diff --git a/lib/nsca/check.rb b/lib/nsca/check.rb
index 3aaeb72..2326d9d 100644
--- a/lib/nsca/check.rb
+++ b/lib/nsca/check.rb
@@ -6,13 +6,18 @@ module NSCA
 
 			class <<self
 				attr_reader :label, :unit, :warn, :crit, :min, :max
-				def init label, unit = nil, warn = nil, crit = nil, min = nil, max = nil
-					@label, @unit, @warn, @crit, @min, @max = label.to_s, unit, warn, crit, min, max
+				def init *args
+					a, o = args, args.last.is_a?( Hash) ? args.pop : {}
+					@label, @unit = a[0]||o[:label], a[1]||o[:unit]
+					@warn, @crit = a[2]||o[:warn], a[3]||o[:crit]
+					@min, @max = a[4]||o[:min], a[5]||o[:max]
+					raise ArgumentError, "Label expected"  unless @label
+					@label = @label.to_s
 					self
 				end
 
 				def measure &block
-					exception = Class.new Timeout::Error
+					exception = ::Class.new Timeout::Error
 					timeout = max
 					m = realtime do
 						begin
@@ -24,6 +29,9 @@ module NSCA
 				end
 
 				def to_sym() label.to_sym end
+				def to_h() {label: @label, unit: @unit, warn: @warn, crit: @crit, min: @min, max: @max } end
+				def to_a() [label, unit, warn, crit, min, max] end
+				def clone( opts = nil) ::Class.new( self).init opts ? to_h.merge( opts) : to_h end
 			end
 
 			attr_reader :value
@@ -34,9 +42,14 @@ module NSCA
 			def crit()  self.class.crit  end
 			def min()  self.class.min  end
 			def max()  self.class.max  end
+			def to_a() [label, value, unit, warn, crit, min, max] end
 			def to_s() "#{label}=#{value}#{unit},#{warn},#{crit},#{min},#{max}" end
 			def to_sym() self.class.label.to_sym end
 
+			def to_h
+				{label: @label, value: @value, unit: @unit, warn: @warn, crit: @crit, min: @min, max: @max}
+			end
+
 			def return_code
 				if @value.nil? then 3
 				elsif crit <= @value then 2
@@ -47,13 +60,9 @@ module NSCA
 		end
 
 		class <<self
-			def new label, unit = nil, warn = nil, crit = nil, min = nil, max = nil
-				cl = Class.new Base
-				cl.init label, unit, warn, crit, min, max
-			end
-
-			def create label, unit = nil, warn = nil, crit = nil, min = nil, max = nil
-				cl = new label, unit, warn, crit, min, max
+			def new( *args) ::Class.new( Base).init *args end
+			def create label, *args
+				cl = new label, *args
 				clname = NSCA::Helper.class_name_gen label
 				self.const_set clname, cl  if clname
 				cl
@@ -66,7 +75,7 @@ module NSCA
 			attr_accessor :return_code, :status, :timestamp
 			attr_reader :perfdatas
 
-			def initialize return_code = nil, status = nil, perfdatas = nil
+			def initialize return_code = nil, status = nil, perfdatas = nil, timestamp = nil
 				@perfdatas = {}
 				init return_code, status, perfdatas, timestamp || Time.now
 			end
@@ -119,27 +128,12 @@ module NSCA
 			end
 			def send() NSCA::send self end
 
-			def ok status = nil, perfdatas = nil
-				init ReturnCode::OK, status, perfdatas
-				send
-			end
-
-			def warning status = nil, perfdatas = nil
-				init ReturnCode::WARNING, status, perfdatas
-				send
-			end
+			def ok( *args) init ReturnCode::OK, *args end
+			def warning( *args) init ReturnCode::WARNING, *args end
 			alias warn warning
-
-			def critical status = nil, perfdatas = nil
-				init ReturnCode::CRITICAL, status, perfdatas
-				send
-			end
+			def critical( *args) init ReturnCode::CRITICAL, *args end
 			alias crit critical
-
-			def unknown status = nil, perfdatas = nil
-				init ReturnCode::UNKNOWN, status, perfdatas
-				send
-			end
+			def unknown( *args) init ReturnCode::UNKNOWN, *args end
 
 			def determine_return_code
 				self.class.perfdatas.map do |label, pdc|
@@ -159,12 +153,19 @@ module NSCA
 
