diff --git a/network/default.go b/network/default.go
index c3c8d5db..a4fbd0b5 100644
--- a/network/default.go
+++ b/network/default.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"hash/fnv"
 	"io"
 	"math"
+	"math/rand"
 	"sort"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
@@ -88,6 +89,7 @@ type message struct {
 
 // newNetwork returns a new network node
 func newNetwork(opts ...Option) Network {
+	rand.Seed(time.Now().UnixNano())
 	options := DefaultOptions()
 
 	for _, o := range opts {
@@ -178,12 +180,11 @@ func newNetwork(opts ...Option) Network {
 
 func (n *network) Init(opts ...Option) error {
 	n.Lock()
-	defer n.Unlock()
-
 	// TODO: maybe only allow reinit of certain opts
 	for _, o := range opts {
 		o(&n.options)
 	}
+	n.Unlock()
 
 	return nil
 }
@@ -191,10 +192,8 @@ func (n *network) Init(opts ...Option) error {
 // Options returns network options
 func (n *network) Options() Options {
 	n.RLock()
-	defer n.RUnlock()
-
 	options := n.options
-
+	n.RUnlock()
 	return options
 }
 
@@ -332,8 +331,7 @@ func (n *network) advertise(advertChan <-chan *router.Advert) {
 				// someone requested the route
 				n.sendTo("advert", ControlChannel, peer, msg)
 			default:
-				// send to all since we can't get anything
-				n.sendMsg("advert", ControlChannel, msg)
+				// no one to send to
 			}
 		case <-n.closed:
 			return
@@ -498,12 +496,12 @@ func (n *network) getHopCount(rtr string) int {
 	}
 
 	// the route origin is our peer
-	if _, ok := n.peers[rtr]; ok {
+	if _, ok := n.node.peers[rtr]; ok {
 		return 10
 	}
 
 	// the route origin is the peer of our peer
-	for _, peer := range n.peers {
+	for _, peer := range n.node.peers {
 		for id := range peer.peers {
 			if rtr == id {
 				return 100
@@ -944,6 +942,13 @@ func (n *network) manage() {
 		case <-n.closed:
 			return
 		case <-announce.C:
+			// jitter
+			j := rand.Int63n(30)
+			time.Sleep(time.Duration(j) * time.Second)
+
+			// TODO: intermittently flip between peer selection
+			// and full broadcast pick a random set of peers
+
 			msg := PeersToProto(n.node, MaxDepth)
 			// advertise yourself to the network
 			if err := n.sendMsg("peer", NetworkChannel, msg); err != nil {
diff --git a/tunnel/default.go b/tunnel/default.go
index ff66ea6f..aadd4870 100644
--- a/tunnel/default.go
+++ b/tunnel/default.go
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import (
 
 var (
 	// DiscoverTime sets the time at which we fire discover messages
-	DiscoverTime = 60 * time.Second
+	DiscoverTime = 30 * time.Second
 	// KeepAliveTime defines time interval we send keepalive messages to outbound links
 	KeepAliveTime = 30 * time.Second
 	// ReconnectTime defines time interval we periodically attempt to reconnect dead links
@@ -42,6 +42,9 @@ type tun struct {
 	// close channel
 	closed chan bool
 
+	// control channel to indicate link change
+	updated chan bool
+
 	// a map of sessions based on Micro-Tunnel-Channel
 	sessions map[string]*session
 
@@ -54,6 +57,7 @@ type tun struct {
 
 // create new tunnel on top of a link
 func newTunnel(opts ...Option) *tun {
+	rand.Seed(time.Now().UnixNano())
 	options := DefaultOptions()
 	for _, o := range opts {
 		o(&options)
@@ -65,6 +69,7 @@ func newTunnel(opts ...Option) *tun {
 		token:    options.Token,
 		send:     make(chan *message, 128),
 		closed:   make(chan bool),
+		updated:  make(chan bool, 3),
 		sessions: make(map[string]*session),
 		links:    make(map[string]*link),
 	}
@@ -222,6 +227,12 @@ func (t *tun) manageLink(link *link) {
 	discover := time.NewTicker(DiscoverTime)
 	defer discover.Stop()
 
