diff --git a/binary/int.go b/binary/int.go
index 1a0223674..d64d37473 100644
--- a/binary/int.go
+++ b/binary/int.go
@@ -156,8 +156,10 @@ func (self Int16) ByteSize() int {
 }
 
 func (self Int16) WriteTo(w io.Writer) (int64, error) {
-	err := binary.Write(w, binary.LittleEndian, int16(self))
-	return 2, err
+	buf := []byte{0, 0}
+	binary.LittleEndian.PutUint16(buf, uint16(self))
+	n, err := w.Write(buf)
+	return int64(n), err
 }
 
 func ReadInt16Safe(r io.Reader) (Int16, error) {
@@ -196,8 +198,10 @@ func (self UInt16) ByteSize() int {
 }
 
 func (self UInt16) WriteTo(w io.Writer) (int64, error) {
-	err := binary.Write(w, binary.LittleEndian, uint16(self))
-	return 2, err
+	buf := []byte{0, 0}
+	binary.LittleEndian.PutUint16(buf, uint16(self))
+	n, err := w.Write(buf)
+	return int64(n), err
 }
 
 func ReadUInt16Safe(r io.Reader) (UInt16, error) {
@@ -236,8 +240,10 @@ func (self Int32) ByteSize() int {
 }
 
 func (self Int32) WriteTo(w io.Writer) (int64, error) {
-	err := binary.Write(w, binary.LittleEndian, int32(self))
-	return 4, err
+	buf := []byte{0, 0, 0, 0}
+	binary.LittleEndian.PutUint32(buf, uint32(self))
+	n, err := w.Write(buf)
+	return int64(n), err
 }
 
 func ReadInt32Safe(r io.Reader) (Int32, error) {
@@ -276,8 +282,10 @@ func (self UInt32) ByteSize() int {
 }
 
 func (self UInt32) WriteTo(w io.Writer) (int64, error) {
-	err := binary.Write(w, binary.LittleEndian, uint32(self))
-	return 4, err
+	buf := []byte{0, 0, 0, 0}
+	binary.LittleEndian.PutUint32(buf, uint32(self))
+	n, err := w.Write(buf)
+	return int64(n), err
 }
 
 func ReadUInt32Safe(r io.Reader) (UInt32, error) {
@@ -316,8 +324,10 @@ func (self Int64) ByteSize() int {
 }
 
 func (self Int64) WriteTo(w io.Writer) (int64, error) {
-	err := binary.Write(w, binary.LittleEndian, int64(self))
-	return 8, err
+	buf := []byte{0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0}
+	binary.LittleEndian.PutUint64(buf, uint64(self))
+	n, err := w.Write(buf)
+	return int64(n), err
 }
 
 func ReadInt64Safe(r io.Reader) (Int64, error) {
@@ -356,8 +366,10 @@ func (self UInt64) ByteSize() int {
 }
 
 func (self UInt64) WriteTo(w io.Writer) (int64, error) {
-	err := binary.Write(w, binary.LittleEndian, uint64(self))
-	return 8, err
+	buf := []byte{0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0}
+	binary.LittleEndian.PutUint64(buf, uint64(self))
+	n, err := w.Write(buf)
+	return int64(n), err
 }
 
 func ReadUInt64Safe(r io.Reader) (UInt64, error) {
@@ -396,8 +408,10 @@ func (self Int) ByteSize() int {
 }
 
 func (self Int) WriteTo(w io.Writer) (int64, error) {
-	err := binary.Write(w, binary.LittleEndian, int64(self))
-	return 8, err
+	buf := []byte{0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0}
+	binary.LittleEndian.PutUint64(buf, uint64(self))
+	n, err := w.Write(buf)
+	return int64(n), err
 }
 
 func ReadInt(r io.Reader) Int {
@@ -428,8 +442,10 @@ func (self UInt) ByteSize() int {
 }
 
 func (self UInt) WriteTo(w io.Writer) (int64, error) {
-	err := binary.Write(w, binary.LittleEndian, uint64(self))
-	return 8, err
+	buf := []byte{0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0}
+	binary.LittleEndian.PutUint64(buf, uint64(self))
+	n, err := w.Write(buf)
+	return int64(n), err
 }
 
 func ReadUInt(r io.Reader) UInt {
diff --git a/peer/connection.go b/peer/connection.go
index 3317057f0..d143dd7ec 100644
--- a/peer/connection.go
+++ b/peer/connection.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package peer
 
 import (
+	"bufio"
 	"fmt"
 	"net"
 	"sync/atomic"
@@ -22,6 +23,8 @@ type Connection struct {
 
 	sendQueue     chan Packet // never closes
 	conn          net.Conn
+	bufWriter     *bufio.Writer
+	bufReader     *bufio.Reader
 	quit          chan struct{}
 	stopped       uint32
 	pingDebouncer *Debouncer
@@ -38,6 +41,8 @@ func NewConnection(conn net.Conn) *Connection {
 	return &Connection{
 		sendQueue:     make(chan Packet, OUT_QUEUE_SIZE),
 		conn:          conn,
+		bufWriter:     bufio.NewWriterSize(conn, 1024),
+		bufReader:     bufio.NewReaderSize(conn, 1024),
 		quit:          make(chan struct{}),
 		pingDebouncer: NewDebouncer(PING_TIMEOUT_MINUTES * time.Minute),
 		pong:          make(chan struct{}),
@@ -102,16 +107,16 @@ FOR_LOOP:
 		var err error
 		select {
 		case <-c.pingDebouncer.Ch:
-			_, err = PACKET_TYPE_PING.WriteTo(c.conn)
+			_, err = PACKET_TYPE_PING.WriteTo(c.bufWriter)
 		case sendPkt := <-c.sendQueue:
 			log.Tracef("Found pkt from sendQueue. Writing pkt to underlying connection")
-			_, err = PACKET_TYPE_MSG.WriteTo(c.conn)
+			_, err = PACKET_TYPE_MSG.WriteTo(c.bufWriter)
 			if err != nil {
 				break
 			}
-			_, err = sendPkt.WriteTo(c.conn)
+			_, err = sendPkt.WriteTo(c.bufWriter)
 		case <-c.pong:
-			_, err = PACKET_TYPE_PONG.WriteTo(c.conn)
+			_, err = PACKET_TYPE_PONG.WriteTo(c.bufWriter)
 		case <-c.quit:
 			break FOR_LOOP
 		}
@@ -138,7 +143,7 @@ func (c *Connection) recvHandler(channels map[String]*Channel) {
 
 FOR_LOOP:
 	for {
-		pktType, err := ReadUInt8Safe(c.conn)
+		pktType, err := ReadUInt8Safe(c.bufReader)
 		if err != nil {
 			if atomic.LoadUint32(&c.stopped) != 1 {
 				log.Infof("%v failed @ recvHandler", c)
@@ -155,7 +160,7 @@ FOR_LOOP:
 		case PACKET_TYPE_PONG:
 			// do nothing
 		case PACKET_TYPE_MSG:
-			pkt, err := ReadPacketSafe(c.conn)
+			pkt, err := ReadPacketSafe(c.bufReader)
 			if err != nil {
 				if atomic.LoadUint32(&c.stopped) != 1 {
 					log.Infof("%v failed @ recvHandler", c)
diff --git a/peer/listener.go b/peer/listener.go
index 0796479d1..5060d434d 100644
--- a/peer/listener.go
+++ b/peer/listener.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 const (
+	// TODO REMOVE
 	DEFAULT_PORT = 8001
 )