=%s",
+        addr.toString().c_str(),(valid?"true":"false"));
+    GWSYNCHRONIZED(&locker);
+    resolvedAddress.address=addr;
+    resolvedAddress.resolved=valid;
+    state=C_RESOLVED;
+}
+GwTcpClient::ResolvedAddress GwTcpClient::getResolved(){
+    GWSYNCHRONIZED(&locker);
+    return resolvedAddress;
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/lib/socketserver/GwTcpClient.h b/lib/socketserver/GwTcpClient.h
index d3488d1..25cc654 100644
--- a/lib/socketserver/GwTcpClient.h
+++ b/lib/socketserver/GwTcpClient.h
@@ -1,33 +1,48 @@
 #pragma once
 #include "GwSocketConnection.h"
 #include "GwChannelInterface.h"
+#include "GwSynchronized.h"
 class GwTcpClient : public GwChannelInterface
 {
+    class ResolvedAddress{
+        public:
+            IPAddress address;
+            bool resolved=false;
+    };
     static const unsigned long CON_TIMEOUT=10000;
     GwSocketConnection *connection = NULL;
     String remoteAddress;
+    ResolvedAddress resolvedAddress;
     uint16_t port = 0;
     unsigned long connectStart=0;
     GwLog *logger;
     int sourceId;
     bool configured=false;
     String error;
+    SemaphoreHandle_t locker;
 
 public:
     typedef enum
     {
         C_DISABLED = 0,
         C_INITIALIZED = 1,
-        C_CONNECTING = 2,
-        C_CONNECTED = 3
+        C_RESOLVING = 2,
+        C_RESOLVED = 3,
+        C_CONNECTING = 4,
+        C_CONNECTED = 5
     } State;
 
 private:
+
     State state = C_DISABLED;
     void stop();
+    void startResolving();
     void startConnection();
     void checkConnection();
     bool hasConfig();
+    void resolveHost(String host);
+    void setResolved(IPAddress addr, bool valid);
+    ResolvedAddress getResolved();
 
 public:
     GwTcpClient(GwLog *logger);