code: private synchronized Channel channel() throws IOException {
          if (autoReconnect) {
              try {
                  connect();
              } catch (GeneralSecurityException e) {
                  throw new IOException(e);
              }
          }
  
          return channel;
      }
docs: Returns the {@link #channel}. May open it if <code>autoReconnect</code> is set to "true" (default value)
  and it's not yet or no longer open.
  @return an open channel.