diff --git a/conn/dialer.c b/conn/dialer.c
index c22b5c7..efb9904 100644
--- a/conn/dialer.c
+++ b/conn/dialer.c
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 #include "libp2p/net/multistream.h"
 #include "libp2p/secio/secio.h"
 #include "libp2p/yamux/yamux.h"
+#include "libp2p/identify/identify.h"
 
 struct TransportDialer* libp2p_conn_tcp_transport_dialer_new();
 
@@ -141,9 +142,13 @@ int libp2p_conn_dialer_join_swarm(const struct Dialer* dialer, struct Libp2pPeer
 				new_stream = libp2p_yamux_stream_new(new_stream);
 				if (new_stream != NULL) {
 					peer->sessionContext->default_stream = new_stream;
-					// identity over yamux
+					// we have our swarm connection. Now we ask for some "channels"
+					// id over yamux
+					libp2p_yamux_stream_add(new_stream->stream_context, libp2p_identify_stream_new(new_stream));
 					// kademlia over yamux
+					//libp2p_yamux_stream_add(new_stream->stream_context, libp2p_kademlia_stream_new(new_stream));
 					// circuit relay over yamux
+					//libp2p_yamux_stream_add(new_stream->stream_context, libp2p_circuit_relay_stream_new(new_stream));
 					return 1;
 				} else {
 					libp2p_logger_error("dialer", "Unable to do yamux negotiation.\n");
diff --git a/identify/identify.c b/identify/identify.c
index e625641..1aa1365 100644
--- a/identify/identify.c
+++ b/identify/identify.c
@@ -35,12 +35,12 @@ int libp2p_identify_can_handle(const struct StreamMessage* msg) {
  * @param context the context
  * @returns true(1) on success, false(0) otherwise
  */
-int libp2p_identify_send_protocol(struct SessionContext *context) {
+int libp2p_identify_send_protocol(struct IdentifyContext *context) {
 	char *protocol = "/ipfs/id/1.0.0\n";
 	struct StreamMessage msg;
 	msg.data = (uint8_t*) protocol;
 	msg.data_size = strlen(protocol);
-	if (!context->default_stream->write(context, &msg)) {
+	if (!context->parent_stream->write(context, &msg)) {
 		libp2p_logger_error("identify", "send_protocol: Unable to send identify protocol header.\n");
 		return 0;
 	}
@@ -53,10 +53,10 @@ int libp2p_identify_send_protocol(struct SessionContext *context) {
  * @param context the SessionContext
  * @returns true(1) on success, false(0) otherwise
  */
-int libp2p_identify_receive_protocol(struct SessionContext* context) {
+int libp2p_identify_receive_protocol(struct IdentifyContext* context) {
 	const char *protocol = "/ipfs/id/1.0.0\n";
 	struct StreamMessage* results = NULL;
-	if (!context->default_stream->read(context, &results, 30)) {
+	if (!context->parent_stream->read(context, &results, 30)) {
 		libp2p_logger_error("identify", "receive_protocol: Unable to read results.\n");
 		return 0;
 	}
@@ -92,3 +92,35 @@ struct Libp2pProtocolHandler* libp2p_identify_build_protocol_handler(struct Libp
 	}
 	return handler;
 }
+
+/***
+ * Create a new stream that negotiates the identify protocol
+ *
+ * NOTE: This will be sent by our side (us asking them).
+ * Incoming "Identify" requests should be handled by the
+ * external protocol handler, not this function.
+ *
+ * @param parent_stream the parent stream
+ * @returns a new Stream that can talk "identify"
+ */
+struct Stream* libp2p_identify_stream_new(struct Stream* parent_stream) {
+	if (parent_stream == NULL)
+		return NULL;
+	struct Stream* out = libp2p_stream_new();
+	if (out != NULL) {
+		struct IdentifyContext* ctx = (struct IdentifyContext*) malloc(sizeof(struct IdentifyContext));
+		if (ctx == NULL) {
+			libp2p_stream_free(out);
+			return NULL;
+		}
+		ctx->parent_stream = parent_stream;
+		out->stream_context = ctx;
+		if (!libp2p_identify_send_protocol(ctx) || !libp2p_identify_receive_protocol(ctx)) {
+			libp2p_stream_free(out);
+			free(ctx);
+			return NULL;
+		}
+	}
+	return out;
+}
+
diff --git a/include/libp2p/identify/identify.h b/include/libp2p/identify/identify.h
index a7f8110..940fcd4 100644
--- a/include/libp2p/identify/identify.h
+++ b/include/libp2p/identify/identify.h
@@ -21,9 +21,26 @@ typedef struct {
         char *XXX_unrecognized;
 } Identify;
 
