diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 773742f..0ba2fc1 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -85,6 +85,12 @@ version = "3.19.1"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "5dd9dc738b7a8311c7ade152424974d8115f2cdad61e8dab8dac9f2362298510"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "bytes"
+version = "1.11.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "b35204fbdc0b3f4446b89fc1ac2cf84a8a68971995d0bf2e925ec7cd960f9cb3"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "cc"
 version = "1.2.51"
@@ -556,6 +562,7 @@ name = "roowho2"
 version = "0.1.0"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
+ "bytes",
  "chrono",
  "clap",
  "nix",
@@ -753,9 +760,21 @@ dependencies = [
  "mio",
  "pin-project-lite",
  "socket2",
+ "tokio-macros",
  "windows-sys 0.61.2",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "tokio-macros"
+version = "2.6.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "af407857209536a95c8e56f8231ef2c2e2aff839b22e07a1ffcbc617e9db9fa5"
+dependencies = [
+ "proc-macro2",
+ "quote",
+ "syn",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "type-map"
 version = "0.5.1"
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 84f7492..adec9f0 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -15,10 +15,11 @@ autolib = false
 
 [dependencies]
 anyhow = "1.0.100"
+bytes = "1.11.0"
 chrono = { version = "0.4.42", features = ["serde"] }
 clap = { version = "4.5.53", features = ["derive"] }
 nix = { version = "0.30.1", features = ["hostname", "net"] }
-tokio = { version = "1.49.0", features = ["net", "rt-multi-thread"] }
+tokio = { version = "1.49.0", features = ["macros", "net", "rt-multi-thread"] }
 # onc-rpc = "0.3.2"
 # sd-notify = "0.4.5"
 # serde = { version = "1.0.228", features = ["derive"] }
diff --git a/src/bin/roowhod.rs b/src/bin/roowhod.rs
index 0b8f907..a23096f 100644
--- a/src/bin/roowhod.rs
+++ b/src/bin/roowhod.rs
@@ -1,10 +1,29 @@
-fn main() {
-    println!(
-        "{:#?}",
-        roowho2_lib::server::rwhod::generate_rwhod_status_update(),
-    );
-    println!(
-        "{:#?}",
-        roowho2_lib::server::rwhod::determine_relevant_interfaces(),
+use std::net::SocketAddrV4;
+
+use roowho2_lib::proto::Whod;
+
+const RWHOD_BROADCAST_PORT: u16 = 513;
+
+#[tokio::main]
+async fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
+    let addr = SocketAddrV4::new(
+        std::net::Ipv4Addr::UNSPECIFIED,
+        RWHOD_BROADCAST_PORT,
     );
+    let socket = tokio::net::UdpSocket::bind(addr).await?;
+    socket.set_broadcast(true)?;
+
+    let mut buf = [0u8; Whod::SIZE];
+    loop {
+        let (len, src) = socket.recv_from(&mut buf).await?;
+        if len == Whod::SIZE {
+            if let Ok(whod) = Whod::from_bytes(&buf) {
+                println!("Received whod packet from {}: {:?}", src, whod);
+            } else {
+                println!("Received malformed whod packet from {}", src);
+            }
+        } else {
+            println!("Received unexpected packet size {} from {}", len, src);
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/proto/rwhod_protocol.rs b/src/proto/rwhod_protocol.rs
index 93bceba..16a6cfe 100644
--- a/src/proto/rwhod_protocol.rs
+++ b/src/proto/rwhod_protocol.rs
@@ -56,13 +56,88 @@ impl Whod {
     // NOTE: there was probably meant to be more packet types, but only status is defined.
     pub const WHODTYPE_STATUS: u8 = 1;
 
-    pub fn to_bytes(&self) -> [u8; std::mem::size_of::<Whod>()] {
+    pub fn to_bytes(&self) -> [u8; Whod::SIZE] {
         unsafe { std::mem::transmute_copy(self) }
     }
 
-    // TODO: we should probably make a safer parser.
-    pub fn from_bytes(bytes: &[u8; std::mem::size_of::<Whod>()]) -> Self {
-        unsafe { std::mem::transmute_copy(bytes) }
+    // TODO: use the bytes crate to make this simpler and safer
+    pub fn from_bytes(bytes: &[u8; Whod::SIZE]) -> anyhow::Result<Self> {
+        let mut i = 0;
+
+        let wd_vers = bytes[i];
+        i += 1;
+
+        let wd_type = bytes[1];
+        i += 1;
+
+        i += 2; // skip wd_pad
+
+        let wd_sendtime = i32::from_le_bytes(bytes[i..i + 4].try_into()?);
+        i += 4;
+
+        let wd_recvtime = i32::from_le_bytes(bytes[i..i + 4].try_into()?);
+        i += 4;
+
+        let mut wd_hostname = [0u8; Self::MAX_HOSTNAME_LEN];
+        wd_hostname.copy_from_slice(&bytes[i..i + Self::MAX_HOSTNAME_LEN]);
+        i += Self::MAX_HOSTNAME_LEN;
+
+        let wd_loadav = [
+            i32::from_le_bytes(bytes[i..i + 4].try_into()?),
+            i32::from_le_bytes(bytes[i + 4..i + 8].try_into()?),
+            i32::from_le_bytes(bytes[i + 8..i + 12].try_into()?),
+        ];
+
+        i += 4 * 3;
+
+        let wd_boottime = i32::from_le_bytes(bytes[i..i + 4].try_into()?);
+        i += 4;
+
+        let mut wd_we = array::from_fn(|_| Whoent {
+            we_utmp: Outmp {
+                out_line: [0u8; Outmp::MAX_TTY_NAME_LEN],
+                out_name: [0u8; Outmp::MAX_USER_ID_LEN],
+                out_time: 0,
+            },
+            we_idle: 0,
+        });
+
+        for entry in wd_we.iter_mut() {
+            let mut out_line = [0u8; Outmp::MAX_TTY_NAME_LEN];
+            out_line.copy_from_slice(&bytes[i..i + Outmp::MAX_TTY_NAME_LEN]);
+            i += Outmp::MAX_TTY_NAME_LEN;
+
+            let mut out_name = [0u8; Outmp::MAX_USER_ID_LEN];
+            out_name.copy_from_slice(&bytes[i..i + Outmp::MAX_USER_ID_LEN]);
+            i += Outmp::MAX_USER_ID_LEN;
+
+            let out_time = i32::from_le_bytes(bytes[i..i + 4].try_into()?);
+            i += 4;
+
+            let we_idle = i32::from_le_bytes(bytes[i..i + 4].try_into()?);
+            i += 4;
+
+            entry.we_utmp = Outmp {
+                out_line,
+                out_name,
+                out_time,
+            };
+            entry.we_idle = we_idle;
+        }
+
+        debug_assert!(i == Whod::SIZE);
+
+        Ok(Whod {
+            wd_vers,
+            wd_type,
+            wd_pad: [0u8; 2],
+            wd_sendtime,
+            wd_recvtime,
+            wd_hostname,
+            wd_loadav,
+            wd_boottime,
+            wd_we,
+        })
     }
 }