+	wait := func(d time.Duration) {
+		// jitter
+		j := rand.Int63n(int64(d / 2))
+		time.Sleep(time.Duration(j) * time.Second)
+	}
+
 	for {
 		select {
 		case <-t.closed:
@@ -229,18 +240,29 @@ func (t *tun) manageLink(link *link) {
 		case <-link.closed:
 			return
 		case <-discover.C:
-			// send a discovery message to all links
-			if err := t.sendMsg("discover", link); err != nil {
-				log.Debugf("Tunnel failed to send discover to link %s: %v", link.Remote(), err)
-			}
+			go func() {
+				// wait half the discover time
+				wait(DiscoverTime)
+
+				// send a discovery message to the link
+				log.Debugf("Tunnel sending discover to link: %v", link.Remote())
+				if err := t.sendMsg("discover", link); err != nil {
+					log.Debugf("Tunnel failed to send discover to link %s: %v", link.Remote(), err)
+				}
+			}()
 		case <-keepalive.C:
-			// send keepalive message
-			log.Debugf("Tunnel sending keepalive to link: %v", link.Remote())
-			if err := t.sendMsg("keepalive", link); err != nil {
-				log.Debugf("Tunnel error sending keepalive to link %v: %v", link.Remote(), err)
-				t.delLink(link.Remote())
-				return
-			}
+			go func() {
+				// wait half the keepalive time
+				wait(KeepAliveTime)
+
+				// send keepalive message
+				log.Debugf("Tunnel sending keepalive to link: %v", link.Remote())
+				if err := t.sendMsg("keepalive", link); err != nil {
+					log.Debugf("Tunnel error sending keepalive to link %v: %v", link.Remote(), err)
+					t.delLink(link.Remote())
+					return
+				}
+			}()
 		}
 	}
 }
@@ -248,6 +270,7 @@ func (t *tun) manageLink(link *link) {
 // manageLinks is a function that can be called to immediately to link setup
 // it purges dead links while generating new links for any nodes not connected
 func (t *tun) manageLinks() {
+	// if we need to notify of updates
 	delLinks := make(map[*link]string)
 	connected := make(map[string]bool)
 
@@ -304,6 +327,9 @@ func (t *tun) manageLinks() {
 		}
 
 		t.Unlock()
+
+		// links were deleted so notify
+		go t.notify()
 	}
 
 	var wg sync.WaitGroup
@@ -324,18 +350,22 @@ func (t *tun) manageLinks() {
 				return
 			}
 
-			// save the link
 			t.Lock()
-			defer t.Unlock()
 
 			// just check nothing else was setup in the interim
 			if _, ok := t.links[node]; ok {
 				link.Close()
+				t.Unlock()
 				return
 			}
 
 			// save the link
 			t.links[node] = link
+
+			t.Unlock()
+
+			// notify ourselves of the change
+			go t.notify()
 		}(node)
 	}
 
@@ -345,48 +375,37 @@ func (t *tun) manageLinks() {
 
 // process outgoing messages sent by all local sessions
 func (t *tun) process() {
+	// wait for the first update
+	<-t.updated
+
+	// get the list of links
+	t.RLock()
+	var links []*link
+	for _, link := range t.links {
+		links = append(links, link)
+	}
+	t.RUnlock()
+
 	// manage the send buffer
 	// all pseudo sessions throw everything down this
 	for {
 		select {
 		case msg := <-t.send:
-			newMsg := &transport.Message{
-				Header: make(map[string]string),
-			}
-
-			// set the data
-			if msg.data != nil {
-				for k, v := range msg.data.Header {
-					newMsg.Header[k] = v
-				}
-				newMsg.Body = msg.data.Body
-			}
-
-			// set message head
-			newMsg.Header["Micro-Tunnel"] = msg.typ
-
-			// set the tunnel id on the outgoing message
-			newMsg.Header["Micro-Tunnel-Id"] = msg.tunnel
-
-			// set the tunnel channel on the outgoing message
-			newMsg.Header["Micro-Tunnel-Channel"] = msg.channel
-
-			// set the session id
-			newMsg.Header["Micro-Tunnel-Session"] = msg.session
-
-			// send the message via the interface
-			t.RLock()
-
-			if len(t.links) == 0 {
+			// no links yet
+			if len(links) == 0 {
+				// TODO: should we block here rather than throwing away messages...
+				// Or should we return an error?
 				log.Debugf("No links to send message type: %s channel: %s", msg.typ, msg.channel)
+				time.Sleep(time.Millisecond * 100)
+				continue
 			}
 
