diff --git a/include/mqttclient.h b/include/mqttclient.h
index 28013301..4e366aba 100644
--- a/include/mqttclient.h
+++ b/include/mqttclient.h
@@ -6,16 +6,18 @@
 #include <ETH.h>
 #include <PubSubClient.h>
 
-#define MQTT_NAME "paxcounter"
-#define MQTT_INTOPIC "rcommand"
+#define MQTT_CLIENT "paxcounter"
+#define MQTT_INTOPIC "pax_IN"
+#define MQTT_OUTTOPIC "pax_OUT"
 #define MQTT_PORT 1883
+#define MQTT_SERVER "broker.hivemq.com"
 
 extern TaskHandle_t mqttTask;
 
 void mqtt_enqueuedata(MessageBuffer_t *message);
 void mqtt_queuereset(void);
 void mqtt_client_task(void *param);
-void mqtt_connect(IPAddress mqtt_host, uint16_t mqtt_port);
+int mqtt_connect(IPAddress mqtt_host, uint16_t mqtt_port);
 void mqtt_callback(char *topic, byte *payload, unsigned int length);
 void WiFiEvent(WiFiEvent_t event);
 esp_err_t mqtt_init(void);
diff --git a/src/mqttclient.cpp b/src/mqttclient.cpp
index 7b521658..a113b7f5 100644
--- a/src/mqttclient.cpp
+++ b/src/mqttclient.cpp
@@ -4,58 +4,81 @@
 
 static const char TAG[] = __FILE__;
 
-IPAddress mqtt_server_ip(192, 168, 11, 57);
+IPAddress mqtt_server_ip;
 
 QueueHandle_t MQTTSendQueue;
 TaskHandle_t mqttTask;
 
 WiFiClient ipClient;
-PubSubClient client(ipClient);
+PubSubClient mqttClient(ipClient);
 
 void WiFiEvent(WiFiEvent_t event) {
   switch (event) {
   case SYSTEM_EVENT_ETH_START:
-    ESP_LOGI(TAG, "ETH Started");
-    ETH.setHostname(MQTT_NAME);
+    ESP_LOGI(TAG, "Ethernet link layer started");
+    ETH.setHostname(MQTT_CLIENT);
     break;
   case SYSTEM_EVENT_ETH_CONNECTED:
-    ESP_LOGI(TAG, "ETH Connected");
+    ESP_LOGI(TAG, "Network link connected");
     break;
   case SYSTEM_EVENT_ETH_GOT_IP:
-    ESP_LOGI(TAG, "ETH MAC: %s", ETH.macAddress());
-    ESP_LOGI(TAG, "IPv4: %s", ETH.localIP());
+    ESP_LOGI(TAG, "ETH MAC: %s", ETH.macAddress().c_str());
+    ESP_LOGI(TAG, "IPv4: %s", ETH.localIP().toString().c_str());
     ESP_LOGI(TAG, "Link Speed %d Mbps %s", ETH.linkSpeed(),
              ETH.fullDuplex() ? "full duplex" : "half duplex");
     mqtt_connect(mqtt_server_ip, MQTT_PORT);
     break;
   case SYSTEM_EVENT_ETH_DISCONNECTED:
-    ESP_LOGI(TAG, "ETH Disconnected");
+    ESP_LOGI(TAG, "Network link disconnected");
     break;
   case SYSTEM_EVENT_ETH_STOP:
-    ESP_LOGI(TAG, "ETH Stopped");
+    ESP_LOGI(TAG, "Ethernet link layer stopped");
     break;
   default:
     break;
   }
 }
 
