diff --git a/src/MqttClass/MqttService.php b/src/MqttClass/MqttService.php
index 687b65e..5fc39dd 100644
--- a/src/MqttClass/MqttService.php
+++ b/src/MqttClass/MqttService.php
@@ -107,16 +107,16 @@ class MqttService
         if($this->username) $buffer .= $this->strwritestring($this->username,$i);
         if($this->password) $buffer .= $this->strwritestring($this->password,$i);
         $head = "  ";
-        $head{0} = chr(0x10);
-        $head{1} = chr($i);
+        $head[0] = chr(0x10);
+        $head[1] = chr($i);
         fwrite($this->socket, $head, 2);
         fwrite($this->socket,  $buffer);
         $string = $this->read(4);
-        if(ord($string{0})>>4 == 2 && $string{3} == chr(0)){
+        if(ord($string[0])>>4 == 2 && $string[3] == chr(0)){
             if($this->debug) echo "Connected to Broker\n";
         }else{
             error_log(sprintf("Connection failed! (Error: 0x%02x 0x%02x)\n",
-                ord($string{0}),ord($string{3})));
+                ord($string[0]),ord($string[3])));
             return false;
         }
         $this->timesinceping = time();
@@ -184,8 +184,8 @@ class MqttService
     /* disconnect: sends a proper disconnect cmd */
     function disconnect(){
         $head = " ";
-        $head{0} = chr(0xe0);
-        $head{1} = chr(0x00);
+        $head[0] = chr(0xe0);
+        $head[1] = chr(0x00);
         fwrite($this->socket, $head, 2);
     }
 
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ class MqttService
         $cmd = 0x30;
         if($qos) $cmd += $qos << 1;
         if($retain) $cmd += 1;
-        $head{0} = chr($cmd);
+        $head[0] = chr($cmd);
         $head .= $this->setmsglength($i);
         fwrite($this->socket, $head, strlen($head));
         fwrite($this->socket, $buffer, $i);
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ class MqttService
 
     /* message: processes a received topic */
     function message($msg){
-        $tlen = (ord($msg{0})<<8) + ord($msg{1});
+        $tlen = (ord($msg[0])<<8) + ord($msg[1]);
         $topic = substr($msg,2,$tlen);
         $msg = substr($msg,($tlen+2));
         $found = 0;
@@ -309,7 +309,7 @@ class MqttService
         $multiplier = 1;
         $value = 0 ;
         do{
-            $digit = ord($msg{$i});
+            $digit = ord($msg[$i]);
             $value += ($digit & 127) * $multiplier;
             $multiplier *= 128;
             $i++;
@@ -347,9 +347,9 @@ class MqttService
     function printstr($string){
         $strlen = strlen($string);
         for($j=0;$j<$strlen;$j++){
-            $num = ord($string{$j});
+            $num = ord($string[$j]);
             if($num > 31)
-                $chr = $string{$j}; else $chr = " ";
+                $chr = $string[$j]; else $chr = " ";
             printf("%4d: %08b : 0x%02x : %s \n",$j,$num,$num,$chr);
         }
     }