 			def service() self.class.service end
 			def hostname() self.class.hostname end
+			def to_a() [timestamp, retcode, hostname, service, text] end
+			def to_h
+				{timestamp: timestamp, return_code: retcode, hostname: hostname, server: service, status: text}
+			end
 
 			class <<self
 				attr_reader :service, :hostname, :perfdatas
-				def init service, hostname = nil, perfdatas = nil
-					@service, @hostname, @perfdatas = service, hostname || `hostname -f`, {}
-					perfdatas.each {|pd| @perfdatas[pd.label.to_sym] = pd }
+				def init *args
+					a, o = args, args.last.is_a?( Hash) ? args.pop : {}
+					service, hostname = nil, perfdatas = nil
+					@service, @hostname, @perfdatas = a[0]||o[:service], a[1]||o[:hostname]||`hostname`, {}
+					perfdatas = a[2]||o[:perfdatas]
+					perfdatas.each {|pd| @perfdatas[pd.to_sym] = pd }  if perfdatas
 					self
 				end
 
@@ -174,6 +175,11 @@ module NSCA
 				def critical( status = nil, perfdatas = nil) new.warning status, perfdatas end
 				alias crit critical
 				def unknown( status = nil, perfdatas = nil) new.unknown status, perfdatas end
+
+				def to_a() [service, hostname, perfdatas.dup] end
+				def to_h() {service: service, hostname: hostname, perfdatas: perfdatas.values} end
+				def to_sym() "#{hostname}|#{service}".to_sym end
+				def clone( opts = nil) ::Class.new( self).init opts ? to_h.merge( opts) : to_h end
 			end
 		end
 
diff --git a/test/test_nsca.rb b/test/test_nsca.rb
index 266add5..ce719fc 100644
--- a/test/test_nsca.rb
+++ b/test/test_nsca.rb
@@ -1,35 +1,79 @@
 require 'helper'
+require 'dummy_server'
+require 'securerandom'
 
 class TestNSCA < Test::Unit::TestCase
-	class TestChecks
-		extend NSCA::Checks
-		PD1 = perfdata :pd1_in_sec, :s, 10, 20, 0, 30
-		PD2 = perfdata :pd2_in_1, 1, 0.99, 0.98, 0, 1
-		PD3 = perfdata :pd3_count, :c, 3, 5, 0
-		T0 = check 'TestNSCA0', 'uxnags01-sbe.net.mobilkom.at'
-		T1 = check 'TestNSCA1', 'uxnags01-sbe.net.mobilkom.at', [PD1, PD2]
-		T2 = check :TestNSCA2, 'uxnags01-sbe.net.mobilkom.at', [PD1, PD2, PD3]
+	context 'xor' do
+		should 'return a if a (random) will xored double with random key. (1000 rounds)' do
+			1000.times do
+				key_len = SecureRandom.random_number 1000
+				a_len = SecureRandom.random_number 1000
+				key = SecureRandom.random_bytes key_len
+				a = SecureRandom.random_bytes a_len
+				assert_equal a, NSCA.xor( key, NSCA.xor(key, a))
+			end
+		end
 	end
+end
 
-	context 'our test server' do
-		should 'receive data. NSCA-server should run on localhost 5777. if not, ignore this test. password=abcdefghijkl' do
-			PD1 = TestChecks::PD1
-			PD2 = TestChecks::PD2
-			PD3 = TestChecks::PD3
-			T0 = TestChecks::T0
-			T1 = TestChecks::T1
-			T2 = TestChecks::T2
+class TestNSCACommunication < Test::Unit::TestCase
+	Port = 5787
+
+	include NSCA::Checks
+
+	context "our dummy test server on localhost:#{Port} with random password" do
+		should 'receive data' do
+			password = SecureRandom.random_bytes
+			timestamp = Time.now
+
+			PD1 = perfdata :pd1_in_sec, :s, 10, 20, 0, 30
+			PD2 = perfdata :pd2_in_1, 1, 0.99, 0.98, 0, 1
+			PD3 = perfdata :pd3_count, :c, 3, 5, 0
+			T0 = check 'TestNSCA0', 'uxnags01-sbe.net.mobilkom.at'
+			T1 = check 'TestNSCA1', 'uxnags01-sbe.net.mobilkom.at', [PD1, PD2]
+			T2 = check :TestNSCA2, 'uxnags01-sbe.net.mobilkom.at', [PD1, PD2, PD3]
 
