diff --git a/src/exo/shared/apply.py b/src/exo/shared/apply.py
index c3714907..feae2fa4 100644
--- a/src/exo/shared/apply.py
+++ b/src/exo/shared/apply.py
@@ -214,6 +214,7 @@ def apply_node_gathered_info(event: NodeGatheredInfo, state: State) -> State:
     topology = copy.deepcopy(state.topology)
     info = event.info
     profile = state.node_profiles.get(event.node_id, NodePerformanceProfile())
+    # TODO: should be broken up into individual events instead of this monster
     match info:
         case MacmonMetrics():
             profile.system = info.system_profile
@@ -272,7 +273,7 @@ def apply_node_gathered_info(event: NodeGatheredInfo, state: State) -> State:
     last_seen = {**state.last_seen, event.node_id: datetime.fromisoformat(event.when)}
     new_profiles = {**state.node_profiles, event.node_id: profile}
     return state.model_copy(
-        update={"node_profiles": new_profiles, "last_seen": last_seen}
+        update={"node_profiles": new_profiles, "last_seen": last_seen, "topology": topology}
     )
 
 
diff --git a/src/exo/utils/info_gatherer/info_gatherer.py b/src/exo/utils/info_gatherer/info_gatherer.py
index 30e7edd4..78546742 100644
--- a/src/exo/utils/info_gatherer/info_gatherer.py
+++ b/src/exo/utils/info_gatherer/info_gatherer.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import anyio
 from anyio import create_task_group, open_process
 from anyio.abc import TaskGroup
 from anyio.streams.text import TextReceiveStream
+from anyio.streams.buffered import BufferedByteReceiveStream
 from loguru import logger
 
 from exo.shared.constants import EXO_CONFIG_FILE
@@ -49,9 +50,9 @@ class NodeConfig(CamelCaseModel):
 
     @classmethod
     async def gather(cls) -> Self | None:
-        f = anyio.Path(EXO_CONFIG_FILE)
-        await f.touch(exist_ok=True)
-        async with await f.open("rb") as f:
+        cfg_file = anyio.Path(EXO_CONFIG_FILE)
+        await cfg_file.touch(exist_ok=True)
+        async with await cfg_file.open("rb") as f:
             try:
                 contents = (await f.read()).decode("utf-8")
                 data = tomllib.loads(contents)
@@ -82,9 +83,9 @@ async def _gather_iface_map() -> dict[str, str] | None:
     port = ""
     for line in proc.stdout.decode("utf-8").split("\n"):
         if line.startswith("Hardware Port:"):
-            port = line.strip()[15:]
+            port = line.split(": ")[1]
         elif line.startswith("Device:"):
-            ports[port] = line.strip()[8:]
+            ports[port] = line.split(": ")[1]
             port = ""
     if "" in ports:
         del ports[""]
@@ -147,11 +148,9 @@ class InfoGatherer:
             return
 
         old_idents = []
-        old_conns = []
         while True:
             data = await TBConnectivity.gather()
-            if data is None:
-                break
+            assert data is not None
 
             idents = [it for i in data if (it := i.ident(iface_map)) is not None]
             if idents != old_idents:
@@ -159,9 +158,9 @@ class InfoGatherer:
             old_idents = idents
 
             conns = [it for i in data if (it := i.conn()) is not None]
-            if conns != old_conns:
-                await self.info_sender.send(conns)
-            old_conns = conns
+            await self.info_sender.send(conns)
+
+            await anyio.sleep(self.system_profiler_interval)
 
     async def _monitor_memory_usage(self):
         override_memory_env = os.getenv("OVERRIDE_MEMORY_MB")
@@ -200,9 +199,8 @@ class InfoGatherer:
                 if not p.stdout:
                     logger.critical("MacMon closed stdout")
                     return
-                async for text in TextReceiveStream(p.stdout):
+                async for text in TextReceiveStream(BufferedByteReceiveStream(p.stdout)):
                     await self.info_sender.send(MacmonMetrics.from_raw_json(text))
-
         except CalledProcessError as e:
             stderr_msg = "no stderr"
             stderr_output = cast(bytes | str | None, e.stderr)