Help with timers

--[[Variables]]--
version = "v0.1"
subRouters = {}
subComputers = {}
master = "nil";
connected = false;
headerOnline = "Router "..version.." | This router is connected to #";
headerOffline = "Router "..version.." | This router is currently LAN only.";
header = headerOffline;
--[[Functions]]--
function isTable(var)
  if var[1] ~= nil then
	return true;
  else
	return false;
  end
end
function tryToConnect()
  if connected then
	message = "ping";
  else
	message = "CONNENT";
  end

  timeoutID = os.startTimer(.5);
  sendMessage(channels.connectionChannel, channels.connectionChannel, nil, message)

  local event, p1, p2, p3, p4, p5 = os.pullEvent();

  if event == "modem_message" then
  
	modemSide, senderChannel, replyChannel, message, senderDistance = p1, p2, p3, p4, p5;
  
	if senderChannel == channels.connectionChannel then
	  success, sender, to, messageString = deobf(message);
	  if success then
		if connected then
		  if messageString == "pong" then
			return true, sender;
		  end
		else
		  if messageString == "ACK" then
			sendMessage(channels.connectionChannel, channels.connectionChannel, nil, "RCONNECTED "..computerID);
			return true, sender;
		  end
		end
	  end
	end
  elseif event == "timer" and p1 == timeoutID then
	return false, "nil";
  end
end
function searchForComputer(computerID)
  for i = 1, #subComputers do
	if subComputers[i] == computerID then
	  return 1
	end
  end

  for i = 1, #subRouters do
	sendMessage(channels.computerSearchChannel, channels.computerSearchChannel, nil, computerID);
  end
end
function drawScreen()
  term.setCursorPos(1,1);
  term.clearLine();
  write(header);

  for i = 2, h do
	term.setCursorPos(1,i);
	if i == 2 or i == h then
	  for j = 1, w do
		if j == 1 or j == w then
		  write("+");
		else
		  write("-");
		end
	  end
	else
	  write("|");
	  term.setCursorPos(w,i);
	  write("|");
	end
  end

  term.setCursorPos(2,3);
end
function sendMessage(channel, replyChannel, to, message)
  message = {computerID, to, message};
  modem.transmit(channel, replyChannel, textutils.serialize(message));
end
function deobf(message)
  term.scroll(1);
  term.setCursorPos(2,h-1);
  term.clearLine()

  sucess, desearMessage = pcall(textutils.unserialize, message);

  if not pcall(isTable, desearMessage) then
	write("The message isn't a table");
	drawScreen()
	return false;
  else
	drawScreen()
	return true, desearMessage[1], desearMessage[2], desearMessage[3];
  end
end
function log(message)
  term.scroll(1);
  term.setCursorPos(2,h-1);
  term.clearLine()

  write("Forwarded message from computer #"..desearMessage[1].." to #"..master);
  drawScreen()
end

--[[Main Code]]--
connected, master = tryToConnect();
while true do
  if connected then
	header = headerOnline..master;
  else
	header = headerOffline;
  end
  timerID = os.startTimer(5);
  drawScreen();
  local event, p1, p2, p3, p4, p5 = os.pullEvent();

  if event == "modem_message" then

	modemSide, senderChannel, replyChannel, message, senderDistance = p1, p2, p3, p4, p5;
  
	success, sender, to, messageString = deobf(message);

	if success then
	  if senderChannel == channels.connectionChannel then
		request = messageString;
		if request == "CONNENT" then
		  sendMessage(channels.connectionChannel, channels.connectionChannel, sender, "ACK");
		elseif string.sub(request, 1, 10) == "CCONNECTID" and to == computerID then
		  table.insert(subComputers, #subComputers + 1, tonum(string.sub(request, 12)));
		elseif string.sub(request, 1, 10) == "RCONNECTID" and to == computerID then
		  table.insert(subRouters, #subRouters + 1, tonum(string.sub(request, 12)));
		elseif request == "ping" then
		  sendMessage(channels.connectionChannel, channels.connectionChannel, sender, "pong");
		end
	  else
		connected, master = tryToConnect();
		if senderChannel == channels.computerSearchChannel then
		  computerToFind = messageString;
		  searchForComputer(computerToFind);
		else
		  --Search for the computer ID under this router, if not found, forward the message to the next router up.
		  log(message);
		end
	  end
	end
  elseif event == "timer" and p1 == timerID then
	print("TimerID = "..timerID);
	print("p1 = "..p1);
	sleep(1);
	term.clear();
	connected, master = tryToConnect();
  end
end

-snip-

--[[Main Code]]--
connected, master = tryToConnect();

while true do
  if connected then
	header = headerOnline..master;
  else
	header = headerOffline;
  end
  timerID = os.startTimer(5);  --Here is where the timerID is stored
  drawScreen();
  local event, p1, p2, p3, p4, p5 = os.pullEvent();  --Here is where is *should* return the timerID

  if event == "modem_message" then
    -snip-
  elseif event == "timer" and p1 == timerID then  --This never returns true. If I remove the 'and p1 == timer' then it gets returned true, but 'p1' is never the same as 'timerID' any ideas why?
	print("TimerID = "..timerID);
	print("p1 = "..p1);
	sleep(1);
	term.clear();
	connected, master = tryToConnect();
  end
end

-snip-

--[[Main Code]]--
connected, master = tryToConnect();

while true do
  if connected then
	header = headerOnline..master;
  else
	header = headerOffline;
  end
  timerID = os.startTimer(5);		--This line was the problem
  drawScreen();
  local event, p1, p2, p3, p4, p5 = os.pullEvent();

  if event == "modem_message" then
	-snip-
  elseif event == "timer" and p1 == timerID then
	print("TimerID = "..timerID);
	print("p1 = "..p1);
	sleep(1);
	term.clear();
	connected, master = tryToConnect();
  end
end

var = "hello"
print(type(var))

var = 1234
print(type(var))

var = { "hello", 1234 }
print(type(var))

function var()
end
print(type(var))

var = true
print(type(var))

var
print(type(var))