diff --git a/tractor/_actor.py b/tractor/_actor.py
index dc8dc5d..389d955 100644
--- a/tractor/_actor.py
+++ b/tractor/_actor.py
@@ -384,7 +384,8 @@ class Actor:
             log.warning(
                 f"already have channel(s) for {uid}:{chans}?"
             )
-        log.trace(f"Registered {chan} for {uid}")  # type: ignore
+
+        log.runtime(f"Registered {chan} for {uid}")  # type: ignore
         # append new channel
         self._peers[uid].append(chan)
 
@@ -517,7 +518,7 @@ class Actor:
                                 f" {chan} from {chan.uid}")
                         break
 
-                    log.trace(   # type: ignore
+                    log.transport(   # type: ignore
                         f"Received msg {msg} from {chan.uid}")
 
                     cid = msg.get('cid')
diff --git a/tractor/_debug.py b/tractor/_debug.py
index 53d1f44..3570dc6 100644
--- a/tractor/_debug.py
+++ b/tractor/_debug.py
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ class PdbwTeardown(pdbpp.Pdb):
 
 #     async with aclosing(async_stdin):
 #         async for msg in async_stdin:
-#             log.trace(f"Stdin input:\n{msg}")
+#             log.runtime(f"Stdin input:\n{msg}")
 #             # encode to bytes
 #             bmsg = str.encode(msg)
 
diff --git a/tractor/_ipc.py b/tractor/_ipc.py
index efe388e..08057e9 100644
--- a/tractor/_ipc.py
+++ b/tractor/_ipc.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 """
 Inter-process comms abstractions
+
 """
 import platform
 import typing
@@ -61,7 +62,6 @@ class MsgpackTCPStream:
             use_list=False,
         )
         while True:
-
             try:
                 data = await self.stream.receive_some(2**10)
 
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ class MsgpackTCPStream:
                 else:
                     raise
 
-            log.trace(f"received {data}")  # type: ignore
+            log.transport(f"received {data}")  # type: ignore
 
             if data == b'':
                 raise TransportClosed(
@@ -169,6 +169,7 @@ class Channel:
         return self.msgstream.raddr if self.msgstream else None
 
     async def connect(
+
         self,
         destaddr: Tuple[Any, ...] = None,
         **kwargs
@@ -180,13 +181,21 @@ class Channel:
 
         destaddr = destaddr or self._destaddr
         assert isinstance(destaddr, tuple)
-        stream = await trio.open_tcp_stream(*destaddr, **kwargs)
+
+        stream = await trio.open_tcp_stream(
+            *destaddr,
+            **kwargs
+        )
         self.msgstream = MsgpackTCPStream(stream)
+
+        log.transport(
+            f'Opened channel to peer {self.laddr} -> {self.raddr}'
+        )
         return stream
 
     async def send(self, item: Any) -> None:
 
-        log.trace(f"send `{item}`")  # type: ignore
+        log.transport(f"send `{item}`")  # type: ignore
         assert self.msgstream
 
         await self.msgstream.send(item)
@@ -205,7 +214,8 @@ class Channel:
             raise
 
     async def aclose(self) -> None:
-        log.debug(
+
+        log.transport(
             f'Closing channel to {self.uid} '
             f'{self.laddr} -> {self.raddr}'
         )
@@ -234,11 +244,11 @@ class Channel:
                     await self.connect()
                 cancelled = cancel_scope.cancelled_caught
                 if cancelled:
-                    log.warning(
+                    log.transport(
                         "Reconnect timed out after 3 seconds, retrying...")
                     continue
                 else:
-                    log.warning("Stream connection re-established!")
+                    log.transport("Stream connection re-established!")
                     # run any reconnection sequence
                     on_recon = self._recon_seq
                     if on_recon:
@@ -247,7 +257,7 @@ class Channel:
             except (OSError, ConnectionRefusedError):
                 if not down:
                     down = True
-                    log.warning(
+                    log.transport(
                         f"Connection to {self.raddr} went down, waiting"
                         " for re-establishment")
                 await trio.sleep(1)