diff --git a/simlib/blendnet-sims/src/main.rs b/simlib/blendnet-sims/src/main.rs
index 9f4050c..0bb099a 100644
--- a/simlib/blendnet-sims/src/main.rs
+++ b/simlib/blendnet-sims/src/main.rs
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ use netrunner::node::{NodeId, NodeIdExt};
 use netrunner::output_processors::Record;
 use netrunner::runner::{BoxedNode, SimulationRunnerHandle};
 use netrunner::streaming::{io::IOSubscriber, naive::NaiveSubscriber, StreamType};
+use node::mix::topology::build_topology;
 use nomos_mix::cover_traffic::CoverTrafficSettings;
 use nomos_mix::message_blend::{
     CryptographicProcessorSettings, MessageBlendSettings, TemporalSchedulerSettings,
@@ -88,6 +89,12 @@ impl SimulationApp {
 
         let network = Arc::new(Mutex::new(Network::<MixMessage>::new(regions_data, seed)));
 
+        let topology = build_topology(
+            &node_ids,
+            settings.conn_maintenance.peering_degree,
+            &mut rng,
+        );
+
         let nodes: Vec<_> = node_ids
             .iter()
             .copied()
@@ -100,6 +107,7 @@ impl SimulationApp {
                     no_netcap,
                     MixnodeSettings {
                         membership: node_ids.clone(),
+                        topology: topology.clone(),
                         data_message_lottery_interval: settings.data_message_lottery_interval,
                         stake_proportion: settings.stake_proportion / node_ids.len() as f64,
                         seed: rng.next_u64(),
diff --git a/simlib/blendnet-sims/src/node/mix/mod.rs b/simlib/blendnet-sims/src/node/mix/mod.rs
index cdfe2ae..6fa099b 100644
--- a/simlib/blendnet-sims/src/node/mix/mod.rs
+++ b/simlib/blendnet-sims/src/node/mix/mod.rs
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ mod message;
 pub mod scheduler;
 pub mod state;
 pub mod stream_wrapper;
+pub mod topology;
 
 use crate::node::mix::consensus_streams::{Epoch, Slot};
 use cached::{Cached, TimedCache};
@@ -39,6 +40,7 @@ use sha2::{Digest, Sha256};
 use state::MixnodeState;
 use std::{pin::pin, task::Poll, time::Duration};
 use stream_wrapper::CrossbeamReceiverStream;
+use topology::Topology;
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone)]
 pub struct MixMessage(Vec<u8>);
@@ -52,6 +54,7 @@ impl PayloadSize for MixMessage {
 #[derive(Deserialize)]
 pub struct MixnodeSettings {
     pub membership: Vec<NodeId>,
+    pub topology: Topology,
     pub data_message_lottery_interval: Duration,
     pub stake_proportion: f64,
     pub seed: u64,
@@ -144,10 +147,12 @@ impl MixNode {
             membership.clone(),
             ChaCha12Rng::from_rng(&mut rng_generator).unwrap(),
         );
-        conn_maintenance
-            .bootstrap()
-            .into_iter()
-            .for_each(|peer| conn_maintenance.add_connected_peer(peer));
+        settings
+            .topology
+            .get(&id)
+            .unwrap()
+            .iter()
+            .for_each(|peer| conn_maintenance.add_connected_peer(*peer));
         let (conn_maintenance_update_time_sender, conn_maintenance_update_time_receiver) =
             channel::unbounded();
         let (persistent_sender, persistent_receiver) = channel::unbounded();
@@ -378,7 +383,7 @@ impl Node for MixNode {
             let effective_messages_series = Series::from_iter(
                 monitors
                     .values()
-                    .map(|monitor| monitor.effective_messages as u64),
+                    .map(|monitor| monitor.effective_messages.to_num::<u64>()),
             );
             self.log_monitors(&effective_messages_series);
         }
diff --git a/simlib/blendnet-sims/src/node/mix/topology.rs b/simlib/blendnet-sims/src/node/mix/topology.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e288042
--- /dev/null
+++ b/simlib/blendnet-sims/src/node/mix/topology.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+use std::collections::{HashMap, HashSet};
+
+use netrunner::node::NodeId;
+use rand::{seq::SliceRandom, RngCore};
+
+pub type Topology = HashMap<NodeId, HashSet<NodeId>>;
+
+pub fn build_topology<R: RngCore>(nodes: &[NodeId], peering_degree: usize, mut rng: R) -> Topology {
+    loop {
+        let mut topology = nodes
+            .iter()
+            .map(|&node| (node, HashSet::new()))
+            .collect::<HashMap<_, _>>();
+
+        for node in nodes.iter() {
+            let mut others = nodes
+                .iter()
+                .filter(|&other| {
+                    // Check if the other node is not already connected to the current node
+                    // and the other node has not reached the peering degree.
+                    other != node
+                        && !topology.get(node).unwrap().contains(other)
+                        && topology.get(other).unwrap().len() < peering_degree
+                })
+                .copied()
+                .collect::<Vec<_>>();
+
+            // How many more connections the current node needs
+            let num_needs = peering_degree - topology.get(node).unwrap().len();
+            // Sample peers as many as possible and connect them to the current node
+            let k = std::cmp::min(num_needs, others.len());
+            others.as_mut_slice().shuffle(&mut rng);
+            others.into_iter().take(k).for_each(|peer| {
+                topology.get_mut(node).unwrap().insert(peer);
+                topology.get_mut(&peer).unwrap().insert(*node);
+            });
+        }
+
+        if are_all_nodes_connected(&topology) {
+            return topology;
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+fn are_all_nodes_connected(topology: &Topology) -> bool {
+    let visited = dfs(topology, *topology.keys().next().unwrap());
+    visited.len() == topology.len()
+}
+
+fn dfs(topology: &Topology, start_node: NodeId) -> HashSet<NodeId> {
+    let mut visited: HashSet<NodeId> = HashSet::new();
+    let mut stack: Vec<NodeId> = Vec::new();
+    stack.push(start_node);
+    while let Some(node) = stack.pop() {
+        visited.insert(node);
+        for peer in topology.get(&node).unwrap().iter() {
+            if !visited.contains(peer) {
+                stack.push(*peer);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    visited
+}