diff --git a/p2p/simulations/simulation.go b/p2p/simulations/simulation.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..41f955bc8c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/p2p/simulations/simulation.go
@@ -0,0 +1,132 @@
+package simulations
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/p2p/adapters"
+)
+
+// Simulation provides a framework for running actions in a simulated network
+// and then waiting for expectations to be met
+type Simulation struct {
+	network *Network
+}
+
+// NewSimulation returns a new simulation
+func NewSimulation(network *Network) *Simulation {
+	return &Simulation{
+		network: network,
+	}
+}
+
+// Run performs a step of the simulation by performing the step's action and
+// then waiting for the step's expectation to be met
+func (s *Simulation) Run(ctx context.Context, step *Step) (result *StepResult) {
+	result = newStepResult()
+
+	result.StartedAt = time.Now()
+	defer func() { result.FinishedAt = time.Now() }()
+
+	// watch network events for the duration of the step
+	stop := s.watchNetwork(result)
+	defer stop()
+
+	// perform the action
+	if err := step.Action(ctx); err != nil {
+		result.Error = err
+		return
+	}
+
+	// wait for all node expectations to either pass, error or timeout
+	for len(result.Passes) < len(step.Expect.Nodes) {
+		select {
+		case id := <-step.Trigger:
+			// skip if the node has already passed
+			if _, ok := result.Passes[id]; ok {
+				continue
+			}
+
+			// run the node expectation check
+			pass, err := step.Expect.Check(ctx, id)
+			if err != nil {
+				result.Error = err
+				return
+			}
+			if pass {
+				result.Passes[id] = time.Now()
+			}
+		case <-ctx.Done():
+			result.Error = ctx.Err()
+			return
+		}
+	}
+
+	return
+}
+
+func (s *Simulation) watchNetwork(result *StepResult) func() {
+	stop := make(chan struct{})
+	done := make(chan struct{})
+	sub := s.network.Events().Subscribe(ConnectivityEvents...)
+	go func() {
+		defer close(done)
+		defer sub.Unsubscribe()
+		events := sub.Chan()
+		for {
+			select {
+			case event := <-events:
+				result.NetworkEvents = append(result.NetworkEvents, event)
+			case <-stop:
+				return
+			}
+		}
+	}()
+	return func() {
+		close(stop)
+		<-done
+	}
+}
+
+type Step struct {
+	// Action is the action to perform for this step
+	Action func(context.Context) error
+
+	// Trigger is a channel which receives node ids and triggers an
+	// expectation check for that node
+	Trigger chan *adapters.NodeId
+
+	// Expect is the expectation to wait for when performing this step
+	Expect *Expectation
+}
+
+type Expectation struct {
+	// Nodes is a list of nodes to check
+	Nodes []*adapters.NodeId
+
+	// Check checks whether a given node meets the expectation
+	Check func(context.Context, *adapters.NodeId) (bool, error)
+}
+
+func newStepResult() *StepResult {
+	return &StepResult{
+		Passes: make(map[*adapters.NodeId]time.Time),
+	}
+}
+
+type StepResult struct {
+	// Error is the error encountered whilst running the step
+	Error error
+
+	// StartedAt is the time the step started
+	StartedAt time.Time
+
+	// FinishedAt is the time the step finished
+	FinishedAt time.Time
+
+	// Passes are the timestamps of the successful node expectations
+	Passes map[*adapters.NodeId]time.Time
+
+	// NetworkEvents are the network events which occurred during the step
+	NetworkEvents []interface{}
+}
diff --git a/swarm/network/simulations/discovery/discovery_test.go b/swarm/network/simulations/discovery/discovery_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b850642d0f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/swarm/network/simulations/discovery/discovery_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,186 @@
+package discovery_test
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"fmt"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/p2p"
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/p2p/adapters"
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/p2p/simulations"
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/swarm/network"
+)
+
+func TestDiscoverySimulation(t *testing.T) {
+	// create 10 node network
+	nodeCount := 10
+	trigger := make(chan *adapters.NodeId)
+	net := simulations.NewNetwork(&simulations.NetworkConfig{
+		Id:      "0",
+		Backend: true,
