diff --git a/config.toml b/config.toml
index 4f56ad4..13be4f6 100644
--- a/config.toml
+++ b/config.toml
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ port = 42069
 
 [client.left]
 host_name = "Osmium"
+ip = "192.168.178.114"
 port = 42069
 
 # [client.right]
diff --git a/src/event.rs b/src/event.rs
index c7cfcca..ad2e82e 100644
--- a/src/event.rs
+++ b/src/event.rs
@@ -1,154 +1,174 @@
+use std::{error::Error, fmt::{self, format}};
+
 pub mod producer;
 pub mod consumer;
 pub mod server;
 
-/*
- * TODO: currently the wayland events are encoded
- * directly with no generalized event format
-*/
-use wayland_client::{protocol::{wl_pointer, wl_keyboard}, WEnum};
-
-pub trait Encode {
-    fn encode(&self) -> Vec<u8>;
+pub enum PointerEvent {
+    Motion { time: u32, relative_x: f64, relative_y: f64, },
+    Button { time: u32, button: u32, state: u32, },
+    Axis   { time: u32, axis: u8, value: f64, },
+    Frame  {}
 }
 
-pub trait Decode {
-    fn decode(buf: Vec<u8>) -> Self;
-}
-
-impl Encode for wl_pointer::Event {
-    fn encode(&self) -> Vec<u8> {
-        let mut buf = Vec::new();
-        match *self {
-            Self::Motion {
-                time: t,
-                surface_x: x,
-                surface_y: y,
-            } => {
-                buf.push(0u8);
-                buf.extend_from_slice(t.to_ne_bytes().as_ref());
-                buf.extend_from_slice(x.to_ne_bytes().as_ref());
-                buf.extend_from_slice(y.to_ne_bytes().as_ref());
-            }
-            Self::Button {
-                serial: _,
-                time: t,
-                button: b,
-                state: s,
-            } => {
-                buf.push(1u8);
-                buf.extend_from_slice(t.to_ne_bytes().as_ref());
-                buf.extend_from_slice(b.to_ne_bytes().as_ref());
-                buf.push(u32::from(s) as u8);
-            }
-            Self::Axis {
-                time: t,
-                axis: a,
-                value: v,
-            } => {
-                buf.push(2u8);
-                buf.extend_from_slice(t.to_ne_bytes().as_ref());
-                buf.push(u32::from(a) as u8);
-                buf.extend_from_slice(v.to_ne_bytes().as_ref());
-            }
-            Self::Frame {} => {
-                buf.push(3u8);
-            }
-            _ => todo!(),
-        }
-        buf
-    }
-}
-
-impl Encode for wl_keyboard::Event {
-    fn encode(&self) -> Vec<u8> {
-        let mut buf = Vec::new();
-        match self {
-            Self::Key {
-                serial: _,
-                time: t,
-                key: k,
-                state: s,
-            } => {
-                buf.push(4u8);
-                buf.extend_from_slice(t.to_ne_bytes().as_ref());
-                buf.extend_from_slice(k.to_ne_bytes().as_ref());
-                buf.push(u32::from(*s) as u8);
-            }
-            Self::Modifiers {
-                serial: _,
-                mods_depressed,
-                mods_latched,
-                mods_locked,
-                group,
-            } => {
-                buf.push(5u8);
-                buf.extend_from_slice(mods_depressed.to_ne_bytes().as_ref());
-                buf.extend_from_slice(mods_latched.to_ne_bytes().as_ref());
-                buf.extend_from_slice(mods_locked.to_ne_bytes().as_ref());
-                buf.extend_from_slice(group.to_ne_bytes().as_ref());
-            }
-            _ => todo!(),
-        }
-        buf
-    }
+pub enum KeyboardEvent {
+    Key { serial: u32, time: u32, key: u32, state: u8, },
+    Modifiers { serial: u32, mods_depressed: u32, mods_latched: u32, mods_locked: u32, group: u32, },
 }
 
 pub enum Event {
-    Pointer(wl_pointer::Event),
-    Keyboard(wl_keyboard::Event),
+    Pointer(PointerEvent),
+    Keyboard(KeyboardEvent),
     Release(),
 }
 
-impl Encode for Event {
-    fn encode(&self) -> Vec<u8> {
-        match self {
-            Event::Pointer(p) => p.encode(),
-            Event::Keyboard(k) => k.encode(),
-            Event::Release() => vec![6u8],
-        }
-    }
-}
-
 unsafe impl Send for Event {}
 unsafe impl Sync for Event {}
 
