diff --git a/protocols/lisp/ctl/src/main/java/org/onosproject/lisp/ctl/LispChannelHandler.java b/protocols/lisp/ctl/src/main/java/org/onosproject/lisp/ctl/LispChannelHandler.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1cd8d0b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/protocols/lisp/ctl/src/main/java/org/onosproject/lisp/ctl/LispChannelHandler.java
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2016-present Open Networking Laboratory
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+package org.onosproject.lisp.ctl;
+
+import io.netty.channel.ChannelHandlerContext;
+import io.netty.channel.ChannelInboundHandlerAdapter;
+import io.netty.handler.timeout.IdleState;
+import io.netty.handler.timeout.IdleStateEvent;
+import org.onosproject.lisp.msg.protocols.LispMapNotify;
+import org.onosproject.lisp.msg.protocols.LispMapRegister;
+import org.onosproject.lisp.msg.protocols.LispMapReply;
+import org.onosproject.lisp.msg.protocols.LispMapRequest;
+import org.slf4j.Logger;
+import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
+
+/**
+ * Channel handler deals with the xTR connection and dispatches xTR messages
+ * to the appropriate locations.
+ */
+public class LispChannelHandler extends ChannelInboundHandlerAdapter {
+
+    private final Logger log = LoggerFactory.getLogger(getClass());
+
+    @Override
+    public void channelRead(ChannelHandlerContext ctx, Object msg) throws Exception {
+
+        if (msg instanceof LispMapRegister) {
+            LispMapServer mapServer = new LispMapServer();
+            LispMapNotify mapNotify = (LispMapNotify) mapServer.process((LispMapRegister) msg);
+
+            // TODO: deserialize mapNotify message and write to channel
+        }
+
+        if (msg instanceof LispMapRequest) {
+            LispMapResolver mapResolver = new LispMapResolver();
+            LispMapReply mapReply = (LispMapReply) mapResolver.process((LispMapRequest) msg);
+
+            // TODO: deserialize mapReply message and write to channel
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public void userEventTriggered(ChannelHandlerContext ctx, Object evt)
+            throws Exception {
+
+        if (evt instanceof IdleStateEvent) {
+            IdleStateEvent event = (IdleStateEvent) evt;
+            if (event.state() == IdleState.READER_IDLE) {
+                log.info("READER_IDLE read timeout");
+                ctx.disconnect();
+            } else if (event.state() == IdleState.WRITER_IDLE) {
+                log.info("WRITER_IDLE write timeout");
+                ctx.disconnect();
+            } else if (event.state() == IdleState.ALL_IDLE) {
+                log.info("ALL_IDLE total timeout");
+                ctx.disconnect();
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public void exceptionCaught(ChannelHandlerContext ctx, Throwable cause)
+            throws Exception {
+        log.warn(cause.getMessage());
+        ctx.close();
+    }
+}