netReaderThread: PSDL_Thread;

    sockbuf: shortstring;

    sockbufpos: byte;

function getNextChar: char;

var r: byte;

begin

    if sockbufpos < byte(sockbuf[0]) then

    begin

        inc(sockbufpos);

        getNextChar:= sockbuf[sockbufpos];

    end else

    begin

        r:= SDLNet_TCP_Recv(sock, @sockbuf[1], 255);

        if r > 0 then

        begin

            sockbufpos:= 1;

            sockbuf[0]:= char(i);

            getNextChar:= sockbuf[1];

        end else

        begin

            sockbufpos:= 0;

            sockbuf[0]:= #0;

            getNextChar:= #0

        end;

end;

    sockbufpos:= 0;

    sockbuf:= '';

    netReaderThread:= SDL_CreateThread(@netReader{$IFDEF SDL2}, 'netReader'{$ENDIF}, nil);