diff --git a/Hash2Pub/src/Hash2Pub/FediChord.hs b/Hash2Pub/src/Hash2Pub/FediChord.hs
index 5d059b4..8361f54 100644
--- a/Hash2Pub/src/Hash2Pub/FediChord.hs
+++ b/Hash2Pub/src/Hash2Pub/FediChord.hs
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ instance Ord NodeID where
 
 -- | represents a node and all its important state
 data NodeState = NodeState {
-    id :: NodeID
+    nid :: NodeID
   , domain :: String
   -- ^ full public domain name the node is reachable under
   , ipAddr :: HostAddress6
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ data NodeState = NodeState {
   , pNumParallelQueries :: Int
   -- ^ number of parallel sent queries
   -- needs to be parameterisable for simulation purposes
-  }
+  } deriving (Show)
 
 -- |an entry of the 'nodeCache'
 type CacheEntry = (
diff --git a/Hash2Pub/test/FediChordSpec.hs b/Hash2Pub/test/FediChordSpec.hs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..45b1d67
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Hash2Pub/test/FediChordSpec.hs
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+module FediChordSpec where
+
+import Test.Hspec
+import Control.Exception
+import qualified Data.Map.Strict as Map
+
+import Hash2Pub.FediChord
+
+spec :: Spec
+spec = do
+    describe "NodeID" $ do
+        it "can store a numeral ID" $
+            getNodeID (mkNodeID 2342) `shouldBe` 2342
+        it "computes ID values within the modular bounds" $ do
+            getNodeID ((maxBound :: NodeID) + mkNodeID 2) < getNodeID (maxBound :: NodeID) `shouldBe` True
+            3 * (maxBound :: NodeID) `shouldBe`  fromInteger (-3)
+        it "uses comparison in the context of preceding/ succeding nodes on a ring" $ do
+            mkNodeID 12 `compare` mkNodeID 12 `shouldBe` EQ
+            let
+                a = mkNodeID 3
+                b = mkNodeID 3 - mkNodeID 10
+            a > b `shouldBe` True
+            b < a `shouldBe` True
+            -- edge cases
+            (mkNodeID 5001 - mkNodeID 2^255) < 5001 `shouldBe` True
+            (mkNodeID 5001 - mkNodeID 2^255 - 1) < 5001 `shouldBe` False
+        it "throws an exception when @mkNodeID@ on out-of-bound values" $
+            pending
+    describe "NodeState" $ do
+        it "can be initialised" $ do
+            let ns = NodeState {
+                nid = mkNodeID 12
+              , domain = "herebedragons.social"
+              , ipAddr = (0x200116b8, 0x755ab1100, 0x7d6a12ab, 0xf0c5386e)
+              , dhtPort = 2342
+              , apPort = Nothing
+              , nodeCache = Map.empty
+              , successors = []
+              , predecessors = []
+              , kNeighbours = 3
+              , lNumBestNodes = 3
+              , pNumParallelQueries = 2
+                               }
+            print ns