 			checks = []
-			checks << TestChecks::T0.new( 1, "0123456789"*51+"AB")
+			t0 = T0.new( 1, "0123456789"*51+"AB", nil, timestamp) # oversized service name
+			checks << t0
 
 			pd1 = PD1.new 3
 			pd2 = PD2.new 0.9996
 			pd3 = PD3.new 2
-			checks << TestChecks::T1.new( nil, "Should be OK", [pd1, pd2, pd3])
+			t1 = T1.new( nil, "Should be OK", [pd1, pd2, pd3], timestamp)
+			checks << t1
 
-			NSCA::destinations << NSCA::Client.new( 'localhost', 5667, password: 'abcdefghijkl')
+			NSCA::destinations.clear
+			NSCA::destinations << NSCA::Client.new( 'localhost', Port, password: password)
+
+			server = Thread.new { NSCA.dummy_server Port, password: password }
+			sleep 1 # server needs time to start...
 			NSCA::send *checks
+			pc0, pc1 = server.value
+
+			[[t0, pc0], [t1, pc1]].each do |(test, packet)|
+				assert_equal test.hostname, packet.hostname
+				assert_equal test.service, packet.service
+				assert_equal timestamp.to_i, packet.timestamp.to_i
+				assert_equal test.retcode, packet.return_code
+			end
+			# original with B, but B is char 512 and will be replaced by \0
+			assert_equal pc0.status, "0123456789"*51+"A"
+			assert_equal pc1.status, "Should be OK | pd1_in_sec=3s,10,20,0,30 pd2_in_1=0.99961,0.99,0.98,0,1 pd3_count=2c,3,5,0,"
+		end
+
+		should 'fail crc32 if wrong password' do
+			password = SecureRandom.random_bytes
+			timestamp = Time.now
+			T3 = check 'TestNSCA0', 'uxnags01-sbe.net.mobilkom.at'
+			NSCA::destinations.clear
+			NSCA::destinations << NSCA::Client.new( 'localhost', Port, password: password+'a')
+			server = Thread.new { NSCA.dummy_server Port, password: password }
+			sleep 1 # server needs time to start...
+			NSCA::send T3.new( 1, 'status', nil, timestamp)
+			assert_raise NSCA::Packet::CSC32CheckFailed do
+				server.join
+			end
 		end
 	end
 end
@@ -87,9 +131,45 @@ class TestNSCA::PerformanceData < Test::Unit::TestCase
 	end
 end
 
+class TestNSCA::Check < Test::Unit::TestCase
+	context 'Subclasses' do
+		should 'be created by NSCA::Check.create' do
+			CA = NSCA::Check.create 'a uniq name'
+			assert_same CA, NSCA::Check::A_uniq_name
+		end
+	end
 
-class TestNSCA::Client < Test::Unit::TestCase
-	should '' do
-		NSCA::Client
+	context 'No Subclasses' do
+		should 'be created by NSCA::Check.new' do
+			CB = NSCA::Check.new 'a uniq name, too'
+			assert_raise NameError, 'A class named NSCA::Check::A_uniq_name_too exists' do
+				CB == NSCA::Check::A_uniq_name_too
+			end
+		end
+	end
+
+	context 'Clones' do
+		should 'have old class as superclass' do
+			CC1 = NSCA::Check.new( 'a check which will be for cloning')
+			CC2 = CC1.clone
+			assert_equal CC2.superclass, CC1
+		end
+
+		should 'have the same data' do
+			CD1 = NSCA::Check.new 'a check for same data after cloning'
+			CD2 = CD1.clone
+			assert_equal CD2.to_a, CD2.to_a
+		end
+
+		should 'have the same data, except specific data' do
+			CE1 = NSCA::Check.new 'a check for same data after cloning again, but...'
+			CE2 = CE1.clone service: '... but the service will be changed.'
+			assert_not_equal CE1.service, CE2.service
+			assert_equal 'a check for same data after cloning again, but...', CE1.service
+			assert_equal '... but the service will be changed.', CE2.service
+			ce1_data, ce2_data = CE1.to_a, CE2.to_a
+			ce1_data[0] = ce2_data[0] = 'dummy'
+			assert_equal ce1_data, ce2_data
+		end
 	end
 end