diff --git a/.pre-commit-config.yaml b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
index 272f339..2a63908 100644
--- a/.pre-commit-config.yaml
+++ b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 # https://github.com/pre-commit/pre-commit-hooks
 repos:
   - repo: https://github.com/pre-commit/pre-commit-hooks
-    rev: v4.1.0
+    rev: v4.3.0
     hooks:
       - id: check-yaml
       - id: check-json
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ repos:
       # - id: no-commit-to-branch
       #   args: [--branch, main]
   - repo: https://github.com/adrienverge/yamllint.git
-    rev: v1.26.3
+    rev: v1.28.0
     hooks:
       - id: yamllint
         args: [-c=.yamllint.yaml]
@@ -35,11 +35,7 @@ repos:
     rev: v5.10.1
     hooks:
       - id: isort
-  - repo: https://gitlab.com/pycqa/flake8
-    rev: 3.9.2
-    hooks:
-      - id: flake8
   - repo: https://github.com/psf/black
-    rev: 22.1.0
+    rev: 22.10.0
     hooks:
       - id: black
diff --git a/src/besapi/besapi.py b/src/besapi/besapi.py
index 15511cc..7585fc4 100644
--- a/src/besapi/besapi.py
+++ b/src/besapi/besapi.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 Library for communicating with the BES (BigFix) REST API.
 """
 
+import configparser
 import datetime
 import json
 import logging
@@ -17,8 +18,6 @@
 import site
 import string
 
-# import urllib3.poolmanager
-
 try:
     from urllib import parse
 except ImportError:
@@ -113,6 +112,7 @@ def parse_bes_modtime(string_datetime):
     return datetime.datetime.strptime(string_datetime, "%a, %d %b %Y %H:%M:%S %z")
 
 
+# import urllib3.poolmanager
 # # https://docs.python-requests.org/en/latest/user/advanced/#transport-adapters
 # class HTTPAdapterBiggerBlocksize(requests.adapters.HTTPAdapter):
 #     """custom HTTPAdapter for requests to override blocksize
@@ -150,6 +150,48 @@ def parse_bes_modtime(string_datetime):
 #         )
 
 
+def get_bes_conn_using_config_file(conf_file=None):
+    """
+    read connection values from config file
+    return besapi connection
+    """
+    config_paths = [
+        "/etc/besapi.conf",
+        os.path.expanduser("~/besapi.conf"),
+        os.path.expanduser("~/.besapi.conf"),
+        "besapi.conf",
+    ]
+    # if conf_file specified, then only use that:
+    if conf_file:
+        config_paths = [conf_file]
+
+    configparser_instance = configparser.ConfigParser()
+
+    found_config_files = configparser_instance.read(config_paths)
+
+    if found_config_files and configparser_instance:
+        print("Attempting BESAPI Connection using config file:", found_config_files)
+        try:
+            BES_ROOT_SERVER = configparser_instance.get("besapi", "BES_ROOT_SERVER")
+        except BaseException:
+            BES_ROOT_SERVER = None
+
+        try:
+            BES_USER_NAME = configparser_instance.get("besapi", "BES_USER_NAME")
+        except BaseException:
+            BES_USER_NAME = None
+
+        try:
+            BES_PASSWORD = configparser_instance.get("besapi", "BES_PASSWORD")
+        except BaseException:
+            BES_PASSWORD = None
+
+        if BES_ROOT_SERVER and BES_USER_NAME and BES_PASSWORD:
+            return BESConnection(BES_USER_NAME, BES_PASSWORD, BES_ROOT_SERVER)
+
+    return None
+
+
 class BESConnection:
     """BigFix RESTAPI connection abstraction class"""
 
diff --git a/tests/tests.py b/tests/tests.py
index b4d3f21..a5e3def 100644
--- a/tests/tests.py
+++ b/tests/tests.py
@@ -132,3 +132,5 @@ class RequestResult(object):
             'CMD /C python -m besapi ls clear ls conf "query number of bes computers" version error_count exit',
             check=True,
         )
+        bes_conn = besapi.besapi.get_bes_conn_using_config_file()
+        print("login succeeded:", bes_conn.login())