diff --git a/cluster_config/cfgsync.yaml b/cluster_config/cfgsync.yaml
index 64b1df0..10840a5 100644
--- a/cluster_config/cfgsync.yaml
+++ b/cluster_config/cfgsync.yaml
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ security_param: 10
 active_slot_coeff: 0.9
 
 # DaConfig related parameters
-subnetwork_size: 1024
+subnetwork_size: 2
 dispersal_factor: 2
 num_samples: 1
 num_subnets: 2
diff --git a/src/libs/common.py b/src/libs/common.py
index 8f2961c..20bfeb7 100644
--- a/src/libs/common.py
+++ b/src/libs/common.py
@@ -38,3 +38,8 @@ def to_app_id(n: int) -> list:
     if n < 0:
         raise ValueError("Input must be an unsigned integer (non-negative)")
     return list(n.to_bytes(32, byteorder="big"))
+
+
+def generate_random_bytes(n_max=31):
+    random_n = random.randint(1, n_max)
+    return os.urandom(random_n)
diff --git a/src/steps/da.py b/src/steps/da.py
index 779742b..b613bb7 100644
--- a/src/steps/da.py
+++ b/src/steps/da.py
@@ -46,9 +46,13 @@ def remove_padding(padded_bytes):
     return padded_bytes[:-padding_len]
 
 
-def prepare_dispersal_request(data, app_id, index):
-    data_bytes = data.encode("utf-8")
-    padded_bytes = add_padding(list(data_bytes))
+def prepare_dispersal_request(data, app_id, index, with_utf8_padding=True):
+    if with_utf8_padding:
+        data_bytes = data.encode("utf-8")
+        padded_bytes = add_padding(list(data_bytes))
+    else:
+        padded_bytes = list(data)
+
     dispersal_data = {"data": padded_bytes, "metadata": {"app_id": app_id, "index": index}}
     return dispersal_data
 
@@ -76,9 +80,9 @@ class StepsDataAvailability(StepsCommon):
 
     @allure.step
     @retry(stop=stop_after_delay(65), wait=wait_fixed(1), reraise=True)
-    def disperse_data(self, data, app_id, index):
+    def disperse_data(self, data, app_id, index, with_utf8_padding=True):
         response = []
-        request = prepare_dispersal_request(data, app_id, index)
+        request = prepare_dispersal_request(data, app_id, index, with_utf8_padding)
         executor = self.find_executor_node()
         try:
             response = executor.send_dispersal_request(request)
diff --git a/tests/networking_privacy/test_networking_privacy.py b/tests/networking_privacy/test_networking_privacy.py
index 30ae389..a17cdae 100644
--- a/tests/networking_privacy/test_networking_privacy.py
+++ b/tests/networking_privacy/test_networking_privacy.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import pytest
 import psutil
 
-from src.libs.common import delay, to_app_id, to_index
+from src.libs.common import delay, to_app_id, to_index, generate_random_bytes
 from src.libs.custom_logger import get_custom_logger
 from src.steps.da import StepsDataAvailability
 from src.test_data import DATA_TO_DISPERSE
@@ -42,3 +42,37 @@ class TestNetworkingPrivacy(StepsDataAvailability):
         overhead = (consumed - data_sent) / data_sent
 
         assert overhead < 400, "Dispersal overhead is too high"
+
+    @pytest.mark.usefixtures("setup_2_node_cluster")
+    def test_consumed_bandwidth_random_data_dispersal(self):
+        delay(5)
+        net_io = psutil.net_io_counters()
+        prev_total = net_io.bytes_sent + net_io.bytes_recv
+
+        data_to_disperse = generate_random_bytes()
+        logger.debug(f"Using random data to disperse: {list(data_to_disperse)}")
+
+        successful_dispersals = 0
+        for i in range(20):
+            try:
+                self.disperse_data(data_to_disperse, to_app_id(1), to_index(0), with_utf8_padding=False)
+                successful_dispersals += 1
+            except Exception as ex:
+                logger.warning(f"Dispersal #{i} was not successful with error {ex}")
+
+            if successful_dispersals == 10:
+                break
+
+            delay(0.1)
+
+        net_io = psutil.net_io_counters()
+        curr_total = net_io.bytes_sent + net_io.bytes_recv
+
+        consumed = curr_total - prev_total
+
+        assert successful_dispersals == 10, "Unable to finish 10 successful dispersals"
+
+        data_sent = 2 * successful_dispersals * len(data_to_disperse)
+        overhead = (consumed - data_sent) / data_sent
+
+        assert overhead < 400, "Dispersal overhead is too high"