diff --git a/lib/channel/GwChannel.cpp b/lib/channel/GwChannel.cpp
index e51a1eb..5430f71 100644
--- a/lib/channel/GwChannel.cpp
+++ b/lib/channel/GwChannel.cpp
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ void GwChannel::begin(
     this->toN2k=toN2k;
     this->readActisense=readActisense;
     this->writeActisense=writeActisense;
-    if (readActisense|| writeActisense){
+    if (impl && (readActisense|| writeActisense)){
         channelStream=impl->getStream(false);
         if (! channelStream) {
             this->readActisense=false;
diff --git a/lib/channel/GwChannelList.cpp b/lib/channel/GwChannelList.cpp
index 45a2392..6a6b2ef 100644
--- a/lib/channel/GwChannelList.cpp
+++ b/lib/channel/GwChannelList.cpp
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ void GwChannelList::begin(bool fallbackSerial){
         logger->setWriter(new GwSerialLog(usb));
         logger->prefix="GWSERIAL:";
         channel=new GwChannel(logger,"USB",USB_CHANNEL_ID);
+        channel->setImpl(usb);
         channel->begin(true,
             config->getBool(config->sendUsb),
             config->getBool(config->receiveUsb),
@@ -140,9 +141,19 @@ void GwChannelList::begin(bool fallbackSerial){
     }
 
     //tcp client
+    bool tclEnabled=config->getBool(config->tclEnabled);
     channel=new GwChannel(logger,"TCPClient",TCP_CLIENT_CHANNEL_ID);
+    if (tclEnabled){
+        client=new GwTcpClient(logger);
+        client->begin(TCP_CLIENT_CHANNEL_ID,
+            config->getString(config->remoteAddress),
+            config->getInt(config->remotePort),
+            config->getBool(config->readTCL)
+        );
+        channel->setImpl(client);
+    }
     channel->begin(
-        config->getBool(config->tclEnabled),
+        tclEnabled,
         config->getBool(config->sendTCL),
         config->getBool(config->readTCL),
         config->getString(config->tclReadFilter),
@@ -152,15 +163,7 @@ void GwChannelList::begin(bool fallbackSerial){
         false,
         false
         );
-    if (channel->isEnabled()){
-        client=new GwTcpClient(logger);
-        client->begin(TCP_CLIENT_CHANNEL_ID,
-            config->getString(config->remoteAddress),
-            config->getInt(config->remotePort),
-            channel->shouldRead()
-        );
-        channel->setImpl(client);
-    }
+    theChannels.push_back(channel);
     LOG_DEBUG(GwLog::LOG,"%s",channel->toString().c_str());  
     logger->flush();
 }
diff --git a/lib/socketserver/GwTcpClient.cpp b/lib/socketserver/GwTcpClient.cpp
index b5d819f..10de8a8 100644
--- a/lib/socketserver/GwTcpClient.cpp
+++ b/lib/socketserver/GwTcpClient.cpp
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ bool GwTcpClient::isConnected(){
 }
 void GwTcpClient::stop()
 {
-    if (connection->hasClient())
+    if (connection && connection->hasClient())
     {
         LOG_DEBUG(GwLog::DEBUG, "stopping tcp client");
         connection->stop();
@@ -17,7 +17,8 @@ void GwTcpClient::stop()
 }
 void GwTcpClient::startConnection()
 {
-    //TODO
+    LOG_DEBUG(GwLog::DEBUG,"TcpClient::startConnection to %s:%d",
+        remoteAddress.c_str(),port);
     state = C_INITIALIZED;
     error="";
     connectStart=millis();
@@ -50,15 +51,19 @@ void GwTcpClient::startConnection()
         }
         state=C_CONNECTING;
         connection->setClient(sockfd);
+        LOG_DEBUG(GwLog::DEBUG,"TcpClient connecting...");
     }
     else{
         state=C_CONNECTED;
         connection->setClient(sockfd);
+        LOG_DEBUG(GwLog::DEBUG,"TcpClient connected");
     }
 }
 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 (! connection->hasClient()){
         state = hasConfig()?C_INITIALIZED:C_DISABLED;
     }
@@ -118,6 +123,7 @@ void GwTcpClient::checkConnection()
 GwTcpClient::GwTcpClient(GwLog *logger)
 {
     this->logger = logger;
+    this->connection=NULL;
 }
 GwTcpClient::~GwTcpClient(){
     if (connection)
diff --git a/lib/socketserver/GwTcpClient.h b/lib/socketserver/GwTcpClient.h
index 702baaf..d3488d1 100644
--- a/lib/socketserver/GwTcpClient.h
+++ b/lib/socketserver/GwTcpClient.h
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 #include "GwChannelInterface.h"
 class GwTcpClient : public GwChannelInterface
 {
-    static const unsigned long CON_TIMEOUT=10;
+    static const unsigned long CON_TIMEOUT=10000;
     GwSocketConnection *connection = NULL;
     String remoteAddress;
     uint16_t port = 0;
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index 7a35061..cccb273 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -573,9 +573,9 @@ void setup() {
     logger.prefix="FALLBACK:";
 #endif
   userCodeHandler.startInitTasks(MIN_USER_TASK);
-  channels.begin(fallbackSerial);
-  MDNS.begin(config.getConfigItem(config.systemName)->asCString());
   gwWifi.setup();
+  MDNS.begin(config.getConfigItem(config.systemName)->asCString());
+  channels.begin(fallbackSerial);
   logger.flush();
   webserver.registerMainHandler("/api/reset", [](AsyncWebServerRequest *request)->GwRequestMessage *{
     return new ResetRequest(request->arg("_hash"));