diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 0b5b3c5aa..136d787a0 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 # IdeaIDE
 .idea
+
+#VsIDE
 .vscode
 
 # Executables
@@ -11,4 +13,4 @@
 *.hex
 
 # Mac
-.DS_Store 
+.DS_Store
diff --git a/benchmark_node.go b/benchmark_node.go
index e8a28b635..d4e32f045 100644
--- a/benchmark_node.go
+++ b/benchmark_node.go
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ func startServer(port string, handler func(net.Conn, *consensus.Consensus), cons
 		log.Fatalf("Socket listen port %s failed,%s", port, err)
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
-	log.Printf("Begin listen port: %s", port)
 	for {
 		conn, err := listen.Accept()
 		if err != nil {
@@ -115,10 +114,11 @@ func NodeHandler(conn net.Conn, consensus *consensus.Consensus) {
 	payload, err := p2p.ReadMessagePayload(conn)
 	if err != nil {
 		if consensus.IsLeader {
-			log.Fatalf("[Leader] Receive data failed:%s", err)
+			log.Printf("[Leader] Receive data failed:%s", err)
 		} else {
-			log.Fatalf("[Slave] Receive data failed:%s", err)
+			log.Printf("[Slave] Receive data failed:%s", err)
 		}
+		return
 	}
 	if consensus.IsLeader {
 		consensus.ProcessMessageLeader(payload)
@@ -164,7 +164,6 @@ func main() {
 	port := flag.String("port", "9000", "port of the node.")
 	ipfile := flag.String("ipfile", "iplist.txt", "file containing all ip addresses")
 	flag.Parse()
-	log.Println()
 
 	consensusObj := consensus.InitConsensus(*ip, *port, getPeers(*ip, *port, *ipfile), getLeader(*ipfile))
 	var nodeStatus string
@@ -173,8 +172,9 @@ func main() {
 	} else {
 		nodeStatus = "validator"
 	}
-	log.Println(consensusObj)
-	log.Printf("This node is a %s node with ip: %s and port: %s\n", nodeStatus, *ip, *port)
-	log.Println()
+
+	log.Println("======================================")
+	log.Printf("This node is a %s node listening on ip: %s and port: %s\n", nodeStatus, *ip, *port)
+	log.Println("======================================")
 	startServer(*port, NodeHandler, &consensusObj)
 }
diff --git a/consensus/consensus.go b/consensus/consensus.go
index 210649378..0a4624a65 100644
--- a/consensus/consensus.go
+++ b/consensus/consensus.go
@@ -75,3 +75,11 @@ func InitConsensus(ip, port string, peers []p2p.Peer, leader p2p.Peer) Consensus
 	consensus.priKey = ip + ":" + port // use ip:port as unique key for now
 	return consensus
 }
+
+
+// Reset the state of the consensus
+func (consensus *Consensus) ResetState() {
+	consensus.state = READY
+	consensus.commits = make(map[string]string)
+	consensus.responses = make(map[string]string)
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/consensus/consensus_leader.go b/consensus/consensus_leader.go
index 481f51297..effa64ab5 100644
--- a/consensus/consensus_leader.go
+++ b/consensus/consensus_leader.go
@@ -48,58 +48,66 @@ func (consensus *Consensus) startConsensus(msg string) {
 	// prepare message and broadcast to validators
 
 	msgToSend := ConstructConsensusMessage(ANNOUNCE, []byte("block"))
-	p2p.BroadcastMessage(consensus.validators, msgToSend)
 	// Set state to ANNOUNCE_DONE
 	consensus.state = ANNOUNCE_DONE
+	p2p.BroadcastMessage(consensus.validators, msgToSend)
 }
 
 func (consensus *Consensus) processCommitMessage(msg string) {
 	// proceed only when the message is not received before and this consensus phase is not done.
-	if _, ok := consensus.commits[msg]; !ok && consensus.state != CHALLENGE_DONE {
-		mutex.Lock()
+	mutex.Lock()
+	_, ok := consensus.commits[msg]
+	shouldProcess := !ok && consensus.state == ANNOUNCE_DONE
+	if shouldProcess {
 		consensus.commits[msg] = msg
 		log.Printf("Number of commits received: %d", len(consensus.commits))
-		mutex.Unlock()
-	} else {
+	}
+	mutex.Unlock()
+
+	if !shouldProcess {
 		return
 	}
 
