diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 363f38e..166611d 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -35,10 +35,13 @@ require (
 	github.com/syndtr/goleveldb v1.0.1-0.20220614013038-64ee5596c38a // indirect
 	go.uber.org/zap v1.27.0
 	golang.org/x/crypto v0.26.0 // indirect
-	google.golang.org/protobuf v1.34.2 // indirect
+	google.golang.org/protobuf v1.34.2
 )
 
-require github.com/waku-org/go-waku v0.8.1-0.20241028194639-dd82c24e0057
+require (
+	github.com/sirupsen/logrus v1.2.0
+	github.com/waku-org/go-waku v0.8.1-0.20241028194639-dd82c24e0057
+)
 
 require (
 	github.com/beorn7/perks v1.0.1 // indirect
@@ -56,6 +59,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/ipfs/go-log/v2 v2.5.1 // indirect
 	github.com/jackpal/go-nat-pmp v1.0.2 // indirect
 	github.com/klauspost/cpuid/v2 v2.2.8 // indirect
+	github.com/konsorten/go-windows-terminal-sequences v1.0.1 // indirect
 	github.com/libp2p/go-buffer-pool v0.1.0 // indirect
 	github.com/libp2p/go-msgio v0.3.0 // indirect
 	github.com/mattn/go-isatty v0.0.20 // indirect
@@ -79,6 +83,7 @@ require (
 	golang.org/x/net v0.28.0 // indirect
 	golang.org/x/sync v0.8.0 // indirect
 	golang.org/x/sys v0.24.0 // indirect
+	golang.org/x/term v0.23.0 // indirect
 	golang.org/x/time v0.5.0 // indirect
 	gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.1 // indirect
 	lukechampine.com/blake3 v1.3.0 // indirect
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index dcf97e7..1d53bd8 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -297,6 +297,7 @@ github.com/klauspost/cpuid/v2 v2.2.8 h1:+StwCXwm9PdpiEkPyzBXIy+M9KUb4ODm0Zarf1kS
 github.com/klauspost/cpuid/v2 v2.2.8/go.mod h1:Lcz8mBdAVJIBVzewtcLocK12l3Y+JytZYpaMropDUws=
 github.com/klauspost/crc32 v0.0.0-20161016154125-cb6bfca970f6/go.mod h1:+ZoRqAPRLkC4NPOvfYeR5KNOrY6TD+/sAC3HXPZgDYg=
 github.com/klauspost/pgzip v1.0.2-0.20170402124221-0bf5dcad4ada/go.mod h1:Ch1tH69qFZu15pkjo5kYi6mth2Zzwzt50oCQKQE9RUs=
+github.com/konsorten/go-windows-terminal-sequences v1.0.1 h1:mweAR1A6xJ3oS2pRaGiHgQ4OO8tzTaLawm8vnODuwDk=
 github.com/konsorten/go-windows-terminal-sequences v1.0.1/go.mod h1:T0+1ngSBFLxvqU3pZ+m/2kptfBszLMUkC4ZK/EgS/cQ=
 github.com/koron/go-ssdp v0.0.4 h1:1IDwrghSKYM7yLf7XCzbByg2sJ/JcNOZRXS2jczTwz0=
 github.com/koron/go-ssdp v0.0.4/go.mod h1:oDXq+E5IL5q0U8uSBcoAXzTzInwy5lEgC91HoKtbmZk=
@@ -514,6 +515,7 @@ github.com/segmentio/kafka-go v0.2.0/go.mod h1:X6itGqS9L4jDletMsxZ7Dz+JFWxM6JHfP
 github.com/sergi/go-diff v1.0.0/go.mod h1:0CfEIISq7TuYL3j771MWULgwwjU+GofnZX9QAmXWZgo=
 github.com/shirou/gopsutil v3.21.4-0.20210419000835-c7a38de76ee5+incompatible/go.mod h1:5b4v6he4MtMOwMlS0TUMTu2PcXUg8+E1lC7eC3UO/RA=