+	})
+	nodes := make(map[*adapters.NodeId]*node, nodeCount)
+	net.SetNaf(func(conf *simulations.NodeConfig) adapters.NodeAdapter {
+		node := newNode(conf.Id, net, trigger)
+		nodes[conf.Id] = node
+		return node
+	})
+	ids := adapters.RandomNodeIds(nodeCount)
+	for _, id := range ids {
+		net.NewNode(&simulations.NodeConfig{Id: id})
+		if err := net.Start(id); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("error starting node %s: %s", id.Label(), err)
+		}
+	}
+
+	// run a simulation which connects the 10 nodes in a ring and waits
+	// for full peer discovery
+	action := func(ctx context.Context) error {
+		for i, id := range ids {
+			var peerId *adapters.NodeId
+			if i == 0 {
+				peerId = ids[len(ids)-1]
+			} else {
+				peerId = ids[i-1]
+			}
+			if err := net.Connect(id, peerId); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+		}
+		return nil
+	}
+	check := func(ctx context.Context, id *adapters.NodeId) (bool, error) {
+		select {
+		case <-ctx.Done():
+			return false, ctx.Err()
+		default:
+		}
+
+		node, ok := nodes[id]
+		if !ok {
+			return false, fmt.Errorf("unknown node: %s", id)
+		}
+
+		// TODO: check list of peers
+		_ = node
+
+		return true, nil
+	}
+
+	timeout := 10 * time.Second
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), timeout)
+	defer cancel()
+
+	result := simulations.NewSimulation(net).Run(ctx, &simulations.Step{
+		Action:  action,
+		Trigger: trigger,
+		Expect: &simulations.Expectation{
+			Nodes: ids,
+			Check: check,
+		},
+	})
+	if result.Error != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("simulation failed: %s", result.Error)
+	}
+
+	t.Log("Simulation Passed:")
+	t.Logf("Duration: %s", result.FinishedAt.Sub(result.StartedAt))
+	for _, id := range ids {
+		t.Logf("Node %s passed in %s", id.Label(), result.Passes[id].Sub(result.StartedAt))
+	}
+	t.Logf("Events:")
+	for _, event := range result.NetworkEvents {
+		t.Log(event)
+	}
+}
+
+type node struct {
+	*network.Hive
+	adapters.NodeAdapter
+
+	id      *adapters.NodeId
+	network *simulations.Network
+	trigger chan *adapters.NodeId
+}
+
+func newNode(id *adapters.NodeId, net *simulations.Network, trigger chan *adapters.NodeId) *node {
+	addr := network.NewPeerAddrFromNodeId(id)
+	kademlia := newKademlia(addr.OverlayAddr())
+	hive := newHive(kademlia)
+	codeMap := network.BzzCodeMap(network.DiscoveryMsgs...)
+	nodeAdapter := adapters.NewSimNode(id, net, adapters.NewSimPipe)
+	node := &node{
+		Hive:        hive,
+		NodeAdapter: nodeAdapter,
+		id:          id,
+		network:     net,
+		trigger:     trigger,
+	}
+	services := func(peer network.Peer) error {
+		discoveryPeer := network.NewDiscovery(peer, kademlia)
+		node.Add(discoveryPeer)
+		peer.DisconnectHook(func(err error) {
+			node.Remove(discoveryPeer)
+		})
+		return nil
+	}
+	nodeAdapter.Run = network.Bzz(addr.OverlayAddr(), nodeAdapter, codeMap, services, nil, nil).Run
+	return node
+}
+
+func newKademlia(overlayAddr []byte) *network.Kademlia {
+	params := network.NewKadParams()
+	params.MinProxBinSize = 2
+	params.MaxBinSize = 3
+	params.MinBinSize = 1
+	params.MaxRetries = 1000
+	params.RetryExponent = 2
+	params.RetryInterval = 1000000
+
+	return network.NewKademlia(overlayAddr, params)
+}
+
+func newHive(kademlia *network.Kademlia) *network.Hive {
+	params := network.NewHiveParams()
+	params.CallInterval = 5000
+
+	return network.NewHive(params, kademlia)
+}
+
+func (n *node) Start() error {
+	return n.Hive.Start(n.connectPeer, n.hiveKeepAlive)
+}
+
+func (n *node) Stop() error {
+	n.Hive.Stop()
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (n *node) Add(peer network.Peer) error {
+	err := n.Hive.Add(peer)
+	n.triggerCheck()
+	return err
+}
+
+func (n *node) Remove(peer network.Peer) {
+	n.Hive.Remove(peer)
+	n.triggerCheck()
+}
+
+func (n *node) RunProtocol(id *adapters.NodeId, rw, rrw p2p.MsgReadWriter, peer *adapters.Peer) error {
+	return n.NodeAdapter.(adapters.ProtocolRunner).RunProtocol(id, rw, rrw, peer)
+}
+
+func (n *node) connectPeer(s string) error {
+	return n.network.Connect(n.id, adapters.NewNodeIdFromHex(s))
+}
+
+func (n *node) hiveKeepAlive() <-chan time.Time {
+	return time.Tick(time.Second)
+}
+
+func (n *node) triggerCheck() {
+	// TODO: rate limit the trigger?
+	go func() { n.trigger <- n.id }()
+}