-void mqtt_connect(IPAddress mqtt_host, uint16_t mqtt_port) {
+int mqtt_connect(IPAddress mqtt_host, uint16_t mqtt_port) {
+  // resolve server
+  if (WiFi.hostByName(MQTT_SERVER, mqtt_server_ip)) {
+    ESP_LOGI(TAG, "Attempting to connect to %s [%s]", MQTT_SERVER,
+             mqtt_server_ip.toString().c_str());
+  } else {
+    ESP_LOGI(TAG, "Could not resolve %s", MQTT_SERVER);
+    return -1;
+  }
+
   // attempt to connect to MQTT server
-  if (ipClient.connect(mqtt_server_ip, MQTT_PORT)) {
-    if (client.connect(MQTT_NAME)) {
-      ESP_LOGW(TAG, "MQTT server connected, subscribing");
-      client.subscribe(MQTT_INTOPIC);
+  if (ipClient.connect(mqtt_host, mqtt_port)) {
+
+    mqttClient.setServer(mqtt_server_ip, MQTT_PORT);
+    mqttClient.setCallback(mqtt_callback);
+
+    String clientId = "Paxcounter-";
+    clientId += String(random(0xffff), HEX);
+
+    if (mqttClient.connect(clientId.c_str())) {
+      ESP_LOGI(TAG, "MQTT server connected, subscribing...");
+      mqttClient.publish(MQTT_OUTTOPIC, "hello world");
+      mqttClient.subscribe(MQTT_INTOPIC);
+      ESP_LOGI(TAG, "MQTT topic subscribed");
     } else {
       ESP_LOGW(TAG, "MQTT server not responding, retrying later");
+      return -1;
     }
-  } else
+  } else {
     ESP_LOGW(TAG, "MQTT server not connected, retrying later");
+    return -1;
+  }
 }
 
 void mqtt_client_task(void *param) {
+
+  MessageBuffer_t msg;
+  char cPort[4], cMsg[PAYLOAD_BUFFER_SIZE + 1];
+
   while (1) {
-    MessageBuffer_t msg;
-    char cPort[4], cMsg[PAYLOAD_BUFFER_SIZE + 1];
 
     // fetch next or wait for payload to send from queue
     if (xQueueReceive(MQTTSendQueue, &msg, portMAX_DELAY) != pdTRUE) {
@@ -63,12 +86,12 @@ void mqtt_client_task(void *param) {
       continue;
     }
 
-    // send data
-    if (client.connected()) {
-      snprintf(cPort, sizeof(cPort), "%d", msg.MessagePort);
+    // send data to mqtt server
+    if (mqttClient.connected()) {
+      snprintf(cPort, sizeof(cPort), "Port_%d", msg.MessagePort);
       snprintf(cMsg, sizeof(cMsg), "%s", msg.Message);
-      client.publish(cPort, cMsg);
-      client.loop();
+      mqttClient.publish(cPort, cMsg);
+      mqttClient.loop();
       ESP_LOGI(TAG, "%d byte(s) sent to MQTT", msg.MessageSize);
     } else {
       mqtt_enqueuedata(&msg); // re-enqueue the undelivered message
@@ -76,7 +99,7 @@ void mqtt_client_task(void *param) {
       // attempt to reconnect to MQTT server
       mqtt_connect(mqtt_server_ip, MQTT_PORT);
     }
-  }
+  } // while(1)
 }
 
 esp_err_t mqtt_init(void) {
@@ -89,15 +112,12 @@ esp_err_t mqtt_init(void) {
   ESP_LOGI(TAG, "MQTT send queue created, size %d Bytes",
            SEND_QUEUE_SIZE * PAYLOAD_BUFFER_SIZE);
 
-  WiFi.onEvent(WiFiEvent);
-  assert(ETH.begin());
-
-  client.setServer(mqtt_server_ip, MQTT_PORT);
-  client.setCallback(mqtt_callback);
-
   ESP_LOGI(TAG, "Starting MQTTloop...");
   xTaskCreate(mqtt_client_task, "mqttloop", 4096, (void *)NULL, 2, &mqttTask);
 
+  WiFi.onEvent(WiFiEvent);
+  ETH.begin();
+
   return ESP_OK;
 }
 
@@ -127,7 +147,7 @@ void mqtt_enqueuedata(MessageBuffer_t *message) {
 void mqtt_queuereset(void) { xQueueReset(MQTTSendQueue); }
 
 void mqtt_callback(char *topic, byte *payload, unsigned int length) {
-  if ((length) && (topic == MQTT_INTOPIC))
+  if ((length >= 1) && (topic == MQTT_INTOPIC))
     rcommand(payload, length);
 }