-			var sent bool
-			var err error
+			// build a list of links to send to
 			var sendTo []*link
+			var err error
 
 			// build the list of links ot send to
-			for node, link := range t.links {
+			for _, link := range links {
 				// get the values we need
 				link.RLock()
 				id := link.id
@@ -397,7 +416,7 @@ func (t *tun) process() {
 
 				// if the link is not connected skip it
 				if !connected {
-					log.Debugf("Link for node %s not connected", node)
+					log.Debugf("Link for node %s not connected", id)
 					err = errors.New("link not connected")
 					continue
 				}
@@ -406,7 +425,7 @@ func (t *tun) process() {
 				// and the message is being sent outbound via
 				// a dialled connection don't use this link
 				if loopback && msg.outbound {
-					log.Tracef("Link for node %s is loopback", node)
+					log.Tracef("Link for node %s is loopback", id)
 					err = errors.New("link is loopback")
 					continue
 				}
@@ -414,7 +433,7 @@ func (t *tun) process() {
 				// if the message was being returned by the loopback listener
 				// send it back up the loopback link only
 				if msg.loopback && !loopback {
-					log.Tracef("Link for message %s is loopback", node)
+					log.Tracef("Link for message %s is loopback", id)
 					err = errors.New("link is not loopback")
 					continue
 				}
@@ -439,55 +458,128 @@ func (t *tun) process() {
 				sendTo = append(sendTo, link)
 			}
 
-			t.RUnlock()
-
-			// send the message
-			for _, link := range sendTo {
-				// send the message via the current link
-				log.Tracef("Tunnel sending %+v to %s", newMsg.Header, link.Remote())
-
-				if errr := link.Send(newMsg); errr != nil {
-					log.Debugf("Tunnel error sending %+v to %s: %v", newMsg.Header, link.Remote(), errr)
-					err = errors.New(errr.Error())
-					t.delLink(link.Remote())
-					continue
-				}
-
-				// is sent
-				sent = true
-
-				// keep sending broadcast messages
-				if msg.mode > Unicast {
-					continue
-				}
-
-				// break on unicast
-				break
-			}
-
-			var gerr error
-
-			// set the error if not sent
-			if !sent {
-				gerr = err
-			}
-
-			// skip if its not been set
-			if msg.errChan == nil {
+			// no links to send to
+			if len(sendTo) == 0 {
+				t.respond(msg, err)
 				continue
 			}
 
-			// return error non blocking
-			select {
-			case msg.errChan <- gerr:
-			default:
+			// send the message
+			t.sendTo(sendTo, msg)
+		case <-t.updated:
+			t.RLock()
+			var newLinks []*link
+			for _, link := range t.links {
+				newLinks = append(links, link)
 			}
+			t.RUnlock()
+			// links were updated
+			links = newLinks
 		case <-t.closed:
 			return
 		}
 	}
 }
 
