diff --git a/lmwsip.py b/lmwsip.py
index 3f3902e..104d24d 100644
--- a/lmwsip.py
+++ b/lmwsip.py
@@ -88,6 +88,20 @@ connects to lmw with tcp using the values of the object creation.
         self._ssl     = self._context.wrap_socket(self._tcp,
                                                   server_hostname=self.host)
 
+    def send(self, sipcmd):
+        """send(sipcmd)
+
+send a sip command to the server
+"""
+        self._ssl.sendall(sipcmd.encode('ascii'))
+
+    def recv(self):
+        """recv()
+
+recieve a answer from the sip server
+"""
+        return(self._ssl.recv())
+
     def login(self):
         """login()
 
@@ -95,8 +109,8 @@ Login lmw using the object creation user, password.
 Raises a LmwLoginFailure exception on failure
 """
         li="LI " + self.user + ","  + self.password + "\r"
-        self._ssl.sendall(li.encode('ascii'))
-        d = self._ssl.recv()
+        self.send(li)
+        d = self.recv()
         if (d.decode('ascii')[0] != '!'):
             raise LmwLoginFailure(self.user + ":" + d.decode('ascii'))
 
@@ -108,8 +122,8 @@ Request the time from lmw and returns the string.
 Raises a LmwCmdWarn of failure
 """
         ti="TI " + self.meetnet + "\r"
-        self._ssl.sendall(ti.encode('ascii'))
-        d = self._ssl.recv()
+        self.send(ti)
+        d = self.recv()
         if (d.decode('ascii')[0] != '!'):
             raise LmwCmdWarn("TI " + self.meetnet +":" + d.decode('ascii'))
         return (d.decode('ascii')[2:-1])
@@ -143,8 +157,8 @@ Returns:
                parameter + "," + time_delta + "," + day + "," + \
                time_of_day + data + "\r" 
 
-        self._ssl.sendall(cmdstr.encode('ascii'))
-        d = self._ssl.recv()
+        self.send(cmdstr)
+        d = self.recv()
         if (d.decode('ascii')[0] != '!'):
             raise LmwCmdWarn(d.decode('ascii'))
         return (d.decode('ascii')[2:-1])
@@ -190,7 +204,7 @@ Returns a single string value or None
 
 Logs of
 """
-        self._ssl.sendall(b"LO\r")
+        self.send("LO\r")
 
 class LmwLoginFailure(Exception):
     """Exception from LmwSip on login failure"""