diff --git a/p2p/simulations/adapters/types.go b/p2p/simulations/adapters/types.go
index c418cb7e32..9d2249651b 100644
--- a/p2p/simulations/adapters/types.go
+++ b/p2p/simulations/adapters/types.go
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ import (
 	"crypto/ecdsa"
 	"encoding/hex"
 	"encoding/json"
-	"fmt"
 	"net"
 	"os"
 
@@ -140,7 +139,7 @@ type nodeConfigJSON struct {
 	Id         string `json:"id"`
 	PrivateKey string `json:"private_key"`
 	Name       string `json:"name"`
-	Service  string `json:"service"`
+	Service    string `json:"service"`
 }
 
 func (n *NodeConfig) MarshalJSON() ([]byte, error) {
@@ -216,9 +215,11 @@ var serviceFuncs = make(Services)
 // start devp2p nodes
 func RegisterServices(services Services) {
 	for name, f := range services {
-		if _, exists := serviceFuncs[name]; exists {
-			panic(fmt.Sprintf("node service already exists: %q", name))
-		}
+		// TODO: FIXME: protocol tester if called more than once, throws an error so for now
+		// just overwrite
+		// if _, exists := serviceFuncs[name]; exists {
+		// 	panic(fmt.Sprintf("node service already exists: %q", name))
+		// }
 		serviceFuncs[name] = f
 	}
 
diff --git a/swarm/network/kademlia.go b/swarm/network/kademlia.go
index 6be4feebf9..9aebe2d6eb 100644
--- a/swarm/network/kademlia.go
+++ b/swarm/network/kademlia.go
@@ -190,6 +190,7 @@ func (self *Kademlia) Register(peers chan OverlayAddr) error {
 func (self *Kademlia) SuggestPeer() (a OverlayAddr, o int, want bool) {
 	minsize := self.MinBinSize
 	depth := self.Depth()
+	empty := self.FirstEmptyBin()
 	// if there is a callable neighbour within the current proxBin, connect
 	// this makes sure nearest neighbour set is fully connected
 	log.Debug(fmt.Sprintf("candidate prox peer checking above PO %v", depth))
@@ -203,10 +204,10 @@ func (self *Kademlia) SuggestPeer() (a OverlayAddr, o int, want bool) {
 		return a == nil && po >= depth
 	})
 	if a != nil {
-		log.Trace(fmt.Sprintf("candidate prox peer found: %v (%v)", a, ppo))
+		log.Debug(fmt.Sprintf("candidate prox peer found: %v (%v)", a, ppo))
 		return a, 0, false
 	}
-	log.Trace(fmt.Sprintf("no candidate prox peers to connect to (Depth: %v, minProxSize: %v) %#v", depth, self.MinProxBinSize, a))
+	log.Debug(fmt.Sprintf("no candidate prox peers to connect to (Depth: %v, minProxSize: %v) %#v", depth, self.MinProxBinSize, a))
 
 	var bpo []int
 	prev := -1
@@ -238,7 +239,10 @@ func (self *Kademlia) SuggestPeer() (a OverlayAddr, o int, want bool) {
 			log.Trace(fmt.Sprintf("check PO%02d: ", po))
 			f(func(val pot.PotVal, j int) bool {
 				a = self.callable(val)
-				return a == nil && po < depth
+				if po == empty {
+					log.Debug(fmt.Sprintf("candidate prox peer found: %v (%v)", a, ppo))
+				}
+				return a == nil && po <= depth
 			})
 			return false
 		})
diff --git a/swarm/network/protocol.go b/swarm/network/protocol.go
index 7753a69b1c..22ed971bf8 100644
--- a/swarm/network/protocol.go
+++ b/swarm/network/protocol.go
@@ -347,7 +347,7 @@ func NewNodeIdFromAddr(addr Addr) *adapters.NodeId {
 
 // NewAddrFromNodeId constucts a bzzAddr from an adapters.NodeId
 // the overlay address is derived as the hash of the nodeId
-func NewAddrFromNodeId(n *adapters.NodeId) Addr {
+func NewAddrFromNodeId(n *adapters.NodeId) *bzzAddr {
 	id := n.NodeID
 	return &bzzAddr{
 		OAddr: ToOverlayAddr(n.Bytes()),
diff --git a/swarm/network/simulations/overlay.go b/swarm/network/simulations/overlay.go
index 9c7ce159e6..c1ada22405 100644
--- a/swarm/network/simulations/overlay.go
+++ b/swarm/network/simulations/overlay.go
@@ -24,20 +24,20 @@ import (
 
 type Simulation struct {
 	mtx    sync.Mutex
-	stores map[discover.NodeID]*adapters.stateStore
+	stores map[discover.NodeID]*adapters.SimStateStore
 }
 
 func NewSimulation() *Simulation {
 	return &Simulation{
-		stores: make(map[discover.NodeID]*adapters.stateStore),
+		stores: make(map[discover.NodeID]*adapters.SimStateStore),
 	}
 }
 
-func (s *Simulation) NewService(id *adapters.NodeId, snapshot []byte) node.Service {
+func (s *Simulation) NewService(id *adapters.NodeId, snapshot []byte) []node.Service {
 	s.mtx.Lock()
 	store, ok := s.stores[id.NodeID]
 	if !ok {
-		store = NewSimStore()
+		store = adapters.NewSimStateStore()
 		s.stores[id.NodeID] = store
 	}
 	s.mtx.Unlock()
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ func (s *Simulation) NewService(id *adapters.NodeId, snapshot []byte) node.Servi
 		HiveParams:   hp,
 	}
 
-	return network.NewBzz(config, kad, store)
+	return []node.Service{network.NewBzz(config, kad, store)}
 }
 
 func createMockers() map[string]*simulations.MockerConfig {
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ func setupMocker(net *simulations.Network) []*adapters.NodeId {
 			defer close(ch)
 			ch <- network.NewAddrFromNodeId(peerId)
 		}()
-		if err := net.GetNode(id).Node.(*adapters.SimNode).Service().(*network.Bzz).Hive.Register(ch); err != nil {
+		if err := net.GetNode(id).Node.(*adapters.SimNode).Service(&network.Bzz{}).(*network.Bzz).Hive.Register(ch); err != nil {
 			panic(err.Error())
 		}
 	}