+// send response back for a message to the caller
+func (t *tun) respond(msg *message, err error) {
+	select {
+	case msg.errChan <- err:
+	default:
+	}
+}
+
+// sendTo sends a message to the chosen links
+func (t *tun) sendTo(links []*link, msg *message) error {
+	// the function that sends the actual message
+	send := func(link *link, msg *transport.Message) error {
+		if err := link.Send(msg); err != nil {
+			log.Debugf("Tunnel error sending %+v to %s: %v", msg.Header, link.Remote(), err)
+			t.delLink(link.Remote())
+			return err
+		}
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	newMsg := &transport.Message{
+		Header: make(map[string]string),
+	}
+
+	// set the data
+	if msg.data != nil {
+		for k, v := range msg.data.Header {
+			newMsg.Header[k] = v
+		}
+		newMsg.Body = msg.data.Body
+	}
+
+	// set message head
+	newMsg.Header["Micro-Tunnel"] = msg.typ
+	// set the tunnel id on the outgoing message
+	newMsg.Header["Micro-Tunnel-Id"] = msg.tunnel
+	// set the tunnel channel on the outgoing message
+	newMsg.Header["Micro-Tunnel-Channel"] = msg.channel
+	// set the session id
+	newMsg.Header["Micro-Tunnel-Session"] = msg.session
+
+	// error channel for call
+	errChan := make(chan error, len(links))
+
+	// send the message
+	for _, link := range links {
+		// send the message via the current link
+		log.Tracef("Tunnel sending %+v to %s", newMsg.Header, link.Remote())
+
+		// blast it in a go routine since its multicast/broadcast
+		if msg.mode > Unicast {
+			// make a copy
+			m := &transport.Message{
+				Header: make(map[string]string),
+			}
+			copy(m.Body, newMsg.Body)
+			for k, v := range newMsg.Header {
+				m.Header[k] = v
+			}
+
+			// execute in parallel
+			go func() {
+				errChan <- send(link, m)
+			}()
+
+			continue
+		}
+
+		// otherwise send as unicast
+		if err := send(link, newMsg); err != nil {
+			// put in the error chan if it failed
+			errChan <- err
+			continue
+		}
+
+		// sent successfully so just return
+		t.respond(msg, nil)
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	// either all unicast attempts failed or we're
+	// checking the multicast/broadcast attempts
+
+	var err error
+
+	// check all the errors
+	for i := 0; i < len(links); i++ {
+		err = <-errChan
+		// success
+		if err == nil {
+			break
+		}
+	}
+
+	// return error. it's non blocking
+	t.respond(msg, err)
+	return err
+}
+
 func (t *tun) delLink(remote string) {
 	t.Lock()
 
@@ -502,9 +594,21 @@ func (t *tun) delLink(remote string) {
 		delete(t.links, id)
 	}
 
+	// let ourselves know of a link change
+	go t.notify()
+
 	t.Unlock()
 }
 
+// notify ourselves of a link change
+func (t *tun) notify() {
+	select {
+	case t.updated <- true:
+	// unblock after a second
+	case <-time.After(time.Second):
+	}
+}
+
 // process incoming messages
 func (t *tun) listen(link *link) {
 	// remove the link on exit
@@ -856,6 +960,9 @@ func (t *tun) setupLinks() {
 
 	// wait for all threads to finish
 	wg.Wait()
+
+	// notify ourselves of the update
+	t.notify()
 }
 
 // connect the tunnel to all the nodes and listen for incoming tunnel connections
@@ -1042,19 +1149,7 @@ func (t *tun) Close() error {
 
 // Dial an address
 func (t *tun) Dial(channel string, opts ...DialOption) (Session, error) {
-	log.Debugf("Tunnel dialing %s", channel)
-	c, ok := t.newSession(channel, t.newSessionId())
-	if !ok {
-		return nil, errors.New("error dialing " + channel)
-	}
-	// set remote
-	c.remote = channel
-	// set local
-	c.local = "local"
-	// outbound session
-	c.outbound = true
-
-	// get opts
+	// get the options
 	options := DialOptions{
 		Timeout: DefaultDialTimeout,
 		Wait:    true,
@@ -1064,12 +1159,28 @@ func (t *tun) Dial(channel string, opts ...DialOption) (Session, error) {
 		o(&options)
 	}
 
