# 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