    # File alienconnection.rb, line 117
            def connect(ipaddress='localhost', port=23)
                    @connected = false

                    #connect to a reader and grab the welcome message...
                    begin
                            timeout(3) {
                                    @sock = TCPSocket.new(ipaddress, port)
                            }

                            s = receive() #Grab the welcome message
                            if s.include?("later.")  #Reader is busy. Please call back later.
                                    raise "Trouble Connecting to #{ipaddress}. (Someone else is talking to the reader?)"
                            end
                            @connected = true
                    rescue RuntimeError
                            raise
                    rescue Timeout::Error, Errno::ETIMEDOUT
                            raise "Timeout Connecting to #{ipaddress}. (No reader at this IP?)"
                    rescue Errno::ECONNREFUSED
                            raise "Trouble Connecting to #{ipaddress}. (Connection refused.)"
                    end

                    return @connected
            end