diff --git a/bindings/client.go b/bindings/client.go
index 6eafdc35a03be94ad9cfa547f5a0054f60072230..33ef281983799bab25a50663a71b151749ba3535 100644
--- a/bindings/client.go
+++ b/bindings/client.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import (
 	"gitlab.com/elixxir/crypto/contact"
 	"gitlab.com/elixxir/primitives/states"
 	"gitlab.com/xx_network/primitives/id"
+	"gitlab.com/xx_network/primitives/netTime"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 )
@@ -25,6 +26,8 @@ import (
 var extantClient bool
 var loginMux sync.Mutex
 
+var clientSingleton *Client
+
 // sets the log level
 func init() {
 	jww.SetLogThreshold(jww.LevelInfo)
@@ -96,7 +99,15 @@ func Login(storageDir string, password []byte, parameters string) (*Client, erro
 		return nil, errors.New(fmt.Sprintf("Failed to login: %+v", err))
 	}
 	extantClient = true
-	return &Client{api: *client}, nil
+	clientSingleton := &Client{api: *client}
+	return clientSingleton, nil
+}
+
+// returns a previously created client. IF be used if the garbage collector
+// removes the client instance on the app side.  Is NOT thread safe relative to
+// login, newClient, or newPrecannedClient
+func GetClientSingleton() *Client {
+	return clientSingleton
 }
 
 // sets level of logging. All logs the set level and above will be displayed
@@ -219,9 +230,9 @@ func (c *Client) StopNetworkFollower(timeoutMS int) error {
 // WaitForNewtwork will block until either the network is healthy or the
 // passed timeout. It will return true if the network is healthy
 func (c *Client) WaitForNetwork(timeoutMS int) bool {
-	start := time.Now()
+	start := netTime.Now()
 	timeout := time.Duration(timeoutMS) * time.Millisecond
-	for time.Now().Sub(start) < timeout {
+	for netTime.Now().Sub(start) < timeout {
 		if c.api.GetHealth().IsHealthy() {
 			return true
 		}
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 51bfe03d5052419d82449659ea022222810956e6..c6234ea8322579e76604ee872b1410839c3b6eb0 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/spf13/jwalterweatherman v1.1.0
 	github.com/spf13/viper v1.7.1
 	gitlab.com/elixxir/bloomfilter v0.0.0-20200930191214-10e9ac31b228
-	gitlab.com/elixxir/comms v0.0.4-0.20210505205202-1d4c18a7fcb2
+	gitlab.com/elixxir/comms v0.0.4-0.20210506161214-6371db79ce6f
 	gitlab.com/elixxir/crypto v0.0.7-0.20210504210535-3077ddf9984d
 	gitlab.com/elixxir/ekv v0.1.5
 	gitlab.com/elixxir/primitives v0.0.3-0.20210504210415-34cf31c2816e
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 66c94444d1f09acedd0d041ddffaac1c0285233b..e07685770c61db52aa8e701d5040959f292fcbf5 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -255,6 +255,8 @@ gitlab.com/elixxir/bloomfilter v0.0.0-20200930191214-10e9ac31b228 h1:Gi6rj4mAlK0
 gitlab.com/elixxir/bloomfilter v0.0.0-20200930191214-10e9ac31b228/go.mod h1:H6jztdm0k+wEV2QGK/KYA+MY9nj9Zzatux/qIvDDv3k=
 gitlab.com/elixxir/comms v0.0.4-0.20210505205202-1d4c18a7fcb2 h1:8aL4V7FaKkDb5iPdJ1rlFFhrHrLWUtbmBjw4BysXzEA=
 gitlab.com/elixxir/comms v0.0.4-0.20210505205202-1d4c18a7fcb2/go.mod h1:VN0fNE7GFMrkZwRGnqA7fNNRAXDA4CCP6su/FQQ68RI=
+gitlab.com/elixxir/comms v0.0.4-0.20210506161214-6371db79ce6f h1:0hvU+6Y+JGFnBu8ZSMk0ukNuYg+GAnVKD8Yo4VwSdao=
+gitlab.com/elixxir/comms v0.0.4-0.20210506161214-6371db79ce6f/go.mod h1:7ff+A4Nom55mKiRW7qWsN7LDjGay4OZwiaaIVXZ4hdk=
 gitlab.com/elixxir/crypto v0.0.0-20200804182833-984246dea2c4 h1:28ftZDeYEko7xptCZzeFWS1Iam95dj46TWFVVlKmw6A=
 gitlab.com/elixxir/crypto v0.0.0-20200804182833-984246dea2c4/go.mod h1:ucm9SFKJo+K0N2GwRRpaNr+tKXMIOVWzmyUD0SbOu2c=
 gitlab.com/elixxir/crypto v0.0.3 h1:znCt/x2bL4y8czTPaaFkwzdgSgW3BJc/1+dxyf1jqVw=
diff --git a/network/ephemeral/tracker.go b/network/ephemeral/tracker.go
index 41d67012f2242241089e87724a73e460d0e62f81..7292f73d8cfa8741c4bac631dd9c43ab3859b53d 100644
--- a/network/ephemeral/tracker.go
+++ b/network/ephemeral/tracker.go
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ func track(session *storage.Session, ourId *id.ID, stop *stoppable.Single) {
 		now := netTime.Now()
 
 		//hack for inconsistent time on android
-		if lastCheck.Sub(now) <=0{
+		if now.Sub(lastCheck) <=0{
 			now = lastCheck.Add(time.Nanosecond)
 		}
 
diff --git a/network/gateway/hostPool.go b/network/gateway/hostPool.go
index 15545f5e7116ac09b52b216add2526f5b7e51f2e..305cc4ea1d111a7cf9c01eff94814ff59c98a2a0 100644
--- a/network/gateway/hostPool.go
+++ b/network/gateway/hostPool.go
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ func DefaultPoolParams() PoolParams {
 	p.HostParams.EnableCoolOff = true
 	p.HostParams.NumSendsBeforeCoolOff = 1
 	p.HostParams.CoolOffTimeout = 5 * time.Minute
-	p.HostParams.SendTimeout = 2 * time.Second
+	p.HostParams.SendTimeout = 3500*time.Millisecond
 	return p
 }