-	// set the multicast option
+	log.Debugf("Tunnel dialing %s", channel)
+
+	// create a new session
+	c, ok := t.newSession(channel, t.newSessionId())
+	if !ok {
+		return nil, errors.New("error dialing " + channel)
+	}
+
+	// set remote
+	c.remote = channel
+	// set local
+	c.local = "local"
+	// outbound session
+	c.outbound = true
+	// set the mode of connection unicast/multicast/broadcast
 	c.mode = options.Mode
 	// set the dial timeout
 	c.dialTimeout = options.Timeout
 	// set read timeout set to never
 	c.readTimeout = time.Duration(-1)
+	// set the link
+	c.link = options.Link
 
 	var links []*link
 	// did we measure the rtt
@@ -1080,7 +1191,7 @@ func (t *tun) Dial(channel string, opts ...DialOption) (Session, error) {
 	// non multicast so we need to find the link
 	for _, link := range t.links {
 		// use the link specified it its available
-		if id := options.Link; len(id) > 0 && link.id != id {
+		if len(c.link) > 0 && link.id != c.link {
 			continue
 		}
 
@@ -1096,20 +1207,36 @@ func (t *tun) Dial(channel string, opts ...DialOption) (Session, error) {
 
 	t.RUnlock()
 
-	// link not found and one was specified so error out
-	if len(links) == 0 && len(options.Link) > 0 {
-		// delete session and return error
-		t.delSession(c.channel, c.session)
-		log.Debugf("Tunnel deleting session %s %s: %v", c.session, c.channel, ErrLinkNotFound)
-		return nil, ErrLinkNotFound
+	// link option was specified to pick the link
+	if len(options.Link) > 0 {
+		// link not found and one was specified so error out
+		if len(links) == 0 {
+			// delete session and return error
+			t.delSession(c.channel, c.session)
+			log.Debugf("Tunnel deleting session %s %s: %v", c.session, c.channel, ErrLinkNotFound)
+			return nil, ErrLinkNotFound
+		}
+
+		// assume discovered because we picked
+		c.discovered = true
+
+		// link asked for and found and now
+		// we've been asked not to wait so return
+		if !options.Wait {
+			c.accepted = true
+			return c, nil
+		}
 	}
 
 	// discovered so set the link if not multicast
 	if c.discovered && c.mode == Unicast {
-		// pickLink will pick the best link
-		link := t.pickLink(links)
-		// set the link
-		c.link = link.id
+		// pick a link if not specified
+		if len(c.link) == 0 {
+			// pickLink will pick the best link
+			link := t.pickLink(links)
+			// set the link
+			c.link = link.id
+		}
 	}
 
 	// if its not already discovered we need to attempt to do so
@@ -1143,12 +1270,8 @@ func (t *tun) Dial(channel string, opts ...DialOption) (Session, error) {
 
 	// return early if its not unicast
 	// we will not wait for "open" for multicast
-	if c.mode != Unicast {
-		return c, nil
-	}
-
-	// if we're not told to wait
-	if !options.Wait {
+	// and we will not wait it told not to
+	if c.mode != Unicast || !options.Wait {
 		return c, nil
 	}
 
@@ -1241,9 +1364,6 @@ func (t *tun) Listen(channel string, opts ...ListenOption) (Listener, error) {
 	// to the existign sessions
 	go tl.process()
 
-	// announces the listener channel to others
-	go tl.announce()
-
 	// return the listener
 	return tl, nil
 }
diff --git a/tunnel/listener.go b/tunnel/listener.go
index 6dbec5c8..16f37e35 100644
--- a/tunnel/listener.go
+++ b/tunnel/listener.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package tunnel
 
 import (
 	"io"
-	"time"
 
 	"github.com/micro/go-micro/util/log"
 )
@@ -24,24 +23,6 @@ type tunListener struct {
 	delFunc func()
 }
 
-// periodically announce self the channel being listened on
-func (t *tunListener) announce() {
-	tick := time.NewTicker(time.Second * 30)
-	defer tick.Stop()
-
-	// first announcement
-	t.session.Announce()
-
-	for {
-		select {
-		case <-tick.C:
-			t.session.Announce()
-		case <-t.closed:
-			return
-		}
-	}
-}
-
 func (t *tunListener) process() {
 	// our connection map for session
 	conns := make(map[string]*session)