+struct IdentifyContext {
+	struct Stream* parent_stream;
+};
+
 int libp2p_identify_can_handle(const struct StreamMessage* msg);
-int libp2p_identify_send_protocol(struct SessionContext *context);
-int libp2p_identify_receive_protocol(struct SessionContext* context);
+int libp2p_identify_send_protocol(struct IdentifyContext *context);
+int libp2p_identify_receive_protocol(struct IdentifyContext* context);
 int libp2p_identify_handle_message(const struct StreamMessage* msg, struct SessionContext* context, void* protocol_context);
 int libp2p_identify_shutdown(void* protocol_context);
 struct Libp2pProtocolHandler* libp2p_identify_build_protocol_handler(struct Libp2pVector* handlers);
+
+/***
+ * Create a new stream that negotiates the identify protocol
+ *
+ * NOTE: This will be sent by our side (us asking them).
+ * Incoming "Identify" requests should be handled by the
+ * external protocol handler, not this function.
+ *
+ * @param parent_stream the parent stream
+ * @returns a new Stream that can talk "identify"
+ */
+struct Stream* libp2p_identify_stream_new(struct Stream* parent_stream);
+
diff --git a/include/libp2p/net/stream.h b/include/libp2p/net/stream.h
index a6a920a..bf20699 100644
--- a/include/libp2p/net/stream.h
+++ b/include/libp2p/net/stream.h
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ struct Stream {
 	struct MultiAddress* address; // helps identify who is on the other end
 	pthread_mutex_t* socket_mutex; // only 1 transmission at a time
 	struct Stream* parent_stream; // what stream wraps this stream
+	int channel; // the channel this stream uses, for multiplexing protocols such as yamux
 	/**
 	 * A generic place to store implementation-specific context items
 	 */
diff --git a/include/libp2p/utils/vector.h b/include/libp2p/utils/vector.h
index d791732..e4f58ad 100644
--- a/include/libp2p/utils/vector.h
+++ b/include/libp2p/utils/vector.h
@@ -30,8 +30,9 @@ int libp2p_utils_vector_total(struct Libp2pVector* in);
  * Add a value to the vector
  * @param vector the vector to add the item to.
  * @param value the value to be added NOTE: this only saves the pointer, it does not copy.
+ * @returns the index of the item in the vector
  */
-void libp2p_utils_vector_add(struct Libp2pVector *vector, const void * value);
+int libp2p_utils_vector_add(struct Libp2pVector *vector, const void * value);
 void libp2p_utils_vector_set(struct Libp2pVector *vector, int pos, void *value);
 const void *libp2p_utils_vector_get(struct Libp2pVector *vector, int);
 void libp2p_utils_vector_delete(struct Libp2pVector *vector, int pos);
diff --git a/include/libp2p/yamux/yamux.h b/include/libp2p/yamux/yamux.h
index d15c8ee..1f2e37a 100644
--- a/include/libp2p/yamux/yamux.h
+++ b/include/libp2p/yamux/yamux.h
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ static const int yamux_default_timeout = 10;
 struct YamuxContext {
 	struct Stream* stream;
 	struct yamux_session* session;
+	struct Libp2pVector* channels;
 };
 
 /**
@@ -38,3 +39,11 @@ int yamux_send_protocol(struct SessionContext* context);
 int yamux_receive_protocol(struct SessionContext* context);
 
 struct Stream* libp2p_yamux_stream_new(struct Stream* parent_stream);
+
+/****
+ * Add a stream "channel" to the yamux handler
+ * @param ctx the context
+ * @param stream the stream to add
+ * @returns true(1) on success, false(0) otherwise
+ */
+int libp2p_yamux_stream_add(struct YamuxContext* ctx, struct Stream* stream);
diff --git a/net/stream.c b/net/stream.c
index 6bd5590..2f7948d 100644
--- a/net/stream.c
+++ b/net/stream.c
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ struct Stream* libp2p_stream_new() {
 		stream->socket_mutex = NULL;
 		stream->stream_context = NULL;
 		stream->write = NULL;
+		stream->channel = 0;
 	}
 	return stream;
 }
diff --git a/utils/vector.c b/utils/vector.c
index fad625d..ad4f4f4 100644
--- a/utils/vector.c
+++ b/utils/vector.c
@@ -35,11 +35,12 @@ static void libp2p_utils_vector_resize(struct Libp2pVector *v, int capacity)
  * @param v the vector to add to
  * @param item the item to add
  */
-void libp2p_utils_vector_add(struct Libp2pVector *v, const void *item)
+int libp2p_utils_vector_add(struct Libp2pVector *v, const void *item)
 {
     if (v->capacity == v->total)
         libp2p_utils_vector_resize(v, v->capacity * 2);
     v->items[v->total++] = item;
+    return v->total;
 }
 
 void libp2p_utils_vector_set(struct Libp2pVector *v, int index, void *item)
diff --git a/yamux/yamux.c b/yamux/yamux.c
index f594faa..e27ff19 100644
--- a/yamux/yamux.c
+++ b/yamux/yamux.c
@@ -228,6 +228,7 @@ struct YamuxContext* libp2p_yamux_context_new() {
 	struct YamuxContext* ctx = (struct YamuxContext*) malloc(sizeof(struct YamuxContext));
 	if (ctx != NULL) {
 		ctx->stream = NULL;
+		ctx->channels = libp2p_utils_vector_new(1);
 	}
 	return ctx;
 }
@@ -283,6 +284,11 @@ int libp2p_yamux_negotiate(struct YamuxContext* ctx) {
 		}
 	}
 
+	//TODO: okay, we're almost done. Let incoming stuff be marshaled to the correct handler.
+	// this should be somewhat automatic, as they ask, and we negotiate
+	//TODO: we should open some streams with them (multistream, id, kademlia, relay)
+	// this is not automatic, as we need to start the negotiation process
+
 	retVal = 1;
 	exit:
 	if (results != NULL)
@@ -321,3 +327,16 @@ struct Stream* libp2p_yamux_stream_new(struct Stream* parent_stream) {
 	}
 	return out;
 }
+
+/****
+ * Add a stream "channel" to the yamux handler
+ * @param ctx the context
+ * @param stream the stream to add
+ * @returns true(1) on success, false(0) otherwise
+ */
+int libp2p_yamux_stream_add(struct YamuxContext* ctx, struct Stream* stream) {
+	int itemNo = libp2p_utils_vector_add(ctx->channels, stream);
+	stream->channel = itemNo;
+	return 1;
+}
+