diff --git a/illumination.py b/illumination.py
index c6c86c9..abc1c3b 100755
--- a/illumination.py
+++ b/illumination.py
@@ -56,13 +56,19 @@ class IlluminationControl(object):
 
   def connect(self):
     """creates a socket and connects to illumination controller"""
-    # connect to XT-PICO
     self._socket=s=socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
     s.settimeout(1)
     try:
       s.connect((self._hostname, self._port))
-    except socket.timeout as e:
-      _log.error(f"{e} can't connect to: {self._hostname}:{self._port}")
+      return True
+    except (socket.timeout, ConnectionRefusedError, OSError) as e:
+      _log.error(f"can't connect to illumination controller {self._hostname}:{self._port} : {e}")
+      try:
+        s.close()
+      except Exception:
+        pass
+      self._socket=None
+      return False
 
   def disconnect(self):
     try:
@@ -76,30 +82,38 @@ class IlluminationControl(object):
     return bool(s & led_flags)
 
   def send_command(self, cmd: bytes):
-    try:
-      s=self._socket
-    except AttributeError: #simulated mode
-      _log.info('simulated mode:{}'.format(cmd))
-      return
+    if getattr(self, "_socket", None) is None:
+      if not self.connect():
+        return False
     try:
       self._socket.sendall(cmd)
-    except (BrokenPipeError, OSError) as e:
-      _log.warning("reconnecting lights")
-      self.connect()
+      return True
+    except (BrokenPipeError, TimeoutError, OSError) as e:
+      _log.warning(f"reconnecting lights: {e}")
+      self.disconnect()
+      if not self.connect():
+        return False
       try:
         self._socket.sendall(cmd)
+        return True
       except Exception as e:
-        _log.error("unrecoverable socket error: {}".format(e.args))
+        _log.error(f"unrecoverable socket error: {e}")
+        self.disconnect()
+        return False
 
   def status(self):
+    if getattr(self, "_socket", None) is None:
+      if not self.connect():
+        return 0
+    if not self.send_command(bytes((stat,all))):
+      return 0
     try:
-      s=self._socket
-    except AttributeError: #simulated mode
-      _log.debug('simulated mode')
-      return self._sim['stat']
-    self.send_command(bytes((stat,all)))
-    resp = self._socket.recv(1024)
-    return resp[0]&0x1f
+      resp=self._socket.recv(1024)
+      return resp[0]&0x1f
+    except Exception as e:
+      _log.error(f"illumination recv failed: {e}")
+      self.disconnect()
+      return 0
 
   def all(self,val):
     cmd = on if val else off