 github.com/shurcooL/sanitized_anchor_name v1.0.0/go.mod h1:1NzhyTcUVG4SuEtjjoZeVRXNmyL/1OwPU0+IJeTBvfc=
+github.com/sirupsen/logrus v1.2.0 h1:juTguoYk5qI21pwyTXY3B3Y5cOTH3ZUyZCg1v/mihuo=
 github.com/sirupsen/logrus v1.2.0/go.mod h1:LxeOpSwHxABJmUn/MG1IvRgCAasNZTLOkJPxbbu5VWo=
 github.com/smartystreets/assertions v0.0.0-20180927180507-b2de0cb4f26d/go.mod h1:OnSkiWE9lh6wB0YB77sQom3nweQdgAjqCqsofrRNTgc=
 github.com/smartystreets/goconvey v1.6.4/go.mod h1:syvi0/a8iFYH4r/RixwvyeAJjdLS9QV7WQ/tjFTllLA=
@@ -732,6 +734,8 @@ golang.org/x/sys v0.24.0/go.mod h1:/VUhepiaJMQUp4+oa/7Zr1D23ma6VTLIYjOOTFZPUcA=
 golang.org/x/term v0.0.0-20201117132131-f5c789dd3221/go.mod h1:Nr5EML6q2oocZ2LXRh80K7BxOlk5/8JxuGnuhpl+muw=
 golang.org/x/term v0.0.0-20201126162022-7de9c90e9dd1/go.mod h1:bj7SfCRtBDWHUb9snDiAeCFNEtKQo2Wmx5Cou7ajbmo=
 golang.org/x/term v0.0.0-20210927222741-03fcf44c2211/go.mod h1:jbD1KX2456YbFQfuXm/mYQcufACuNUgVhRMnK/tPxf8=
+golang.org/x/term v0.23.0 h1:F6D4vR+EHoL9/sWAWgAR1H2DcHr4PareCbAaCo1RpuU=
+golang.org/x/term v0.23.0/go.mod h1:DgV24QBUrK6jhZXl+20l6UWznPlwAHm1Q1mGHtydmSk=
 golang.org/x/text v0.3.0/go.mod h1:NqM8EUOU14njkJ3fqMW+pc6Ldnwhi/IjpwHt7yyuwOQ=
 golang.org/x/text v0.3.1-0.20180807135948-17ff2d5776d2/go.mod h1:NqM8EUOU14njkJ3fqMW+pc6Ldnwhi/IjpwHt7yyuwOQ=
 golang.org/x/text v0.3.2/go.mod h1:bEr9sfX3Q8Zfm5fL9x+3itogRgK3+ptLWKqgva+5dAk=
diff --git a/waku/logging.go b/waku/logging.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c9c6fdc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/waku/logging.go
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+package waku
+
+import (
+	"sync"
+
+	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
+)
+
+var (
+	once     sync.Once
+	instance *logrus.Logger
+)
+
+// GetLogger ensures we always return the same logger instance
+func GetLogger() *logrus.Logger {
+	once.Do(func() {
+		instance = logrus.New()
+		instance.SetFormatter(&logrus.TextFormatter{
+			FullTimestamp: true,
+		})
+		instance.SetLevel(logrus.DebugLevel) // Set default log level
+	})
+	return instance
+}
+
+// Debug logs a debug message
+func Debug(msg string, args ...interface{}) {
+	GetLogger().WithFields(logrus.Fields{}).Debugf(msg, args...)
+}
+
+// Info logs an info message
+func Info(msg string, args ...interface{}) {
+	GetLogger().WithFields(logrus.Fields{}).Infof(msg, args...)
+}
+
+// Error logs an error message
+func Error(msg string, args ...interface{}) {
+	GetLogger().WithFields(logrus.Fields{}).Errorf(msg, args...)
+}
diff --git a/waku/nwaku.go b/waku/nwaku.go
index d59cad5..c9fda3e 100644
--- a/waku/nwaku.go
+++ b/waku/nwaku.go
@@ -1306,3 +1306,37 @@ func GetFreePortIfNeeded(tcpPort int, discV5UDPPort int, logger *zap.Logger) (in
 
