diff --git a/howard.c b/howard.c
index a27b0dc..bd1880f 100644
--- a/howard.c
+++ b/howard.c
@@ -4,9 +4,20 @@
 #include <wchar.h>
 #include <time.h>
 #include <hidapi.h>
+#include <netdb.h>
+#include <arpa/inet.h>
+#include <netinet/in.h>
+#include <sys/errno.h>
+#include <sys/types.h>
+#include <sys/socket.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
 #include "howard.h"
 
-#define MAX_STR 255
+#define TRUE    (-1)
+#define FALSE   (0)
+
+#define BUFLEN 8196
+#define BUFLENSMALL 255
 
 // Benestar sound meter
 //#define MIC_VID  (0x1630)
@@ -25,13 +36,17 @@ const char *rangestr[] = {
     "80-130",
 };
 
+char influxhost[BUFLENSMALL];
+char influxdb[BUFLENSMALL];
+char influxuser[BUFLENSMALL];
+char influxpass[BUFLENSMALL];
+
 #define FLAG_DBCMODE (0x10)
 #define FLAG_FASTMODE (0x40)
 
 #define E_TIMEOUT -1
 #define E_BADREAD -2
 
-
 // ANSI stuff
 #define BOLD "\x1b[1m"
 #define ITALIC "\x1b[3m"
@@ -112,23 +127,181 @@ void showlevel(uint8_t *buf) {
     char *longformat = "%12s: %ld\n";
     char *strformat = "%12s: %s\n";
     char *dbformat = "%12s: %4.2f %s\n";
-        decibels = buf[0] << 8 | buf[1];
-        flags = buf[2];
-        rangeidx = buf[2] & 0xf;
-        now = time(NULL);
+    decibels = buf[0] << 8 | buf[1];
+    flags = buf[2];
+    rangeidx = buf[2] & 0xf;
+    now = time(NULL);
 
-        printf(longformat, "Time", now);
-        printf(dbformat, "Level", (double)decibels/10.0, flags & FLAG_DBCMODE ? "dBC" : "dBA");
-        printf(strformat, "Mode", flags & FLAG_FASTMODE ? "Fast" : "Slow");
-        printf(strformat, "Range", rangeidx > 0x4 ? "unknown" : rangestr[rangeidx]);
+    printf(longformat, "Time", now);
+    printf(dbformat, "Level", (double)decibels/10.0, flags & FLAG_DBCMODE ? "dBC" : "dBA");
+    printf(strformat, "Mode", flags & FLAG_FASTMODE ? "Fast" : "Slow");
+    printf(strformat, "Range", rangeidx > 0x4 ? "unknown" : rangestr[rangeidx]);
+}
+
+int tcpconnect(char *hname, int port) {
+    int sockfd;
+    struct sockaddr_in servaddr;
+    struct hostent *hptr;
+
+    hptr = resolve(hname);
+    if (!hptr) return TRUE;
+
+    sockfd = socket(AF_INET, SOCK_STREAM, 0);
+    if (sockfd < 0) {
+        perror("socket()");
+        return -1;
+    }
+    servaddr.sin_family = hptr->h_addrtype;
+    servaddr.sin_port = htons(8086);
+    memcpy(&servaddr.sin_addr, hptr->h_addr_list[0], hptr->h_length);
+    bzero(servaddr.sin_zero, sizeof(servaddr.sin_zero));
+    if (connect(sockfd, (struct sockaddr *) &servaddr, sizeof(servaddr))) {
+        printf("errno is %d\n", errno);
+        perror("tcpconnect()");
+        return -1;
+    }
+    return sockfd;
+}
+
+int dohttp(char *hname, int port, char *header, char *body, char *retbuf) {
+    char response[BUFLEN];
+    char *p,*dp,retcode_str[BUFLENSMALL];
+    ssize_t n;
+    int sockfd,retcode_int = -1;
+
+    sockfd = tcpconnect(hname,port);
+    if (sockfd < 0) {
+        err("TCP connect to %s:%d failed", hname, port);
+        return TRUE;
+    }
+
+    if (write(sockfd, header, strlen(header)) < 0) {
+        err("POST failed during header send");
+        close(sockfd);
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    if (write(sockfd, body, strlen(body)) < 0) {
+        err("POST failed during body send");
+        close(sockfd);
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    // get response
+    n = read(sockfd, response, sizeof(response));
+    if (n < 0) {
+        err("POST failed during response read");
+        close(sockfd);
+        return -1;
+    }
+    response[n] = 0; // NUL-terminate
+    close(sockfd);
+
+    if (retbuf) strncpy(retbuf, response, BUFLEN);
+
+    // HTTP/1.x 204
+    retcode_int = -1;
+
+    p = strstr(response, "HTTP/1");
+    if (p)  {
+        p += 9; // should now be at start of return code
+        dp = retcode_str;
+        for ( ;
+            (p + 3 < (response + strlen(response))) && *p && isdigit(*p);
+            p++,dp++) {
+            *dp = *p;
+        }
+        *dp = 0;
+        retcode_int = atoi(retcode_str);
+    } else {
+        retcode_int = -1;
+    }
+    return retcode_int;
+}
+
+struct hostent *resolve(char *hname) {
+    struct hostent *hptr;
+    hptr = gethostbyname(hname);
+    if (hptr == NULL) {
+            err("Failed to resolve %s (%s)",hname,hstrerror(h_errno));
+            return NULL;
+    }
+    if (hptr->h_addrtype != AF_INET) {
+            err("No IN records for %s.",hname);
+            return NULL;
+    }
+    if (hptr->h_addr_list == NULL) {
+            err("No A records for %s.",hname);
+            return NULL;
+    }
+    return hptr;
+}
+
+int influx_init(char *hname, char *db, char *user, char *pass) {
+    strncpy(influxhost, hname, BUFLENSMALL);
+    strncpy(influxdb, db, BUFLENSMALL);
+    strncpy(influxuser, user, BUFLENSMALL);
+    strncpy(influxpass, pass, BUFLENSMALL);
+    return FALSE;
+}
+
+int influx_cmd(enum influxcmdtype cmdtype, char *cmd, char *retbuf) {
+    char header[BUFLEN];
+    char newcmd[BUFLEN+2];
+    int rc = -1;
+
+    if (cmdtype == I_WRITE) {
+        snprintf(header, BUFLEN, "POST /write?db=%s&u=%s&p=%s HTTP/1.1\r\nHost: influx:8086\r\nContent-Length: %ld\r\n\r\n", influxdb, influxuser, influxpass, strlen(cmd));
+        snprintf(newcmd,BUFLEN,"%s",cmd);
+    } else if (cmdtype == I_READ) {
+        snprintf(header, BUFLEN, "GET /query?db=%s&u=%s&p=%s HTTP/1.1\r\nHost: influx:8086\r\nContent-Length: %ld\r\n\r\n", influxdb, influxuser, influxpass, strlen(cmd)+2);
+        snprintf(newcmd,BUFLEN,"q=%s",cmd);
+    } else if (cmdtype == I_PING) {
+        snprintf(header, BUFLEN, "GET /ping HTTP/1.1\r\nHost: influx:8086\r\n\r\n");
+        strncpy(newcmd,"",BUFLEN);
+    } else {
+        err("Invalid influx command type (%d)", cmdtype);
+        return TRUE;
+    }
+
+    rc = dohttp(influxhost, 8086, header, newcmd, retbuf);
+    if (rc != 204) {
+        err("Influx write to %s/%s failed (HTTP %d)",influxhost,influxdb,rc);
+        return TRUE;
+    }
+    return FALSE;
+}
+
+int influx_insert(char *cmd, char *retbuf) {
+    return influx_cmd(I_WRITE, cmd, retbuf);
+}
+
+int influx_query(char *cmd, char *retbuf ) {
+    return influx_cmd(I_READ, cmd, retbuf);
+}
+
+int influx_ping(char *retbuf) {
+    int rv;
+    rv = influx_cmd(I_PING, "", retbuf);
+    if (!rv) {
+        info("Ping success:\n%s\n", retbuf);
+    }
+    return rv;
+}
+
+int influx_write_decibels(double decibels) {
+    char cmd[BUFLEN];
+    snprintf(cmd, BUFLEN, "volume decibels=%0.1f\n", decibels);
+    influx_insert(cmd, NULL);
+    return 0;
 }
 
