diff --git a/lib/networkmonitor.js b/lib/networkmonitor.js
index 2cd4f151..434ce000 100644
--- a/lib/networkmonitor.js
+++ b/lib/networkmonitor.js
@@ -14,21 +14,23 @@ var Peer = p2p.Peer;
 var Messages = p2p.Messages;
 var logger = require('./logger');
 
-function NetworkMonitor(eventBus, opts) {
-  $.checkArgument(eventBus instanceof EventBus);
+function NetworkMonitor(eventBus, peer) {
+  $.checkArgument(eventBus);
+  $.checkArgument(peer);
   this.bus = eventBus;
-
-  opts = opts || {};
-  opts.network = opts.network || Networks.defaultNetwork;
-  opts.host = opts.host || 'localhost';
-  opts.port = opts.port || Networks.defaultNetwork.port;
-
-  var peer = new Peer(opts.host, opts.port, opts.network);
   this.peer = peer;
   this.setupPeer(peer);
 }
 util.inherits(NetworkMonitor, EventEmitter);
 
+NetworkMonitor.create = function(eventBus, opts) {
+  opts.network = opts.network || Networks.defaultNetwork;
+  opts.host = opts.host || 'localhost';
+  opts.port = opts.port || Networks.defaultNetwork.port;
+
+  var peer = new Peer(opts.host, opts.port, opts.network);
+  return new NetworkMonitor(eventBus, peer);
+};
 
 NetworkMonitor.prototype.setupPeer = function(peer) {
   var self = this;
diff --git a/test/networkmonitor.js b/test/networkmonitor.js
index 98437b78..535a9412 100644
--- a/test/networkmonitor.js
+++ b/test/networkmonitor.js
@@ -2,29 +2,38 @@
 
 var chai = require('chai');
 var should = chai.should();
-var sinon = require('sinon');
 var bitcore = require('bitcore');
+var Transaction = bitcore.Transaction;
+var EventEmitter = require('events').EventEmitter;
 
 var NetworkMonitor = require('../lib/networkmonitor');
 var EventBus = require('../lib/eventbus');
-var util = require('util');
-var Promise = require('bluebird');
-Promise.longStackTraces();
 
-var bus = new EventBus(); //sinon.createStubInstance(EventBus);
+describe('NetworkMonitor', function() {
 
-describe.only('NetworkMonitor', function() {
-
-  this.timeout(10000);
+  // mocks
+  var mockTx, busMock, peerMock;
+  beforeEach(function() {
+    mockTx = new Transaction();
+    busMock = new EventBus();
+    peerMock = new EventEmitter();
+    peerMock.connect = function() {
+      this.emit('tx', {
+        transaction: mockTx
+      });
+    };
+  });
 
   it('instantiate', function() {
-    var nm = new NetworkMonitor(bus);
+    var nm = new NetworkMonitor(busMock, peerMock);
     should.exist(nm);
   });
+
   it('start', function(cb) {
-    var nm = new NetworkMonitor(bus);
-    bus.register(bitcore.Transaction, function(tx) {
-      console.log('new tx: ', tx.id); 
+    var nm = new NetworkMonitor(busMock, peerMock);
+    busMock.register(bitcore.Transaction, function(tx) {
+      tx.id.should.equal(mockTx.id);
+      cb();
     });
     nm.start();
   });