diff --git a/src/FluentModbus/Client/ModbusRtuOverTcpClient.cs b/src/FluentModbus/Client/ModbusRtuOverTcpClient.cs
index eb06337..047b709 100644
--- a/src/FluentModbus/Client/ModbusRtuOverTcpClient.cs
+++ b/src/FluentModbus/Client/ModbusRtuOverTcpClient.cs
@@ -95,9 +95,7 @@ public void Connect(string remoteEndpoint, ModbusEndianness endianness)
 
     #if NETSTANDARD2_0
         Connect(parsedRemoteEndpoint!, endianness);
-    #endif
-    
-    #if NETSTANDARD2_1_OR_GREATER
+    #else
         Connect(parsedRemoteEndpoint, endianness);
     #endif
     }
diff --git a/src/FluentModbus/Client/ModbusTcpClient.cs b/src/FluentModbus/Client/ModbusTcpClient.cs
index e1cd49c..5ca31ac 100755
--- a/src/FluentModbus/Client/ModbusTcpClient.cs
+++ b/src/FluentModbus/Client/ModbusTcpClient.cs
@@ -99,9 +99,7 @@ public void Connect(string remoteEndpoint, ModbusEndianness endianness)
 
     #if NETSTANDARD2_0
         Connect(parsedRemoteEndpoint!, endianness);
-    #endif
-    
-    #if NETSTANDARD2_1_OR_GREATER
+    #else
         Connect(parsedRemoteEndpoint, endianness);
     #endif
     }
@@ -156,7 +154,7 @@ public void Initialize(TcpClient tcpClient, ModbusEndianness endianness)
 
     private void Initialize(TcpClient tcpClient, IPEndPoint? remoteEndpoint, ModbusEndianness endianness)
     {
-        base.SwapBytes = BitConverter.IsLittleEndian && endianness == ModbusEndianness.BigEndian || 
+        base.SwapBytes = BitConverter.IsLittleEndian && endianness == ModbusEndianness.BigEndian ||
                         !BitConverter.IsLittleEndian && endianness == ModbusEndianness.LittleEndian;
 
         _frameBuffer = new ModbusFrameBuffer(size: 260);
@@ -170,7 +168,7 @@ private void Initialize(TcpClient tcpClient, IPEndPoint? remoteEndpoint, ModbusE
         if (remoteEndpoint is not null && !tcpClient.ConnectAsync(remoteEndpoint.Address, remoteEndpoint.Port).Wait(ConnectTimeout))
             throw new Exception(ErrorMessage.ModbusClient_TcpConnectTimeout);
 
-        // Why no method signature with NetworkStream only and then set the timeouts 
+        // Why no method signature with NetworkStream only and then set the timeouts
         // in the Connect method like for the RTU client?
         //
         // "If a NetworkStream was associated with a TcpClient, the Close method will
diff --git a/src/FluentModbus/Client/ModbusTcpClientAsync.cs b/src/FluentModbus/Client/ModbusTcpClientAsync.cs
index eb89741..be09093 100755
--- a/src/FluentModbus/Client/ModbusTcpClientAsync.cs
+++ b/src/FluentModbus/Client/ModbusTcpClientAsync.cs
@@ -1,10 +1,162 @@
-
+
 /* This is automatically translated code. */
+
+using System.Net;
+using System.Net.Sockets;
  
 namespace FluentModbus;
 