-impl Decode for Event {
-    fn decode(buf: Vec<u8>) -> Self {
-        match buf[0] {
-            0 => Self::Pointer(wl_pointer::Event::Motion {
-                time: u32::from_ne_bytes(buf[1..5].try_into().unwrap()),
-                surface_x: f64::from_ne_bytes(buf[5..13].try_into().unwrap()),
-                surface_y: f64::from_ne_bytes(buf[13..21].try_into().unwrap()),
-            }),
-            1 => Self::Pointer(wl_pointer::Event::Button {
-                serial: 0,
-                time: (u32::from_ne_bytes(buf[1..5].try_into().unwrap())),
-                button: (u32::from_ne_bytes(buf[5..9].try_into().unwrap())),
-                state: (WEnum::Value(wl_pointer::ButtonState::try_from(buf[9] as u32).unwrap())),
-            }),
-            2 => Self::Pointer(wl_pointer::Event::Axis {
-                time: (u32::from_ne_bytes(buf[1..5].try_into().unwrap())),
-                axis: (WEnum::Value(wl_pointer::Axis::try_from(buf[5] as u32).unwrap())),
-                value: (f64::from_ne_bytes(buf[6..14].try_into().unwrap())),
-            }),
-            3 => Self::Pointer(wl_pointer::Event::Frame {}),
-            4 => Self::Keyboard(wl_keyboard::Event::Key {
-                serial: 0,
-                time: u32::from_ne_bytes(buf[1..5].try_into().unwrap()),
-                key: u32::from_ne_bytes(buf[5..9].try_into().unwrap()),
-                state: WEnum::Value(wl_keyboard::KeyState::try_from(buf[9] as u32).unwrap()),
-            }),
-            5 => Self::Keyboard(wl_keyboard::Event::Modifiers {
-                serial: 0,
-                mods_depressed: u32::from_ne_bytes(buf[1..5].try_into().unwrap()),
-                mods_latched: u32::from_ne_bytes(buf[5..9].try_into().unwrap()),
-                mods_locked: u32::from_ne_bytes(buf[9..13].try_into().unwrap()),
-                group: u32::from_ne_bytes(buf[13..17].try_into().unwrap()),
-            }),
-            6 => Self::Release(),
-            _ => panic!("protocol violation"),
+impl Event {
+    fn event_type(&self) -> EventType {
+        match self {
+            Self::Pointer(_) => EventType::POINTER,
+            Self::Keyboard(_) => EventType::KEYBOARD,
+            Self::Release() => EventType::RELEASE,
         }
     }
 }
 
