diff --git a/src/yggdrasil/link.go b/src/yggdrasil/link.go
index 1b48f391..5489c015 100644
--- a/src/yggdrasil/link.go
+++ b/src/yggdrasil/link.go
@@ -54,6 +54,15 @@ type linkInterface struct {
 	incoming bool
 	force    bool
 	closed   chan struct{}
+  reader linkReader // Reads packets, notifies this linkInterface, passes packets to switch
+  writer linkWriter // Writes packets, notifies this linkInterface
+  phony.Inbox // Protects the below
+  sendTimer *time.Timer // Fires to signal that sending is blocked
+  stallTimer *time.Timer // Fires to signal that no incoming traffic (including keep-alive) has been seen
+  recvTimer *time.Timer // Fires to send keep-alive traffic
+  closeTimer *time.Timer // Fires when the link has been idle so long we need to close it
+  inSwitch bool // True if the switch is tracking this link
+  stalled bool // True if we haven't been receiving any response traffic
 }
 
 func (l *link) init(c *Core) error {
@@ -124,6 +133,9 @@ func (l *link) create(msgIO linkInterfaceMsgIO, name, linkType, local, remote st
 		incoming: incoming,
 		force:    force,
 	}
+  intf.writer.intf = &intf
+  intf.reader.intf = &intf
+  intf.reader.err = make(chan error)
 	return &intf, nil
 }
 
@@ -187,7 +199,7 @@ func (intf *linkInterface) handler() error {
 			intf.link.mutex.Lock()
 			delete(intf.link.interfaces, intf.info)
 			intf.link.mutex.Unlock()
-			close(intf.closed)
+			//close(intf.closed)
 		}()
 		intf.link.core.log.Debugln("DEBUG: registered interface for", intf.name)
 	}
@@ -203,13 +215,24 @@ func (intf *linkInterface) handler() error {
 		intf.link.core.peers.removePeer(intf.peer.port)
 	}()
 	// Finish setting up the peer struct
+  /*
 	out := make(chan [][]byte, 1)
 	defer close(out)
 	intf.peer.out = func(msgs [][]byte) {
 		defer func() { recover() }()
 		out <- msgs
 	}
+  */
+  intf.peer.out = func(msgs [][]byte) {
+    intf.writer.sendFrom(intf.peer, msgs, false)
+  }
 	intf.peer.linkOut = make(chan []byte, 1)
+  go func() {
+    // TODO fix this
+    for bs := range intf.peer.linkOut {
+      intf.writer.sendFrom(intf.peer, [][]byte{bs}, true)
+    }
+  }()
 	themAddr := address.AddrForNodeID(crypto.GetNodeID(&intf.info.box))
 	themAddrString := net.IP(themAddr[:]).String()
 	themString := fmt.Sprintf("%s@%s", themAddrString, intf.info.remote)
@@ -218,6 +241,7 @@ func (intf *linkInterface) handler() error {
 	// Start the link loop
 	go intf.peer.start()
 	// Start the writer
+  /*
 	signalReady := make(chan struct{}, 1)
 	signalSent := make(chan bool, 1)
 	sendAck := make(chan struct{}, 1)
@@ -413,6 +437,7 @@ func (intf *linkInterface) handler() error {
 		// Now try to read again
 		helper.RecvFrom(nil, helperFunc)
 	}
+  
 	// Start the read loop
 	helper.RecvFrom(nil, helperFunc)
 	<-done // Wait for the helper to exit
@@ -427,5 +452,189 @@ func (intf *linkInterface) handler() error {
 		intf.link.core.log.Infof("Disconnected %s: %s, source %s",
 			strings.ToUpper(intf.info.linkType), themString, intf.info.local)
 	}
+  */
+  // Start the reader
+  intf.reader.RecvFrom(nil, intf.reader._read)
+  // Wait for the reader to finish
+  err = <- intf.reader.err
+  if err != nil {
+		intf.link.core.log.Infof("Disconnected %s: %s, source %s; error: %s",
+			strings.ToUpper(intf.info.linkType), themString, intf.info.local, err)
+  } else {
+		intf.link.core.log.Infof("Disconnected %s: %s, source %s",
+			strings.ToUpper(intf.info.linkType), themString, intf.info.local)
+  }
 	return err
 }
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+
+/*
+  phony.Inbox // Protects the below
+  sendTimer *time.Timer // Fires to signal that sending is blocked
+  stallTimer *time.Time // Fires to signal that no incoming traffic (including keep-alive) has been seen
+  recvTimer *time.Timer // Fires to send keep-alive traffic
+  closeTimer *time.Timer // Fires when the link has been idle so long we need to close it
+  inSwitch bool // True if the switch is tracking this link
+  stalled bool // True if we haven't been receiving any response traffic
+*/
+
+const (
+  sendBlockedTime = time.Second // How long to wait before deciding a send is blocked
+  keepAliveTime = 2*time.Second // How long to wait before sending a keep-alive response if we have no real traffic to send
+  stallTime = 6*time.Second // How long to wait for response traffic before deciding the connection has stalled
+  closeTime = 2*switch_timeout // How long to wait before closing the link
+)
+
+// notify the intf that we're currently sending
+func (intf *linkInterface) notifySending(size int, isLinkTraffic bool) {
+  intf.RecvFrom(nil, func() {
+    if !isLinkTraffic && size > 0 {
+      intf.inSwitch = false
+    }
+    intf.sendTimer = time.AfterFunc(sendBlockedTime, intf.notifyBlockedSend)
+    intf._cancelRecvTimer()
+  })
+}
+
+// we just sent something, so cancel any pending timer to send keep-alive traffic
+func (intf *linkInterface) _cancelRecvTimer() {
+  intf.RecvFrom(nil, func() {
+    if intf.recvTimer != nil {
+      intf.recvTimer.Stop()
+      intf.recvTimer = nil
+    }
+  })
+}
+
+// called by an AfterFunc if we appear to have timed out
+func (intf *linkInterface) notifyBlockedSend() {
+  intf.RecvFrom(nil, func() {
+    if intf.sendTimer != nil {
+      //As far as we know, we're still trying to send, and the timer fired.