 public partial class ModbusTcpClient
 {
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Connect to localhost at port 502 with <see cref="ModbusEndianness.LittleEndian"/> as default byte layout.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <param name="cancellationToken">The token to monitor for cancellation requests.</param>
+    public Task ConnectAsync(CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
+    {
+        return ConnectAsync(ModbusEndianness.LittleEndian, cancellationToken);
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Connect to localhost at port 502. 
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <param name="endianness">Specifies the endianness of the data exchanged with the Modbus server.</param>
+    public Task ConnectAsync(ModbusEndianness endianness, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
+    {
+        return ConnectAsync(new IPEndPoint(IPAddress.Loopback, 502), endianness, cancellationToken);
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Connect to the specified <paramref name="remoteEndpoint"/>.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <param name="remoteEndpoint">The IP address and optional port of the end unit with <see cref="ModbusEndianness.LittleEndian"/> as default byte layout. Examples: "192.168.0.1", "192.168.0.1:502", "::1", "[::1]:502". The default port is 502.</param>
+    public Task ConnectAsync(string remoteEndpoint, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
+    {
+        return ConnectAsync(remoteEndpoint, ModbusEndianness.LittleEndian, cancellationToken);
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Connect to the specified <paramref name="remoteEndpoint"/>.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <param name="remoteEndpoint">The IP address and optional port of the end unit. Examples: "192.168.0.1", "192.168.0.1:502", "::1", "[::1]:502". The default port is 502.</param>
+    /// <param name="endianness">Specifies the endianness of the data exchanged with the Modbus server.</param>
+    public Task ConnectAsync(string remoteEndpoint, ModbusEndianness endianness, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
+    {
+        if (!ModbusUtils.TryParseEndpoint(remoteEndpoint.AsSpan(), out var parsedRemoteEndpoint))
+            throw new FormatException("An invalid IPEndPoint was specified.");
+
+    #if NETSTANDARD2_0
+        return ConnectAsync(parsedRemoteEndpoint!, endianness, cancellationToken);
+    #else
+        return ConnectAsync(parsedRemoteEndpoint, endianness, cancellationToken);
+    #endif
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Connect to the specified <paramref name="remoteIpAddress"/> at port 502.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <param name="remoteIpAddress">The IP address of the end unit with <see cref="ModbusEndianness.LittleEndian"/> as default byte layout. Example: IPAddress.Parse("192.168.0.1").</param>
+    public Task ConnectAsync(IPAddress remoteIpAddress, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
+    {
+        return ConnectAsync(remoteIpAddress, ModbusEndianness.LittleEndian, cancellationToken);
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Connect to the specified <paramref name="remoteIpAddress"/> at port 502.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <param name="remoteIpAddress">The IP address of the end unit. Example: IPAddress.Parse("192.168.0.1").</param>
+    /// <param name="endianness">Specifies the endianness of the data exchanged with the Modbus server.</param>
+    public Task ConnectAsync(IPAddress remoteIpAddress, ModbusEndianness endianness, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
+    {
+        return ConnectAsync(new IPEndPoint(remoteIpAddress, 502), endianness, cancellationToken);
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Connect to the specified <paramref name="remoteEndpoint"/> with <see cref="ModbusEndianness.LittleEndian"/> as default byte layout.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <param name="remoteEndpoint">The IP address and port of the end unit.</param>
+    public Task ConnectAsync(IPEndPoint remoteEndpoint, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
+    {
+        return ConnectAsync(remoteEndpoint, ModbusEndianness.LittleEndian, cancellationToken);
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Connect to the specified <paramref name="remoteEndpoint"/>.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <param name="remoteEndpoint">The IP address and port of the end unit.</param>
+    /// <param name="endianness">Specifies the endianness of the data exchanged with the Modbus server.</param>
+    public Task ConnectAsync(IPEndPoint remoteEndpoint, ModbusEndianness endianness, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
+    {
+        return InitializeAsync(new TcpClient(), remoteEndpoint, endianness, cancellationToken);
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Asynchronously initialize the Modbus TCP client with an externally managed <see cref="TcpClient"/>.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <param name="tcpClient">The externally managed <see cref="TcpClient"/>.</param>
+    /// <param name="endianness">Specifies the endianness of the data exchanged with the Modbus server.</param>
+    /// <param name="cancellationToken">The token to monitor for cancellation requests.</param>
+    public Task InitializeAsync(TcpClient tcpClient, ModbusEndianness endianness, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
+    {
+        return InitializeAsync(tcpClient, default, endianness, cancellationToken);
+    }
+
+    private async Task InitializeAsync(TcpClient tcpClient, IPEndPoint? remoteEndpoint, ModbusEndianness endianness, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
+    {
+
+        base.SwapBytes = BitConverter.IsLittleEndian && endianness == ModbusEndianness.BigEndian ||
+                        !BitConverter.IsLittleEndian && endianness == ModbusEndianness.LittleEndian;
+
+        _frameBuffer = new ModbusFrameBuffer(size: 260);
+
+        if (_tcpClient.HasValue && _tcpClient.Value.IsInternal)
+            _tcpClient.Value.Value.Close();
+
+        var isInternal = remoteEndpoint is not null;
+        _tcpClient = (tcpClient, isInternal);
+
+        if (remoteEndpoint is not null)
+        {
+#if NET5_0_OR_GREATER
+            using var timeoutCts = new CancellationTokenSource(ConnectTimeout);
+            using var linkedCts = CancellationTokenSource.CreateLinkedTokenSource(cancellationToken, timeoutCts.Token);
+            
+            try
+            {
+                await tcpClient.ConnectAsync(remoteEndpoint.Address, remoteEndpoint.Port, linkedCts.Token).ConfigureAwait(false);
+            }
+            catch (OperationCanceledException) when (timeoutCts.IsCancellationRequested && !cancellationToken.IsCancellationRequested)
+            {
+                throw new TimeoutException(ErrorMessage.ModbusClient_TcpConnectTimeout);
+            }
+#else
+            var connectTask = tcpClient.ConnectAsync(remoteEndpoint.Address, remoteEndpoint.Port);
+            var timeoutTask = Task.Delay(ConnectTimeout, cancellationToken);
+            var completedTask = await Task.WhenAny(connectTask, timeoutTask).ConfigureAwait(false);
+            
+            if (completedTask == timeoutTask)
+                throw new TimeoutException(ErrorMessage.ModbusClient_TcpConnectTimeout);
+            
+            await connectTask.ConfigureAwait(false); // Propagate any connection exceptions
+#endif
+        }
+
+        // Why no method signature with NetworkStream only and then set the timeouts
+        // in the Connect method like for the RTU client?
+        //
+        // "If a NetworkStream was associated with a TcpClient, the Close method will
+        //  close the TCP connection, but not dispose of the associated TcpClient."
+        // -> https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/api/system.net.sockets.networkstream.close?view=net-6.0
+
+        _networkStream = tcpClient.GetStream();
+
+        if (isInternal)
+        {
+            _networkStream.ReadTimeout = ReadTimeout;
+            _networkStream.WriteTimeout = WriteTimeout;
+        }
+    }
+
     ///<inheritdoc/>
     protected override async Task<Memory<byte>> TransceiveFrameAsync(byte unitIdentifier, ModbusFunctionCode functionCode, Action<ExtendedBinaryWriter> extendFrame, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
     {
@@ -121,5 +273,5 @@ protected override async Task<Memory<byte>> TransceiveFrameAsync(byte unitIdenti
             throw new ModbusException(ErrorMessage.ModbusClient_InvalidResponseFunctionCode);
 
