diff --git a/examples/stack/main.go b/examples/stack/main.go
index 9c3e774..6a18b03 100644
--- a/examples/stack/main.go
+++ b/examples/stack/main.go
@@ -70,11 +70,15 @@ func main() {
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Fatal(err)
 	}
+	log.Println("success receiving packet")
 	n, err := lStack.HandleEth(buf)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Fatal(n, err)
+	} else if n > 0 {
+		log.Println("success sending packet")
+	} else {
+		log.Println("no packet sent")
 	}
-	log.Println("success receiving packet")
 }
 
 type Handler interface {
diff --git a/tcp/control.go b/tcp/control.go
index 9627257..a4bf173 100644
--- a/tcp/control.go
+++ b/tcp/control.go
@@ -138,14 +138,13 @@ type recvSpace struct {
 	WND Size  // receive window defined by local. Permitted number of remote unacked octets in flight.
 }
 
-// Open implements a passive/active opening of a connection.
-// state must be StateListen or StateSynSent.
-func (tcb *ControlBlock) Open(iss Value, wnd Size, state State) (err error) {
+// Open implements a passive opening of a connection (wait for incoming packets).
+// Upon success [ControlBlock] enters LISTEN state, such as that of a server.
+// To open an active connection use [ControlBlock.Send] with a segment generated with [ClientSynSegment].
+func (tcb *ControlBlock) Open(iss Value, wnd Size) (err error) {
 	switch {
 	case tcb._state != StateClosed && tcb._state != StateListen:
 		err = errTCBNotClosed
-	case state != StateListen && state != StateSynSent:
-		err = errInvalidState
 	case wnd > math.MaxUint16:
 		err = errWindowTooLarge
 	}
@@ -153,15 +152,17 @@ func (tcb *ControlBlock) Open(iss Value, wnd Size, state State) (err error) {
 		tcb.logerr("tcb:open", slog.String("err", err.Error()))
 		return err
 	}
-	tcb._state = state
+	tcb._state = StateListen
+	tcb.prepareToHandshake(iss, wnd)
+	tcb.trace("tcb:open-server")
+	return nil
+}
+
+// prepareToHandshake initializes the TCB send/receive spaces with initial send sequence number and local window.
+func (tcb *ControlBlock) prepareToHandshake(iss Value, wnd Size) {
 	tcb.resetRcv(wnd, 0)
 	tcb.resetSnd(iss, 1)
 	tcb.pending = [2]Flags{}
-	if state == StateSynSent {
-		tcb.pending[0] = FlagSYN
-	}
-	tcb.trace("tcb:open", slog.String("state", tcb._state.String()))
-	return nil
 }
 
 // HasPending returns true if there is a pending control segment to send. Calls to Send will advance the pending queue.
@@ -305,6 +306,12 @@ func (tcb *ControlBlock) Send(seg Segment) error {
 	hasACK := seg.Flags.HasAny(FlagACK)
 	var newPending Flags
 	switch tcb._state {
+	case StateClosed:
+		if seg.Flags == FlagSYN {
+			tcb._state = StateSynSent
+			tcb.prepareToHandshake(seg.SEQ, seg.WND)
+			tcb.trace("tcb:open-client")
+		}
 	case StateSynRcvd:
 		if hasFIN {
 			tcb._state = StateFinWait1 // RFC 9293: 3.10.4 CLOSE call.
@@ -348,14 +355,15 @@ func (tcb *ControlBlock) Send(seg Segment) error {
 
 func (tcb *ControlBlock) validateOutgoingSegment(seg Segment) (err error) {
 	hasAck := seg.Flags.HasAny(FlagACK)
-	checkSeq := !seg.Flags.HasAny(FlagRST)
+	isFirst := tcb._state == StateClosed && seg.isFirstSYN()
+	checkSeq := !isFirst && !seg.Flags.HasAny(FlagRST)
 	seglast := seg.Last()
 	// Extra check for when send Window is zero and no data is being sent.
 	zeroWindowOK := tcb.snd.WND == 0 && seg.DATALEN == 0 && seg.SEQ == tcb.snd.NXT
 	outOfWindow := checkSeq && !seg.SEQ.InWindow(tcb.snd.NXT, tcb.snd.WND) &&
 		!zeroWindowOK
 	switch {
-	case tcb._state == StateClosed:
+	case tcb._state == StateClosed && !isFirst:
 		err = io.ErrClosedPipe
 	case seg.WND > math.MaxUint16:
 		err = errWindowTooLarge
diff --git a/tcp/definitions.go b/tcp/definitions.go
index 6a95ab8..9b5f950 100644
--- a/tcp/definitions.go
+++ b/tcp/definitions.go
@@ -68,6 +68,25 @@ func (seg *Segment) Last() Value {
 	return Add(seg.SEQ, seglen) - 1
 }
 
