> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.benzinga.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Connecting to TCP Server

> This guide explains how to connect to the Benzinga TCP streaming server and start receiving real-time data.

## Server Endpoint

| Parameter    | Value                          |
| ------------ | ------------------------------ |
| **Host**     | `tcp-v1.benzinga.io`           |
| **Port**     | `11337`                        |
| **Protocol** | TCP                            |
| **TLS**      | Optional (disabled by default) |

## Authentication

Connect using your username and API key:

```bash theme={null}
bztcp -v -user YOUR_USERNAME -key YOUR_API_KEY
```

### Command Line Options

| Option  | Description                |
| ------- | -------------------------- |
| `-user` | Your Benzinga TCP username |
| `-key`  | Your API access key        |
| `-v`    | Enable verbose output      |

## Connection Flow

```mermaid theme={null}
sequenceDiagram
    participant Client
    participant Server as tcp-v1.benzinga.io:11337
    
    Client->>Server: Connect with credentials
    Server->>Client: Authentication response
    Note over Client,Server: Connection established
    loop Streaming
        Server->>Client: JSON message
        Server->>Client: JSON message
        Server->>Client: ...
    end
```

## Connection States

Once connected, you'll see initialization messages:

```
Benzinga TCP Client initializing.
Connecting to 'tcp-v1.benzinga.io:11337' as user 'YOUR_USERNAME' (w/TLS: false)
Connected. Waiting for events.
```

After the connection is established, JSON messages begin streaming automatically.

## TLS Configuration

By default, connections are made without TLS. To enable TLS encryption, use the appropriate flag provided by your client library.

## Connection Best Practices

<Note>
  Keep your connection alive to receive continuous updates. Implement reconnection logic to handle network interruptions gracefully.
</Note>

### Recommended Practices

1. **Implement Reconnection Logic**: Network interruptions can occur; implement exponential backoff for reconnection attempts
2. **Handle Disconnections**: Monitor connection state and reconnect when needed
3. **Buffer Messages**: Process messages asynchronously to avoid blocking the receive loop
4. **Log Connection Events**: Track connection status for debugging and monitoring

## Example Connection

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Go">
    ```go theme={null}
    conn, err := bztcp.Dial("tcp-v1.benzinga.io:11337", "USERNAME", "API_KEY")
    if err != nil {
        log.Fatal(err)
    }
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Python">
    ```python theme={null}
    from bztcp.client import Client

    client = Client(username='USERNAME', key='API_KEY')
    ```
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Next Steps

* [Message Format](/tcp-reference/message-format) - Learn about message structure
* [Python Client](/tcp-reference/python-client) - Full Python library documentation
* [Go Client](/tcp-reference/go-client) - Full Go library documentation