         return frameBuffer.Buffer.AsMemory(7, frameLength - 7);
-    }    
+    }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/FluentModbus/Client/ModbusTcpClientAsync.tt b/src/FluentModbus/Client/ModbusTcpClientAsync.tt
index 6b7a8f9..abd70cb 100755
--- a/src/FluentModbus/Client/ModbusTcpClientAsync.tt
+++ b/src/FluentModbus/Client/ModbusTcpClientAsync.tt
@@ -3,28 +3,117 @@
 <#@ import namespace="System.IO" #>
 <#@ import namespace="System.Text.RegularExpressions" #>
 
-<# 
+<#
     var csstring = File.ReadAllText("src/FluentModbus/Client/ModbusTcpClient.cs");
-    var match = Regex.Matches(csstring, @"(protected override Span<byte> TransceiveFrame\()(.*?)\)(.*?\n        })", RegexOptions.Singleline)[0];
+    
+    // Extract TransceiveFrame - match until closing brace at method level (4 spaces indentation)
+    var transceiveMatch = Regex.Matches(csstring, @"(protected override Span<byte> TransceiveFrame\()(.*?)\)(.*?\n    })", RegexOptions.Singleline)[0];
+    
+    // Extract Connect methods - match XML docs (including param tags) + method signature + body
+    var connectMatches = Regex.Matches(csstring, @"    /// <summary>\r?\n(?:    /// .*?\r?\n)*    /// </summary>\r?\n(?:    /// .*?\r?\n)*    public void Connect\([^\)]*\)\r?\n    \{(?:[\s\S]*?)\r?\n    \}");
+    
+    // Extract Initialize method
+    var initializeMatch = Regex.Match(csstring, @"    private void Initialize\(TcpClient tcpClient, IPEndPoint\? remoteEndpoint, ModbusEndianness endianness\)\r?\n    \{(.*?)\r?\n    \}", RegexOptions.Singleline);
 