+func (seg Segment) isFirstSYN() bool {
+	return seg.Flags == FlagSYN && seg.ACK == 0 && seg.DATALEN == 0 && seg.WND > 0
+}
+
+// ClientSynSegment is a the first packet sent over a TCP connection to a server. Typically the client
+// will call ClientSynSegment to generate a new SYN packet to send over to the server to initiate communications:
+//
+//	synseg := ClientSynSegment(100, 256)
+//	err := clientTCB.Send(synseg) // By now the client's TCB is in StateSynSent and is attempting to open a connection.
+func ClientSynSegment(clientISS Value, clientWND Size) Segment {
+	return Segment{
+		SEQ:     clientISS,
+		WND:     clientWND,
+		Flags:   FlagSYN,
+		ACK:     0,
+		DATALEN: 0,
+	}
+}
+
 // StringExchange returns a string representation of a segment exchange over
 // a network in RFC9293 styled visualization. invertDir inverts the arrow directions.
 // i.e:
diff --git a/tcp/handler.go b/tcp/handler.go
index 0b623d9..33b8dcc 100644
--- a/tcp/handler.go
+++ b/tcp/handler.go
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ func (h *Handler) LocalPort() uint16 {
 
 func (h *Handler) Open(state State, localPort, remotePort uint16, iss Value) error {
 	// Open will fail unless SCB in closed state.
-	err := h.scb.Open(iss, Size(h.bufRx.Size()), state)
+	err := h.scb.Open(iss, Size(h.bufRx.Size()))
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -156,13 +156,15 @@ func (h *Handler) Send(b []byte) (int, error) {
 			// No pending control segment or data to send. Yield.
 			return 0, nil
 		}
-		n, seq, err := h.bufTx.MakePacket(b[sizeHeaderTCP : sizeHeaderTCP+segment.DATALEN])
-		if err != nil {
-			return 0, err
-		} else if seq != segment.SEQ {
-			panic("mismatching sequence numbers")
-		} else if n != int(segment.DATALEN) {
-			panic("expected n == available")
+		if available > 0 {
+			n, seq, err := h.bufTx.MakePacket(b[sizeHeaderTCP : sizeHeaderTCP+segment.DATALEN])
+			if err != nil {
+				return 0, err
+			} else if seq != segment.SEQ {
+				panic("mismatching sequence numbers")
+			} else if n != int(segment.DATALEN) {
+				panic("expected n == available")
+			}
 		}
 	}
 	prevState := h.scb.State()
diff --git a/tcp/handler_test.go b/tcp/handler_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..aa21417
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tcp/handler_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+package tcp
+
+import (
+	"math/rand"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestHandler(t *testing.T) {
+
+}
+
+func setupClientServer(rng *rand.Rand) (client, server Handler) {
+
+	// err := server.Open(StateListen, uint16(rng.Uint32()), 0, 0)
+	// if err != nil {
+	// 	panic(err)
+	// }
+	// err = client.Open(State)
+	return client, server
+}
diff --git a/tcp/tcp_test.go b/tcp/tcp_test.go
index 27ebfa9..2ba2fd4 100644
--- a/tcp/tcp_test.go
+++ b/tcp/tcp_test.go
@@ -316,22 +316,28 @@ func TestExchange_rfc9293_figure13(t *testing.T) {
 func TestExchange_noDupAckDuringEstablished(t *testing.T) {
 	var tcbA tcp.ControlBlock
 	const issA, issB, windowA, windowB = 300, 334222749, 256, 64240
-	err := tcbA.Open(issA, issA, tcp.StateSynSent)
+	synseg := tcp.ClientSynSegment(issA, windowA)
+
+	// err := tcbA.Open(issA, issA, tcp.StateSynSent)
 	tcbA.SetRecvWindow(windowA)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
-	}
+	// if err != nil {
+	// 	t.Fatal(err)
+	// }
 	establishA := []tcp.Exchange{
-		0: { // B sends SYN to A.
+		0: { // A sends SYN to B.
+			Outgoing:  &synseg,
+			WantState: tcp.StateSynSent,
+		},
+		1: { // B sends SYN to A.
 			Incoming:    &tcp.Segment{SEQ: issB, ACK: 0, WND: windowB, Flags: tcp.FlagSYN},
 			WantPending: &tcp.Segment{SEQ: issA, ACK: issB + 1, WND: windowA, Flags: SYNACK},
 			WantState:   tcp.StateSynRcvd,
 		},
-		1: { // Send SYNACK to B.
+		2: { // Send SYNACK to B.
 			Outgoing:  &tcp.Segment{SEQ: issA, ACK: issB + 1, WND: windowA, Flags: SYNACK},
 			WantState: tcp.StateSynRcvd,
 		},
-		2: { // B ACKs SYNACK, thus establishing the connection on both sides.
+		3: { // B ACKs SYNACK, thus establishing the connection on both sides.
 			Incoming:  &tcp.Segment{SEQ: issB + 1, ACK: issA + 1, WND: windowB, Flags: tcp.FlagACK},
 			WantState: tcp.StateEstablished,
 		},