diff --git a/meshtastic/__init__.py b/meshtastic/__init__.py
index 1b82fca..d5a6095 100644
--- a/meshtastic/__init__.py
+++ b/meshtastic/__init__.py
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ class MeshInterface:
             meshPacket.decoded.position.altitude = int(altitude)
 
         if timeSec == 0:
-            timeSec = time.time() # returns unix timestamp in seconds
+            timeSec = time.time()  # returns unix timestamp in seconds
         meshPacket.decoded.position.time = int(timeSec)
 
         meshPacket.decoded.want_response = wantResponse
@@ -306,6 +306,12 @@ class MeshInterface:
 
         if meshPacket.decoded.HasField("data"):
             topic = "meshtastic.receive.data"
+
+            # OPAQUE is the default protobuf typ value, and therefore if not set it will not be populated at all
+            # to make API usage easier, set it to prevent confusion
+            if not "typ" in asDict["decoded"]["data"]:
+                asDict["decoded"]["data"]["typ"] = "OPAQUE"
+
             # For text messages, we go ahead and decode the text to ascii for our users
             if asDict["decoded"]["data"]["typ"] == "CLEAR_TEXT":
                 asDict["decoded"]["data"]["text"] = meshPacket.decoded.data.payload.decode(
@@ -361,7 +367,7 @@ class BLEInterface(MeshInterface):
 class StreamInterface(MeshInterface):
     """Interface class for meshtastic devices over a stream link (serial, TCP, etc)"""
 
-    def __init__(self, devPath=None, debugOut=None, noProto=False):
+    def __init__(self, devPath=None, debugOut=None, noProto=False, connectNow=True):
         """Constructor, opens a connection to a specified serial port, or if unspecified try to
         find one Meshtastic device by probing
 
@@ -392,14 +398,24 @@ class StreamInterface(MeshInterface):
             devPath, 921600, exclusive=True, timeout=0.5)
         self._rxThread = threading.Thread(target=self.__reader, args=())
 
+        MeshInterface.__init__(self, debugOut=debugOut, noProto=noProto)
+
+        # Start the reader thread after superclass constructor completes init
+        if connectNow:
+            self.connect()
+
+    def connect(self):
+        """Connect to our radio
+
+        Normally this is called automatically by the constructor, but if you passed in connectNow=False you can manually
+        start the reading thread later.
+        """
+
         # Send some bogus UART characters to force a sleeping device to wake
         self.stream.write(bytes([START1, START1, START1, START1]))
         self.stream.flush()
         time.sleep(0.1)  # wait 100ms to give device time to start running
 
-        MeshInterface.__init__(self, debugOut=debugOut, noProto=noProto)
-
-        # Start the reader thread after superclass constructor completes init
         self._rxThread.start()
 
     def _sendToRadio(self, toRadio):
diff --git a/meshtastic/test.py b/meshtastic/test.py
index 42945e2..c80906a 100644
--- a/meshtastic/test.py
+++ b/meshtastic/test.py
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ def subscribe():
     pub.subscribe(onNode, "meshtastic.node")
 
 
-def testSend(fromInterface, toInterface, isBroadcast=False):
+def testSend(fromInterface, toInterface, isBroadcast=False, asBinary=False):
     """
     Sends one test packet between two nodes and then returns success or failure
 
@@ -60,7 +60,12 @@ def testSend(fromInterface, toInterface, isBroadcast=False):
         toNode = toInterface.myInfo.my_node_num
 
     logging.info(f"Sending test packet from {fromNode} to {toNode}")
-    fromInterface.sendText(f"Test {testNumber}", toNode, wantAck=True)
+    wantAck = True
+    if not asBinary:
+        fromInterface.sendText(f"Test {testNumber}", toNode, wantAck=wantAck)
+    else:
+        fromInterface.sendData((f"Binary {testNumber}").encode(
+            "utf-8"), toNode, wantAck=wantAck)
     time.sleep(45)
     return (len(receivedPackets) >= 1)
 
@@ -73,7 +78,8 @@ def testThread(numTests=50):
         global testNumber
         testNumber = testNumber + 1
         isBroadcast = True
-        success = testSend(interfaces[0], interfaces[1], isBroadcast)
+        success = testSend(
+            interfaces[0], interfaces[1], isBroadcast, asBinary=(i % 2 == 0))
         if not success:
             numFail = numFail + 1
             logging.error(
@@ -95,6 +101,7 @@ def onConnection(topic=pub.AUTO_TOPIC):
     print(f"Connection changed: {topic.getName()}")
 
     global testsRunning
+    global interfaces
     if (all(iface.isConnected for iface in interfaces) and not testsRunning):
         testsRunning = True
         t = threading.Thread(target=testThread, args=())
@@ -122,5 +129,8 @@ def testAll():
     pub.subscribe(onReceive, "meshtastic.receive")
     global interfaces
     interfaces = list(map(lambda port: StreamInterface(
-        port, debugOut=openDebugLog(port)), ports))
+        port, debugOut=openDebugLog(port), connectNow=False), ports))
+    for i in interfaces:
+        i.connect()
+
     logging.info("Ports opened, waiting for device to complete connection")