+			intf.link.core.switchTable.blockPeer(intf.peer.port)
+    }
+  })
+}
+
+// notify the intf that we've finished sending, returning the peer to the switch
+func (intf *linkInterface) notifySent(size int, isLinkTraffic bool) {
+  intf.RecvFrom(nil, func() {
+    intf.sendTimer.Stop()
+    intf.sendTimer = nil
+    if !isLinkTraffic {
+      intf._notifySwitch()
+    }
+    if size > 0 && intf.stallTimer == nil {
+      intf.stallTimer = time.AfterFunc(stallTime, intf.notifyStalled)
+    }
+  })
+}
+
+// Notify the switch that we're ready for more traffic, assuming we're not in a stalled state
+func (intf *linkInterface) _notifySwitch() {
+  if !intf.inSwitch && !intf.stalled {
+    intf.inSwitch = true
+	  intf.link.core.switchTable.RecvFrom(intf, func() {
+		  intf.link.core.switchTable._idleIn(intf.peer.port)
+	  })
+  }
+}
+
+// Set the peer as stalled, to prevent them from returning to the switch until a read succeeds
+func (intf *linkInterface) notifyStalled() {
+  intf.RecvFrom(nil, func() {
+    if intf.stallTimer != nil {
+      intf.stallTimer = nil
+      intf.stalled = true
+			intf.link.core.switchTable.blockPeer(intf.peer.port)
+    }
+  })
+}
+
+
+// reset the close timer
+func (intf *linkInterface) notifyReading(from phony.Actor) {
+  intf.RecvFrom(from, func() {
+    if intf.closeTimer != nil {
+      intf.closeTimer.Stop()
+    }
+    intf.closeTimer = time.AfterFunc(closeTime, func() { intf.msgIO.close() })
+  })
+}
+
+// wake up the link if it was stalled, and (if size > 0) prepare to send keep-alive traffic
+func (intf *linkInterface) notifyReadFrom(from phony.Actor, size int) {
+  intf.RecvFrom(from, func() {
+    intf.link.core.log.Printf("DEBUG notifyReadFrom: inSwitch %v, stalled %v\n", intf.inSwitch, intf.stalled)
+    if intf.stallTimer != nil {
+      intf.stallTimer.Stop()
+      intf.stallTimer = nil
+    }
+    intf.stalled = false
+    intf._notifySwitch()
+    if size > 0 && intf.recvTimer == nil {
+      intf.recvTimer = time.AfterFunc(keepAliveTime, intf.notifyDoKeepAlive)
+    }
+  })
+}
+
+// We need to send keep-alive traffic now
+func (intf *linkInterface) notifyDoKeepAlive() {
+  intf.RecvFrom(nil, func() {
+    if intf.recvTimer != nil {
+      intf.recvTimer.Stop()
+      intf.recvTimer = nil
+      intf.writer.sendFrom(nil, [][]byte{nil}, true) // Empty keep-alive traffic
+    }
+  })
+}
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+type linkWriter struct {
+  phony.Inbox
+  intf *linkInterface
+}
+
+func (w *linkWriter) sendFrom(from phony.Actor, bss [][]byte, isLinkTraffic bool) {
+  w.RecvFrom(from, func() {
+    var size int
+    for _, bs := range bss {
+      size += len(bs)
+    }
+    w.intf.notifySending(size, isLinkTraffic)
+	  w.intf.msgIO.writeMsgs(bss)
+    w.intf.notifySent(size, isLinkTraffic)
+    w.intf.link.core.log.Println("DEBUG: wrote something, size:", size, "isLinkTraffic:", isLinkTraffic)
+  })
+}
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+type linkReader struct {
+  phony.Inbox
+  intf *linkInterface
+  err chan error
+}
+
+func (r *linkReader) _read() {
+    r.intf.notifyReading(r)
+		msg, err := r.intf.msgIO.readMsg()
+    r.intf.link.core.log.Println("DEBUG read something")
+    r.intf.notifyReadFrom(r, len(msg))
+		if len(msg) > 0 {
+			r.intf.peer.handlePacketFrom(r, msg)
+		}
+		if err != nil {
+			if err != io.EOF {
+        r.err<-err
+			}
+      close(r.err)
+			return
+		}
+		// Now try to read again
+		r.RecvFrom(nil, r._read)
+}
+