+impl PointerEvent {
+    fn event_type(&self) -> PointerEventType {
+        match self {
+            Self::Axis {..} => PointerEventType::AXIS,
+            Self::Button {..} => PointerEventType::BUTTON,
+            Self::Frame {..} => PointerEventType::FRAME,
+            Self::Motion {..} => PointerEventType::MOTION,
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+enum PointerEventType { MOTION, BUTTON, AXIS, FRAME }
+enum KeyboardEventType { KEY, MODIFIERS }
+enum EventType { POINTER, KEYBOARD, RELEASE }
+
+
+impl Into<Vec<u8>> for &Event {
+    fn into(self) -> Vec<u8> {
+        let event_id = vec![self.event_type() as u8];
+        let event_data = match self {
+            Event::Pointer(p) => p.into(),
+            Event::Keyboard(k) => k.into(),
+            Event::Release() => vec![],
+        };
+        vec![event_id, event_data].concat()
+    }
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug)]
+struct ProtocolError {
+    msg: String,
+}
+
+impl fmt::Display for ProtocolError {
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result {
+        write!(f, "Protocol violation: {}", self.msg)
+    }
+}
+impl Error for ProtocolError {}
+
+impl TryFrom<Vec<u8>> for Event {
+    type Error = Box<dyn Error>;
+
+    fn try_from(value: Vec<u8>) -> Result<Self, Self::Error> {
+        let event_id = u8::from_be_bytes(value[..1].try_into()?);
+        match event_id >> 5 {
+            i if i == (EventType::POINTER as u8) => Ok(Event::Pointer(value[1..].try_into()?)),
+            i if i ==(EventType::KEYBOARD as u8) => Ok(Event::Keyboard(value[1..].try_into()?)),
+            i if i == (EventType::RELEASE as u8) => Ok(Event::Release()),
+            _ => Err(Box::new(ProtocolError{ msg: format!("invalid event_id {}", event_id) })),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl Into<Vec<u8>> for &PointerEvent {
+    fn into(self) -> Vec<u8> {
+        let id = vec![self.event_type() as u8];
+        let data = match self {
+            PointerEvent::Motion { time, relative_x, relative_y } => {
+                let time = time.to_be_bytes();
+                let relative_x = relative_x.to_be_bytes();
+                let relative_y = relative_y.to_be_bytes();
+                vec![&time[..], &relative_x[..], &relative_y[..]].concat()
+            },
+            PointerEvent::Button { time, button, state } => {
+                let time = time.to_be_bytes();
+                let button = button.to_be_bytes();
+                let state = state.to_be_bytes();
+                vec![&time[..], &button[..], &state[..]].concat()
+            },
+            PointerEvent::Axis { time, axis, value } => {
+                let time = time.to_be_bytes();
+                let axis = axis.to_be_bytes();
+                let value = value.to_be_bytes();
+                vec![&time[..], &axis[..], &value[..]].concat()
+            },
+            PointerEvent::Frame {  } => { vec![] },
+        };
+        vec![id, data].concat()
+    }
+}
+
+impl TryFrom<&[u8]> for PointerEvent {
+    type Error = &'static str;
+
+    fn try_from(data: &[u8]) -> Result<Self, Self::Error> {
+        match data.get(0) {
+            Some(id) => match id {
+                0 => {
+                    let time = match data.get(1..5) {
+                        Some(d) => u32::from_be_bytes(d.try_into().unwrap()),
+                        None => return Err("Expected 4 Bytes at index 1"),
+                    };
+                    let relative_x = match data.get(5..13) {
+                        Some(d) => f64::from_be_bytes(d.try_into().unwrap()),
+                        None => return Err("Expected 8 Bytes at index 5"),
+                    };
+                    let relative_y = match data.get(13..21) {
+                        Some(d) => f64::from_be_bytes(d.try_into().unwrap()),
+                        None => return Err("Expected 8 Bytes at index 13"),
+                    };
+                    Ok(Self::Motion{ time, relative_x, relative_y })
+                }
+            },
+            None => Err("Expected an element at index 0"),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl Into<Vec<u8>> for &KeyboardEvent {
+    fn into(self) -> Vec<u8> {
+        match self {
+            KeyboardEvent::Key { serial, time, key, state } => {
+                let serial = serial.to_be_bytes();
+                let time = time.to_be_bytes();
+                let key = key.to_be_bytes();
+                let state = state.to_be_bytes();
+                vec![&serial[..], &time[..], &key[..], &state[..]].concat()
+            },
+            KeyboardEvent::Modifiers { serial, mods_depressed, mods_latched, mods_locked, group } => {
+                let serial = serial.to_be_bytes();
+                let mods_depressed = mods_depressed.to_be_bytes();
+                let mods_latched = mods_latched.to_be_bytes();
+                let mods_locked = mods_locked.to_be_bytes();
+                vec![&serial[..], &mods_depressed[..], &mods_latched[..], &mods_locked[..]].concat()
+            },
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl TryFrom<&[u8]> for KeyboardEvent {
+    type Error = TryFromSliceError;
+
+    fn try_from(value: &[u8]) -> Result<Self, Self::Error> {
+        todo!()
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/event/server.rs b/src/event/server.rs
index 3eeb3e2..88a047b 100644
--- a/src/event/server.rs
+++ b/src/event/server.rs
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ use std::{
 
 use crate::client::{ClientHandle, ClientManager};
 
-use super::{Event, Encode, Decode};
+use super::{Event, Decode};
 
 pub struct Server {
     listen_addr: SocketAddr,
@@ -102,8 +102,9 @@ impl Server {
         Ok((receiver, sender))
     }
 
-    fn send_event<E: Encode>(tx: &UdpSocket, e: E, addr: SocketAddr) {
-        if let Err(e) = tx.send_to(&e.encode(), addr) {
+    fn send_event(tx: &UdpSocket, e: Event, addr: SocketAddr) {
+        let data: Vec<u8> = (&e).into();
+        if let Err(e) = tx.send_to(&data[..], addr) {
             eprintln!("{}", e);
         }
     }
@@ -111,7 +112,7 @@ impl Server {
     fn receive_event(rx: &UdpSocket) -> Option<(Event, SocketAddr)> {
         let mut buf = vec![0u8; 21];
         if let Ok((_amt, src)) = rx.recv_from(&mut buf) {
-            Some((Event::decode(buf), src))
+            Some((Event::try_from(buf), src))
         } else {
             None
         }