diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..07e6e47
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+/node_modules
diff --git a/lib/parser.js b/lib/parser.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7ef93a3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/parser.js
@@ -0,0 +1,173 @@
+var net = require('net')
+  , EventEmitter = require('events').EventEmitter
+  , util = require('util')
+  , assert = require('assert')
+  , Iconv = require('iconv').Iconv
+  , packets = require('../packets.json')
+  , toUcs2 = new Iconv('UTF-8', 'utf16be')
+  , fromUcs2 = new Iconv('utf16be', 'UTF-8')
+
+module.exports = Parser;
+
+function Parser(options) {
+  EventEmitter.call(this);
+}
+util.inherits(Parser, EventEmitter);
+
+Parser.prototype.connect = function(port, host) {
+  var self = this;
+  self.client = net.connect(port, host, function() {
+    self.emit('connect');
+  });
+  var incomingBuffer = new Buffer(0);
+  self.client.on('data', function(data) {
+    incomingBuffer = Buffer.concat([incomingBuffer, data]);
+    var parsed;
+    while (true) {
+      parsed = parsePacket(incomingBuffer);
+      if (! parsed) break;
+      incomingBuffer = incomingBuffer.slice(parsed.size);
+      self.emit('packet', parsed.results);
+    }
+  });
+
+  self.client.on('error', function(err) {
+    self.emit('error', err);
+  });
+
+  self.client.on('end', function() {
+    self.emit('end');
+  });
+};
+
+Parser.prototype.writePacket = function(packetId, params) {
+  var buffer = createPacketBuffer(packetId, params);
+  this.client.write(buffer);
+};
+
+var writers = {
+  'int': IntWriter,
+  'byte': ByteWriter,
+  'string': StringWriter,
+};
+
+var readers = {
+  'string': readString,
+  'byteArray': readByteArray,
+  'short': readShort,
+};
+
+function readString (buffer, offset) {
+  var results = readShort(buffer, offset);
+  if (! results) return null;
+  
+  var strBegin = offset + results.size;
+  var strLen = results.value;
+  var strEnd = strBegin + strLen * 2;
+  if (strEnd > buffer.length) return null;
+  var str = fromUcs2.convert(buffer.slice(strBegin, strEnd)).toString();
+
+  return {
+    value: str,
+    size: strEnd - offset,
+  };
+}
+
+function readByteArray (buffer, offset) {
+  var results = readShort(buffer, offset);
+  if (! results) return null;
+
+  var bytesBegin = offset + results.size;
+  var bytesSize = results.value;
+  var bytesEnd = bytesBegin + bytesSize;
+  if (bytesEnd > buffer.length) return null;
+  var bytes = buffer.slice(bytesBegin, bytesEnd);
+
+  return {
+    value: bytes,
+    size: bytesEnd - offset,
+  };
+}
+
+function readShort(buffer, offset) {
+  if (offset + 2 > buffer.length) return null;
+  var value = buffer.readInt16BE(offset);
+  return {
+    value: value,
+    size: 2,
+  };
+}
+
+function StringWriter(value) {
+  this.value = value;
+  this.encoded = toUcs2.convert(value);
+  this.size = 2 + this.encoded.length;
+}
+
+StringWriter.prototype.write = function(buffer, offset) {
+  buffer.writeInt16BE(this.value.length, offset);
+  this.encoded.copy(buffer, offset + 2);
+}
+
+function ByteWriter(value) {
+  this.value = value;
+  this.size = 1;
+}
+
+ByteWriter.prototype.write = function(buffer, offset) {
+  buffer.writeInt8(this.value, offset);
+}
+
+function IntWriter(value) {
+  this.value = value;
+  this.size = 4;
+}
+
+IntWriter.prototype.write = function(buffer, offset) {
+  buffer.writeInt32BE(this.value, offset);
+}
+
+function createPacketBuffer(packetId, params) {
+  var size = 1;
+  var fields = [ new ByteWriter(packetId) ];
+  var packet = packets[packetId];
+  packet.forEach(function(fieldInfo) {
+    var value = params[fieldInfo.name];
+    var field = new writers[fieldInfo.type](value);
+    size += field.size;
+    fields.push(field);
+  });
+  var buffer = new Buffer(size);
+  var cursor = 0;
+  fields.forEach(function(field) {
+    field.write(buffer, cursor);
+    cursor += field.size;
+  });
+  return buffer;
+}
+
+function parsePacket(buffer) {
+  if (buffer.length < 1) return null;
+  var packetId = buffer.readUInt8(0);
+  var size = 1;
+  var results = { id: packetId };
+  var packetInfo = packets[packetId];
+  assert.ok(packetInfo, "Unrecognized packetId: " + packetId);
+  var i, fieldInfo, read, readResults;
+  for (i = 0; i < packetInfo.length; ++i) {
+    fieldInfo = packetInfo[i];
+    read = readers[fieldInfo.type];
+    readResults = read(buffer, size);
+    if (readResults) {
+      results[fieldInfo.name] = readResults.value;
+      size += readResults.size;
+    } else {
+      // buffer needs to be more full
+      return null;
+    }
+  }
+  return {
+    size: size,
+    results: results,
+  };
+}
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..29ccd3e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/package.json
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+{
+  "name": "minecraft-protocol",
+  "version": "0.0.0",
+  "description": "minecraft protocol",
+  "main": "index.js",
+  "scripts": {
+    "test": "mocha"
+  },
+  "keywords": [
+    "minecraft",
+    "protocol"
+  ],
+  "author": "Andrew Kelley",
+  "license": "BSD",
+}
diff --git a/packets.json b/packets.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4a19595
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packets.json
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+{
+  "2": [
+    {
+      "name": "protocolVersion",
+      "type": "byte"
+    },
+    {
+      "name": "userName",
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    {
+      "name": "serverHost",
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    {
+      "name": "serverPort",
+      "type": "int"
+    }
+  ],
+  "253": [
+    {
+      "name": "serverId",
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    {
+      "name": "publicKey",
+      "type": "byteArray"
+    },
+    {
+      "name": "verifyToken",
+      "type": "byteArray"
+    }
+  ]
+}
diff --git a/test.js b/test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d09debc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+var Parser = require('./lib/parser');
+
+var parser = new Parser();
+parser.on('connect', function() {
+  console.info("connect");
+  parser.writePacket(0x02, {
+    protocolVersion: 51,
+    userName: 'superjoe30',
+    serverHost: 'localhost',
+    serverPort: 25565,
+  });
+});
+parser.on('packet', function(packet) {
+  var handler = packetHandlers[packet.id];
+  if (handler) {
+    handler(packet);
+  } else {
+    console.warn("No packet handler for", packet.id, "fields", packet);
+  }
+});
+parser.on('error', function(err) {
+  console.error("error connecting", err.stack);
+});
+parser.on('end', function() {
+  console.info("disconnect");
+});
+parser.connect(25565, 'localhost');
+
+var packetHandlers = {
+  0xFD: onEncryptionKeyRequest,
+};
+
+function onEncryptionKeyRequest(packet) {
+  var sharedSecret = randomBuffer(16);
+}
+
+function randomBuffer(size) {
+  var buffer = new Buffer(size);
+  var i, number;
+  for (i = 0; i < size; ++i) {
+    number = Math.floor(Math.random() * 256);
+    buffer.writeUInt8(number, i);
+  }
+  return buffer;
+}