diff --git a/code/apps/client/source/network.c b/code/apps/client/source/network.c
index 71cf23c..29c380b 100644
--- a/code/apps/client/source/network.c
+++ b/code/apps/client/source/network.c
@@ -152,3 +152,16 @@ void network_client_update(void *data) {
 bool network_client_is_connected() {
     return peer ? enet_peer_get_state(peer) == ENET_PEER_STATE_CONNECTED : false;
 }
+
+static int32_t network_msg_send_raw(uint16_t /* peer_id */, void *data, size_t datalen, uint32_t flags) {
+    ENetPacket *packet = enet_packet_create(data, datalen, flags);
+    enet_peer_send(peer, 0, packet);
+}
+
+int32_t network_msg_send(uint16_t /* peer_id */, void *data, size_t datalen) {
+    network_msg_send_raw(0, data, datalen, ENET_PACKET_FLAG_RELIABLE);
+}
+
+int32_t network_msg_send_unreliable(uint16_t /* peer_id */, void *data, size_t datalen) {
+    network_msg_send_raw(0, data, datalen, 0);
+}
diff --git a/code/apps/server/header/network.h b/code/apps/server/header/network.h
index b3ef261..58b617e 100644
--- a/code/apps/server/header/network.h
+++ b/code/apps/server/header/network.h
@@ -10,3 +10,6 @@ void    network_server_update(void *data);
 
 uint64_t network_client_create(uint16_t peer_id);
 void network_client_destroy(uint64_t ent_id);
+
+int32_t network_msg_send(uint16_t peer_id, void *data, size_t datalen);
+int32_t network_msg_send_unreliable(uint16_t peer_id, void *data, size_t datalen);
diff --git a/code/apps/server/source/network.c b/code/apps/server/source/network.c
index ba6cce4..e3a56d8 100644
--- a/code/apps/server/source/network.c
+++ b/code/apps/server/source/network.c
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ int32_t network_server_tick(void) {
             case ENET_EVENT_TYPE_CONNECT: {
                 zpl_printf("[INFO] A new user %d connected.\n", event.peer->incomingPeerID);
                 uint16_t peer_id = event.peer->incomingPeerID;
-                uint64_t ent_id = network_client_create(peer_id);
+                uint64_t ent_id = network_client_create(event.peer);
                 // TODO: Make sure ent_id does not get truncated with large entity numbers.
                 event.peer->data = (void*)((uint32_t)ent_id);
             } break;
@@ -82,6 +82,16 @@ int32_t network_server_tick(void) {
             } break;
 