 #>
 /* This is automatically translated code. */
+
+using System.Net;
+using System.Net.Sockets;
  
-namespace FluentModbus
+namespace FluentModbus;
+
+public partial class ModbusTcpClient
 {
-    public partial class ModbusTcpClient
+<#
+    // Generate Connect async methods
+    foreach (Match method in connectMatches)
+    {
+        var methodString = method.Value;
+        
+        // Add cancellation token XML comment before method signature
+        methodString = Regex.Replace(methodString, @"(    ///[^\n]*</summary>\r?\n)(    public)", "$1    /// <param name=\"cancellationToken\">The token to monitor for cancellation requests.</param>\r\n$2");
+        
+        // Transform method signature: void Connect(...) -> Task ConnectAsync(..., CancellationToken)
+        methodString = Regex.Replace(methodString, @"public void Connect\(([^\)]*)\)", m => {
+            var parameters = m.Groups[1].Value.Trim();
+            if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(parameters))
+                return "public Task ConnectAsync(CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)";
+            else
+                return $"public Task ConnectAsync({parameters}, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)";
+        });
+        
+        // Replace Connect(...) calls with return ConnectAsync(..., cancellationToken)
+        // Use a more robust pattern that handles nested parentheses
+        methodString = Regex.Replace(methodString, @"        Connect\(((?:[^()]|\([^()]*\))+)\);", m => $"        return ConnectAsync({m.Groups[1]}, cancellationToken);");
+        
+        // Replace Initialize(...) calls with return InitializeAsync(..., cancellationToken)
+        methodString = Regex.Replace(methodString, @"        Initialize\(((?:[^()]|\([^()]*\))+)\);", m => $"        return InitializeAsync({m.Groups[1]}, cancellationToken);");
+        
+        Write(methodString);
+        Write("\r\n\r\n");
+    }
+#>
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Asynchronously initialize the Modbus TCP client with an externally managed <see cref="TcpClient"/>.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <param name="tcpClient">The externally managed <see cref="TcpClient"/>.</param>
+    /// <param name="endianness">Specifies the endianness of the data exchanged with the Modbus server.</param>
+    /// <param name="cancellationToken">The token to monitor for cancellation requests.</param>
+    public Task InitializeAsync(TcpClient tcpClient, ModbusEndianness endianness, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
     {
-        <#
-            // replace AsSpan
-            var signature = match.Groups[2].Value;
-            var body = match.Groups[3].Value;
-            body = Regex.Replace(body, "AsSpan", "AsMemory");
-            body = Regex.Replace(body, @"_networkStream.Write\((.*?)\)", m => $"await _networkStream.WriteAsync({m.Groups[1]}, cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false)");
-            body = Regex.Replace(body, @"_networkStream.Read\((.*?)\)", m => $"await _networkStream.ReadAsync({m.Groups[1]}, cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false)");
-            body = Regex.Replace(body, @"// ASYNC-ONLY: ", "");
-
-            Write($"///<inheritdoc/>\n        protected override async Task<Memory<byte>> TransceiveFrameAsync({signature}, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default){body}");
-        #>
+        return InitializeAsync(tcpClient, default, endianness, cancellationToken);
+    }
+
+<#
+    // Generate Initialize async method
+    var initBody = initializeMatch.Groups[1].Value;
     