 	return tcpPort, discV5UDPPort, nil
 }
+
+func StartWakuNode(customCfg *WakuConfig) (*WakuNode, error) {
+	logrusLogger := GetLogger()
+	logger := logrusToZap(logrusLogger)
+
+	logger.Debug("Initializing Waku node")
+
+	var nodeCfg WakuConfig
+	if customCfg == nil {
+		nodeCfg = DefaultWakuConfig // Use the default configuration
+	} else {
+		nodeCfg = *customCfg
+	}
+
+	// Assign dynamically generated ports
+	nodeCfg.Discv5UdpPort = GenerateUniquePort()
+	nodeCfg.TcpPort = GenerateUniquePort()
+
+	logger.Debug("Creating Waku node")
+	node, err := NewWakuNode(&nodeCfg, logger)
+	if err != nil {
+		logger.Error("Failed to create Waku node", zap.Error(err))
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	logger.Debug("Starting Waku node")
+	if err := node.Start(); err != nil {
+		logger.Error("Failed to start Waku node", zap.Error(err))
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	logger.Debug("Successfully started Waku node")
+	return node, nil
+}
diff --git a/waku/nwaku_test_utils.go b/waku/nwaku_test_utils.go
index bb923fe..f721548 100644
--- a/waku/nwaku_test_utils.go
+++ b/waku/nwaku_test_utils.go
@@ -7,9 +7,13 @@ import (
 	"net/http"
 	"os"
 	"strconv"
+
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/cenkalti/backoff/v3"
+	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
+	"go.uber.org/zap"
+	"golang.org/x/exp/rand"
 )
 
 type NwakuInfo struct {
@@ -17,6 +21,31 @@ type NwakuInfo struct {
 	EnrUri          string   `json:"enrUri"`
 }
 
+func logrusToZap(log *logrus.Logger) *zap.Logger {
+	config := zap.NewDevelopmentConfig()
+	config.EncoderConfig.TimeKey = "" // Remove timestamp duplication
+	config.Level = zap.NewAtomicLevelAt(zap.DebugLevel)
+
+	zapLogger, _ := config.Build()
+	return zapLogger
+}
+
+func GenerateUniquePort() int {
+	rng := rand.New(rand.NewSource(uint64(time.Now().UnixNano()))) // Local RNG instance
+
+	for {
+		port := rng.Intn(MaxPort-MinPort+1) + MinPort
+
+		portsMutex.Lock()
+		if !usedPorts[port] {
+			usedPorts[port] = true
+			portsMutex.Unlock()
+			return port
+		}
+		portsMutex.Unlock()
+	}
+}
+
 func GetNwakuInfo(host *string, port *int) (NwakuInfo, error) {
 	nwakuRestPort := 8645
 	if port != nil {
diff --git a/waku/test_data.go b/waku/test_data.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5aca49f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/waku/test_data.go
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+package waku
+
+import (
+	"sync"
+	"time"
+)
+
+const ConnectPeerTimeout = 10 * time.Second //default timeout for node to connect to another node
+
+var DefaultPubsubTopic = "/waku/2/rs/16/64"
+var (
+	MinPort    = 1024               // Minimum allowable port (exported)
+	MaxPort    = 65535              // Maximum allowable port (exported)
+	usedPorts  = make(map[int]bool) // Tracks used ports (internal to package)
+	portsMutex sync.Mutex           // Ensures thread-safe access to usedPorts
+)
+
+// Default configuration values
+var DefaultWakuConfig = WakuConfig{
+	Relay:           false,
+	LogLevel:        "DEBUG",
+	Discv5Discovery: true,
+	ClusterID:       16,
+	Shards:          []uint16{64},
+	PeerExchange:    false,
+	Store:           false,
+	Filter:          false,
+	Lightpush:       false,
+	Discv5UdpPort:   GenerateUniquePort(),
+	TcpPort:         GenerateUniquePort(),
+}