 int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
     //unsigned char buf[65];
-    //wchar_t wstr[MAX_STR];
     //hid_device *handle;
     uint8_t capture_cmd[8] = { CMD_CAPTURE };
     uint8_t buf[8];
+    char retbuf[BUFLEN];
     int res;
     int i;
     enum mode_enum { M_PROBE, M_TEST } mode = M_PROBE;
@@ -136,11 +309,18 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
 
     // handle args
     for (i=1; i<argc;i++) {
-        if (!strstr(argv[i], "-t")) {
+        if (!strcmp(argv[i], "-t")) {
             mode = M_TEST;
         }
     }
+    influx_init("gridbug.nethack.net", "haven", "", "");
 
+    if (mode == M_TEST) {
+        int rv;
+        printf("running ping...\n");
+        rv = influx_ping(retbuf);
+    }
+    exit(1);
     if (hid_init()) {
         err("Failed to initialise hidapi.");
         exit(1);
diff --git a/howard.h b/howard.h
index afc1394..7411012 100644
--- a/howard.h
+++ b/howard.h
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+enum influxcmdtype { I_READ, I_WRITE, I_PING };
+
 void colprintf( char *prefix, const char *col, char* format, va_list *args );
 void info( char* format, ... );
 void err( char* format, ... );
@@ -5,3 +7,12 @@ void warn( char* format, ... );
 int hextoint(char *hex);
 int readresult(hid_device *dev, uint8_t *retbuf);
 void showlevel(uint8_t *buf);
+int tcpconnect(char *hname, int port);
+int dohttp(char *hname, int port, char *header, char *body, char *retbuf);
+struct hostent *resolve(char *hname);
+int influx_init(char *hname, char *db, char *user, char *pass);
+int influx_cmd(enum influxcmdtype cmdtype, char *cmd, char *retbuf);
+int influx_insert(char *cmd, char *retbuf);
+int influx_query(char *cmd, char *retbuf);
+int influx_ping(char *retbuf);
+int influx_write_decibels(double decibels);