diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 09705be..baa945f 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -47,13 +47,13 @@ More info about options in Usage.
 Executing `./check_http_json.py -h` will yield the following details:
 
 ```
-usage: check_http_json.py [-h] -H HOST [-p PATH]
+usage: check_http_json.py [-h] -H HOST [-B AUTH] [-p PATH]
                           [-e [KEY_LIST [KEY_LIST ...]]]
                           [-q [KEY_VALUE_LIST [KEY_VALUE_LIST ...]]]
                           [-l [KEY_LTE_LIST [KEY_LTE_LIST ...]]]
                           [-g [KEY_GTE_LIST [KEY_GTE_LIST ...]]]
-                          [-m [METRIC_LIST [METRIC_LIST ...]]] [-d]
-                          [-s SEPARATOR]
+                          [-m [METRIC_LIST [METRIC_LIST ...]]] [-s]
+                          [-f SEPARATOR] [-d]
 
 Nagios plugin which checks json values from a given endpoint against argument
 specified rules and determines the status and performance data for that
@@ -62,6 +62,8 @@ service
 optional arguments:
   -h, --help            show this help message and exit
   -H HOST, --host HOST  Host.
+  -B AUTH, --basic-auth AUTH
+                        Basic auth string "username:password"
   -p PATH, --path PATH  Path.
   -e [KEY_LIST [KEY_LIST ...]], --key_exists [KEY_LIST [KEY_LIST ...]]
                         Checks existence of these keys to determine status.
@@ -85,9 +87,10 @@ optional arguments:
                         plugins.org/doc/guidelines.html Additional formats for
                         this parameter are: (key), (key,UnitOfMeasure),
                         (key,UnitOfMeasure,Min,Max).
-  -d, --debug           Debug mode.
-  -s SEPARATOR, --separator SEPARATOR
+  -s, --ssl             HTTPS mode.
+  -f SEPARATOR, --field_separator SEPARATOR
                         Json Field separator, defaults to "."
+  -d, --debug           Debug mode.
 ```
 
 More info about Nagios Range format and Units of Measure can be found at [https://nagios-plugins.org/doc/guidelines.html](https://nagios-plugins.org/doc/guidelines.html).
diff --git a/check_http_json.py b/check_http_json.py
index 7c2dc5a..30a06b8 100755
--- a/check_http_json.py
+++ b/check_http_json.py
@@ -7,10 +7,12 @@ Generic Nagios plugin which checks json values from a given endpoint against arg
 and determines the status and performance data for that service.
 """
 
-import httplib, urllib, urllib2
+import httplib, urllib, urllib2, base64
 import json
 import argparse
 from pprint import pprint
+from urllib2 import HTTPError
+from urllib2 import URLError
 
 
 class NagiosHelper:
@@ -45,8 +47,8 @@ class JsonHelper:
 		self.separator = separator
 
 	def equals(self, key, value): return self.exists(key) and str(self.get(key)) == value
-	def lte(self, key, value): return self.exists(key) and str(self.get(key)) <= value
-	def gte(self, key, value): return self.exists(key) and str(self.get(key)) >= value
+	def lte(self, key, value): return self.exists(key) and float(self.get(key)) <= float(value)
+	def gte(self, key, value): return self.exists(key) and float(self.get(key)) >= float(value)
 	def exists(self, key): return (self.get(key) != (None, 'not_found'))
 	def get(self, key, temp_data=''):
 		"""Can navigate nested json keys with a dot format (Element.Key.NestedKey). Returns (None, 'not_found') if not found"""
@@ -144,6 +146,7 @@ def parseArgs():
 			and determines the status and performance data for that service')
 
 	parser.add_argument('-H', '--host', dest='host', required=True, help='Host.')
+	parser.add_argument('-B', '--basic-auth', dest='auth', required=False, help='Basic auth string "username:password"')
 	parser.add_argument('-p', '--path', dest='path', help='Path.')
 	parser.add_argument('-e', '--key_exists', dest='key_list', nargs='*', 
 		help='Checks existence of these keys to determine status.')
@@ -159,8 +162,9 @@ def parseArgs():
 		help='Gathers the values of these keys (key,UnitOfMeasure,Min,Max,WarnRange,CriticalRange) for Nagios performance data.\
 		More information about Range format and units of measure for nagios can be found at https://nagios-plugins.org/doc/guidelines.html\
 		Additional formats for this parameter are: (key), (key,UnitOfMeasure), (key,UnitOfMeasure,Min,Max).')
+	parser.add_argument('-s', '--ssl', action='store_true', help='HTTPS mode.')
+	parser.add_argument('-f', '--field_separator', dest='separator', help='Json Field separator, defaults to "."')
 	parser.add_argument('-d', '--debug', action='store_true', help='Debug mode.')
-	parser.add_argument('-s', '--separator', dest='separator', help='Json Field separator, defaults to "."')
 
 	return parser.parse_args()
 
@@ -176,13 +180,20 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
 	args = parseArgs()
 	nagios = NagiosHelper()
 
-	url = "http://%s" % args.host
+	if args.ssl:
+		url = "https://%s" % args.host
+	else:
+		url = "http://%s" % args.host
+
 	if args.path: url += "/%s" % args.path
 	debugPrint(args.debug, "url:%s" % url)
 
 	# Attempt to reach the endpoint
 	try:
 		req = urllib2.Request(url)
+		if args.auth:
+			base64str = base64.encodestring(args.auth).replace('\n', '')
+			req.add_header('Authorization', 'Basic %s' % base64str)
 		response = urllib2.urlopen(req)
 	except HTTPError as e:
 		nagios.unknown("HTTPError[%s], url:%s" % (str(e.code), url))
@@ -208,4 +219,4 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
 
 	# Print Nagios specific string and exit appropriately
 	print nagios.getMessage()
-	exit(nagios.code)
\ No newline at end of file
+	exit(nagios.code)