Odd socket trouble

I added a printf to see if I was getting from the socket. It just came across with a bunch of @@@@@ which leds me to believe that i'm not reading from the socket right.

I'm using visual c++. This is the code thats giving me the trouble.

Code:

void check_autoroller(void)
{
	/* this autoroller is for DM only! */
   int stat;
   char from[500];
   int str, in, wis, dex, con;
   int AUTOROLLING = TRUE;

	printf("Max str?\n\r");
   	scanf("%d",&str);
   	printf("Max int?\n\r");
   	scanf("%d",&in);
   	printf("Max wis?\n\r");
   	scanf("%d",&wis);
   	printf("Max dex?\n\r");
   	scanf("%d",&dex);
   	printf("Max con?\n\r");
	scanf("%d",&con);
	
	
	read_from_socket(from, 1038);
	printf("%s",from);
	

	while (AUTOROLLING != FALSE)
	{
	
		if (from[0] != 'S')
	      return;
	   // str
	   stat = (from[10]-48) * 10 + from[11]-48;
	   if (stat < str){
		write_to_socket("no\n");
	    return;
	   }
	   // int
	   stat = (from[27]-48) * 10 + from[28]-48;
	   if (stat < in){
	    write_to_socket("no\n");
	    return;
	   }
	   // wis
	   stat = (from[38]-48) * 10 + from[39]-48;
	   if (stat < wis){
	    write_to_socket("no\n");
	    return;
	   }
	   // dex
	   stat = (from[52]-48) * 10 + from[53]-48;
	   if (stat < dex){
	    write_to_socket("no\n");
	    return;
	   }
	   // con
	   stat = (from[69]-48) * 10 + from[70]-48;
	   if (stat < con){
	    write_to_socket("no\n");
	    return;
	   }
	   write_to_socket("yes\n");
	   AUTOROLLING = FALSE;
	   return;
	   }
}

int main(void)
{
	char host[50];
	int port;
	
	printf("Enter the host to connect to.\n\r");
	gets(host);
	port = 2222;
	init_winsock();
	connect_to_host(host,port);
  	do_specs();
	send_spec();
	printf("specs sent. Initiating autorolling.\n\r");
	check_autoroller();
	close_connection();
	shutdown_winsock();
	

	return 0;
}

this is the socket functions.

Code:

void close_connection(void)
{
	closesocket(sock);
}

int init_winsock(void)
{
    WORD wVersionRequested = MAKEWORD(2,0);
    WSADATA wsaData;

    WSAStartup(wVersionRequested, &wsaData);

    if (wsaData.wVersion != wVersionRequested)
    {	
		wVersionRequested = MAKEWORD(1,1);
		WSACleanup();
        WSAStartup(wVersionRequested, &wsaData);
        if (wsaData.wVersion != wVersionRequested)
	  	  return false;
    }
    return true;
}

int connect_to_host(char *hostname, int port)
{
    LPHOSTENT lpHostEntry;
    SOCKADDR_IN saServer;
    int arg;
    unsigned long arg2;

	// Perform DNS lookup
    lpHostEntry = gethostbyname(hostname);
    if (lpHostEntry == NULL)
    {
        return DNS_FAILURE;
    }
    
	// Create the socket
    sock = socket(PF_INET,SOCK_STREAM,IPPROTO_TCP);

	// set the recv buf to 4k
	arg = 4096;
    setsockopt(sock,SOL_SOCKET,SO_RCVBUF,(char *) &arg,sizeof(arg));

	// set the send buf to 1k
    arg = 1024;
    setsockopt(sock, SOL_SOCKET,SO_SNDBUF, (char *) &arg, sizeof(arg));

	if (sock == INVALID_SOCKET)
    {        
		return SOCKET_FAILURE;
    }

    // Connect to host
    saServer.sin_family = PF_INET;
    saServer.sin_addr = *((LPIN_ADDR)*lpHostEntry->h_addr_list);
    saServer.sin_port = htons(port);

    if ( connect(sock,				
				   (LPSOCKADDR)&saServer,	
				   sizeof(struct sockaddr)) == SOCKET_ERROR)
	{
		closesocket(sock);
		return CONNECT_FAILURE;
	}

	// Turn off blocking mode
    ioctlsocket(sock,FIONBIO,&arg2);

    return true;
}

int read_from_socket(char * buf, int bufsize)
{
    int cnt;
//	unsigned long arg;

//	if (ioctlsocket(sock, FIONREAD, &arg) == SOCKET_ERROR)
//		return -1;
//	if (arg <= 0) return false;

	cnt = recv(sock,buf, bufsize,0);
	if (cnt == SOCKET_ERROR || cnt == 0)
	{	
		int error;
		error = WSAGetLastError();
		// Might should check for other error codes too, but these seem most likely
		// to indicate lost connection
		if (error == WSAENETRESET     ||
				error == WSAECONNABORTED  ||
				error == WSAECONNRESET    ||
				error == WSAEINVAL ||
				cnt == 0)
			return -1;
		return false;
	}
	buf[cnt] = '\0';
	return true;
}

void write_to_socket(char * buf)
{
   send(sock, buf, strlen(buf),0);
   return;
}

void shutdown_winsock(void)
{
	// cleanup winsock
	closesocket(sock);
	WSACleanup();
	return;
}