             case ENET_EVENT_TYPE_RECEIVE: {
+                pkt_header header = {0};
+                pkt_header_decode(&header, event.packet->data, event.packet->dataLength);
+
+                if (header.ok) {
+                    pkt_handlers[header.id].handler(&header);
+                } else {
+                    // error happened within top level packet flow
+                }
+
+
                 // /* handle a newly received event */
                 // librg_world_read(
                 //     world_tracker(),
@@ -152,3 +162,26 @@ void network_client_destroy(uint64_t ent_id) {
     librg_entity_untrack(world_tracker(), ent_id);
     ecs_delete(world_ecs(), ent_id);
 }
+
+static ENetPeer *network_enet_find_by_id(uint16_t peer_id) {
+    for (size_t i = 0; i < server->peerCount; ++i) {
+        ENetPeer *peer = &server->peers[i];
+        if (enet_peer_get_id(peer) == peer_id)
+            return peer;
+    }
+
+    return NULL;
+}
+
+static int32_t network_msg_send_raw(uint16_t peer_id, void *data, size_t datalen, uint32_t flags) {
+    ENetPacket *packet = enet_packet_create(data, datalen, flags);
+    enet_peer_send(network_enet_find_by_id(peer_id), 0, packet);
+}
+
+int32_t network_msg_send(uint16_t peer_id, void *data, size_t datalen) {
+    network_msg_send_raw(peer_id, data, datalen, ENET_PACKET_FLAG_RELIABLE);
+}
+
+int32_t network_msg_send_unreliable(uint16_t peer_id, void *data, size_t datalen) {
+    network_msg_send_raw(peer_id, data, datalen, 0);
+}
diff --git a/code/common/packets/packet.c b/code/common/packets/packet.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2af9cca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/code/common/packets/packet.c
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+#include "packet.h"
+
+#define PKT_HEADER_ELEMENTS 2
+
+pkt_handler pkt_handlers[] = {
+    {.id = MSG_ID_01_WELCOME, .handler = pkt_01_welcome_handler},
+};
+
+int32_t pkt_header_encode(pkt_header *table) {
+    return 0;
+}
+
+int32_t pkt_header_decode(pkt_header *table, void *data, size_t datalen) {
+    cw_unpack_context uc = {0};
+    cw_unpack_context_init(&uc, data, datalen, 0);
+
+    cw_unpack_next(&uc);
+    if (uc.item.type != CWP_ITEM_ARRAY || uc.item.as.array.size != PKT_HEADER_ELEMENTS) {
+        return -1;//todo: error
+    }
+
+    cw_unpack_next(&uc);
+    if (uc.item.type != CWP_ITEM_POSITIVE_INTEGER || uc.item.as.u64 > UINT16_MAX) {
+        return -1; // invalid packet id id
+    }
+
+    uint16_t pkt_id = (uint16_t)uc.item.as.u64;
+
+    cw_unpack_next(&uc);
+    const void *packed_blob = uc.item.as.bin.start;
+    uin32_t packed_size = uc.item.as.bind.length;
+
+    table->id = pkt_id;
+    table->data = packed_blob;
+    table->datalen = packed_size;
+    table->ok = 1;
+
+    if (uc.return_code != CWP_RC_OK) return -1; // unpacking failed somwwhere
+    cw_unpack_next(&uc);
+    if (uc.return_code != CWP_RC_END_OF_INPUT) return -1; // not finished yet but should be?
+
+    return 0;
+}
diff --git a/code/common/packets/packet.h b/code/common/packets/packet.h
index e9b6a44..35ba9bb 100644
--- a/code/common/packets/packet.h
+++ b/code/common/packets/packet.h
@@ -1 +1,35 @@
-// nothing
+#pragma once
+#include "system.h"
+
+#define PKT_HANDLER_PROC(name) int32_t name(pkt_header *header)
+typedef PKT_HANDLER_PROC(pkt_handler_proc);
+
+typedef enum {
+    MSG_ID_01_WELCOME,
+    MSG_ID_LIBRG_UPDATE,
+    MSG_ID_FORCE_UINT16 = UINT16_MAX,
+} pkt_messages;
+
+typedef struct {
+    uint16_t id;
+    uint16_t sender;
+    uint8_t *data;
+    uint32_t datalen;
+    int8_t ok;
+} pkt_header;
+
+typedef struct {
+    uint16_t id;
+    pkt_handler_proc *handler;
+} pkt_handler;
+
+typedef struct {
+    uint32_t chunk_size;
+    uint32_t chunk_amount;
+} pkt_01_welcome;
+
+int32_t pkt_header_decode(pkt_header *table, void *data, size_t datalen);
+
+PKT_HANDLER_PROC(pkt_01_welcome_handler);
+
+extern pkt_handler pkt_handlers[];
diff --git a/code/common/packets/pkt_01_welcome.c b/code/common/packets/pkt_01_welcome.c
index 3e30f29..a15b6ea 100644
--- a/code/common/packets/pkt_01_welcome.c
+++ b/code/common/packets/pkt_01_welcome.c
@@ -2,14 +2,14 @@
 
 // PACKET_GENERATE_ENCODE(1, 2, )
 
+#include "packet.h"
 #include "cwpack/cwpack.h"
 
 #define PKT_01_WELCOME_ID 1
 #define PKT_01_WELCOME_ARGS 2
 
-size_t PKT_01_welcome_encode(uint32_t chunk_size, uint32_t chunk_amount) {
-    char buffer[20] = {0};
 
+size_t pkt_01_welcome_encode(pkt_01_welcome *table) {
     cw_pack_context pc = {0};
     cw_pack_context_init(&pc, buffer, 20, 0);
     cw_pack_array_size(&pc, 1 + PKT_01_WELCOME_ARGS);
@@ -20,3 +20,37 @@ size_t PKT_01_welcome_encode(uint32_t chunk_size, uint32_t chunk_amount) {
 
     return pc.current - pc.start; /* length */
 }
+
+int32_t pkt_01_welcome_decode(pkt_01_welcome *table, pkt_header *header) {
+    cw_unpack_context uc = {0};
+    cw_unpack_context_init(&uc, header->data, header->datalen, 0);
+
+    cw_unpack_next(&uc);
+    if (uc.item.type != CWP_ITEM_ARRAY || uc.item.as.array.size != PKT_01_WELCOME_ARGS) {
+        return -1;//todo: error
+    }
+
+    cw_unpack_next(&uc);
+    if (uc.item.type != CWP_ITEM_POSITIVE_INTEGER) return -1; // expected chunk size
+    table->chunk_size = uc.item.as.u64;
+
+    cw_unpack_next(&uc);
+    if (uc.item.type != CWP_ITEM_POSITIVE_INTEGER) return -1; // expected chunk amount
+    table->chunk_amount = uc.item.as.u64;
+
+    if (uc.return_code != CWP_RC_OK) return -1; // unpacking failed somwwhere
+    cw_unpack_next(&uc);
+    if (uc.return_code != CWP_RC_END_OF_INPUT) return -1; // not finished yet but should be?
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
+int32_t pkt_01_handler(pkt_header *header) {
+    pkt_01_welcome table;
+    pkt_01_welcome_decode(&table, header);
+
+    zpl_printf("we received: chunk_size: %d and chunk_amount: %d\n", table.chunk_size, table.chunk_amount);
+
+    // do STUFF
+    return 0;
+}