+    // Replace the sync connection code with async version
+    initBody = Regex.Replace(initBody,
+        @"        if \(remoteEndpoint is not null && !tcpClient\.ConnectAsync\(remoteEndpoint\.Address, remoteEndpoint\.Port\)\.Wait\(ConnectTimeout\)\)\r?\n            throw new Exception\(ErrorMessage\.ModbusClient_TcpConnectTimeout\);",
+        @"        if (remoteEndpoint is not null)
+        {
+#if NET5_0_OR_GREATER
+            using var timeoutCts = new CancellationTokenSource(ConnectTimeout);
+            using var linkedCts = CancellationTokenSource.CreateLinkedTokenSource(cancellationToken, timeoutCts.Token);
+            
+            try
+            {
+                await tcpClient.ConnectAsync(remoteEndpoint.Address, remoteEndpoint.Port, linkedCts.Token).ConfigureAwait(false);
+            }
+            catch (OperationCanceledException) when (timeoutCts.IsCancellationRequested && !cancellationToken.IsCancellationRequested)
+            {
+                throw new TimeoutException(ErrorMessage.ModbusClient_TcpConnectTimeout);
+            }
+#else
+            var connectTask = tcpClient.ConnectAsync(remoteEndpoint.Address, remoteEndpoint.Port);
+            var timeoutTask = Task.Delay(ConnectTimeout, cancellationToken);
+            var completedTask = await Task.WhenAny(connectTask, timeoutTask).ConfigureAwait(false);
+            
+            if (completedTask == timeoutTask)
+                throw new TimeoutException(ErrorMessage.ModbusClient_TcpConnectTimeout);
+            
+            await connectTask.ConfigureAwait(false); // Propagate any connection exceptions
+#endif
+        }",
+        RegexOptions.Singleline);
+#>
+    private async Task InitializeAsync(TcpClient tcpClient, IPEndPoint? remoteEndpoint, ModbusEndianness endianness, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
+    {
+<#= initBody #>
     }
+
+<#
+    // Generate TransceiveFrameAsync
+    var signature = transceiveMatch.Groups[2].Value;
+    var body = transceiveMatch.Groups[3].Value;
+    body = Regex.Replace(body, "AsSpan", "AsMemory");
+    body = Regex.Replace(body, @"_networkStream.Write\((.*?)\)", m => $"await _networkStream.WriteAsync({m.Groups[1]}, cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false)");
+    body = Regex.Replace(body, @"_networkStream.Read\((.*?)\)", m => $"await _networkStream.ReadAsync({m.Groups[1]}, cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false)");
+    body = Regex.Replace(body, @"// ASYNC-ONLY: ", "");
+
+    Write($"    ///<inheritdoc/>\n    protected override async Task<Memory<byte>> TransceiveFrameAsync({signature}, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default){body}");
+#>
+
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/FluentModbus/FluentModbus.csproj b/src/FluentModbus/FluentModbus.csproj
index f9590bd..818e745 100644
--- a/src/FluentModbus/FluentModbus.csproj
+++ b/src/FluentModbus/FluentModbus.csproj
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
     <Description>Lightweight and fast client and server implementation of the Modbus protocol (TCP/RTU, Sync/Async).</Description>
     <PackageTags>Modbus ModbusTCP ModbusRTU .NET Standard Windows Linux</PackageTags>
     <GeneratePackageOnBuild>true</GeneratePackageOnBuild>
-    <TargetFrameworks>netstandard2.0;netstandard2.1</TargetFrameworks>
+    <TargetFrameworks>netstandard2.0;netstandard2.1;net5.0</TargetFrameworks>
     <PackageIcon>icon.png</PackageIcon>
     <PackageReadmeFile>README.md</PackageReadmeFile>
   </PropertyGroup>
@@ -26,6 +26,11 @@
     <PackageReference Include="System.Runtime.CompilerServices.Unsafe" Version="5.0.0" />
   </ItemGroup>
 
+  <ItemGroup Condition="'$(TargetFramework)'=='net5.0'">
+    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.Abstractions" Version="5.0.0" />
+    <PackageReference Include="System.IO.Ports" Version="5.0.0" />
+  </ItemGroup>
+
   <ItemGroup>
     <None Include="../../doc/images/icon.png" Pack="true" PackagePath="/" />
   </ItemGroup>
diff --git a/src/FluentModbus/ModbusUtils.cs b/src/FluentModbus/ModbusUtils.cs
index 8d42c8f..d0dc621 100644
--- a/src/FluentModbus/ModbusUtils.cs
+++ b/src/FluentModbus/ModbusUtils.cs
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 using System.Runtime.CompilerServices;
 using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
 
-#if NETSTANDARD2_1_OR_GREATER
+#if !NETSTANDARD2_0
 using System.Diagnostics.CodeAnalysis;
 #endif
 
@@ -13,8 +13,7 @@ internal static class ModbusUtils
 {
 #if NETSTANDARD2_0
     public static bool TryParseEndpoint(ReadOnlySpan<char> value, out IPEndPoint? result)
-#endif
-#if NETSTANDARD2_1_OR_GREATER
+#else
     public static bool TryParseEndpoint(ReadOnlySpan<char> value, [NotNullWhen(true)] out IPEndPoint? result)
 #endif
     {