-	if consensus.state != CHALLENGE_DONE && len(consensus.commits) >= (2*len(consensus.validators))/3+1 {
-		mutex.Lock()
+	mutex.Lock()
+	if len(consensus.commits) >= (2*len(consensus.validators))/3+1 {
+		log.Printf("Enough commits received with %d signatures: %s", len(consensus.commits), consensus.commits)
 		if consensus.state == ANNOUNCE_DONE {
 			// Set state to CHALLENGE_DONE
 			consensus.state = CHALLENGE_DONE
 		}
-		mutex.Unlock()
 		// Broadcast challenge
 		msgToSend := ConstructConsensusMessage(CHALLENGE, []byte("challenge"))
 		p2p.BroadcastMessage(consensus.validators, msgToSend)
-
-		log.Printf("Enough commits received with %d signatures: %s", len(consensus.commits), consensus.commits)
 	}
+	mutex.Unlock()
 }
 
 func (consensus *Consensus) processResponseMessage(msg string) {
 	// proceed only when the message is not received before and this consensus phase is not done.
-	if _, ok := consensus.responses[msg]; !ok && consensus.state != FINISHED {
-		mutex.Lock()
+	mutex.Lock()
+	_, ok := consensus.responses[msg]
+	shouldProcess := !ok && consensus.state == CHALLENGE_DONE
+	if shouldProcess {
 		consensus.responses[msg] = msg
 		log.Printf("Number of responses received: %d", len(consensus.responses))
-		mutex.Unlock()
-	} else {
+	}
+	mutex.Unlock()
+
+	if !shouldProcess {
 		return
 	}
 
-	if consensus.state != FINISHED && len(consensus.responses) >= (2*len(consensus.validators))/3+1 {
-		mutex.Lock()
+	mutex.Lock()
+	if len(consensus.responses) >= (2*len(consensus.validators))/3+1 {
+		log.Printf("Consensus reached with %d signatures: %s", len(consensus.responses), consensus.responses)
 		if consensus.state == CHALLENGE_DONE {
 			// Set state to FINISHED
 			consensus.state = FINISHED
-			log.Println("Hooray! Consensus reached!!!!!!!!!!!!!")
+			// TODO: do followups on the consensus
+			log.Printf("HOORAY!!! CONSENSUS REACHED AMONG %d NODES!!!\n", len(consensus.validators))
+			consensus.ResetState()
 		}
-		mutex.Unlock()
 		// TODO: composes new block and broadcast the new block to validators
-
-		log.Printf("Consensus reached with %d signatures: %s", len(consensus.responses), consensus.responses)
 	}
+	mutex.Unlock()
 }
diff --git a/deploy.sh b/deploy.sh
index 3fec9f11a..9ceeb47b3 100755
--- a/deploy.sh
+++ b/deploy.sh
@@ -1,6 +1,26 @@
+# System kernel setup (Mac)
+# Reference: http://www.macfreek.nl/memory/Kernel_Configuration
+sudo sysctl -w kern.ipc.somaxconn=1024       # Limit of number of new connections
+#sudo sysctl -w kern.ipc.maxsockets=1024       # Initial number of sockets in memory
+sudo sysctl -w net.inet.tcp.msl=1000       # TIME_WAIT
+sudo sysctl -w net.inet.tcp.rfc1323=1          # Enable TCP window scaling
+sudo sysctl -w kern.ipc.maxsockbuf=4194304   # Maximum TCP Window size
+sudo sysctl -w net.inet.tcp.sendspace=131072     # Default send buffer
+sudo sysctl -w net.inet.tcp.recvspace=358400     # Default receive buffer
+
+# The commented suffix is for linux
+# Reference: https://github.com/Zilliqa/Zilliqa/blob/master/tests/Node/test_node_simple.sh
+#sudo sysctl net.core.somaxconn=1024
+#sudo sysctl net.core.netdev_max_backlog=65536;
+#sudo sysctl net.ipv4.tcp_tw_reuse=1;
+#sudo sysctl -w net.ipv4.tcp_rmem='65536 873800 1534217728';
+#sudo sysctl -w net.ipv4.tcp_wmem='65536 873800 1534217728';
+#sudo sysctl -w net.ipv4.tcp_mem='65536 873800 1534217728';
+
+
 ./kill_node.sh
 ipfile=$1
 while read ip port mode; do 
-	echo $ip $port $mode $ipfile
+	#echo $ip $port $mode $ipfile
   go run ./benchmark_node.go -ip $ip -port $port -ipfile $ipfile&
 done < $ipfile
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/kill_node.sh b/kill_node.sh
index a3b72209f..08b90f223 100755
--- a/kill_node.sh
+++ b/kill_node.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 for pid in `/bin/ps -fu $USER| grep "slave.go\|slave -port\|leader\|benchmark_node" | grep -v "grep" | awk '{print $2}'`;
 do
-    echo $pid
+    echo 'Killed process: '$pid
     kill -9 $pid
 done
diff --git a/local_iplist.txt b/local_iplist.txt
index dba63afb2..47de6810a 100644
--- a/local_iplist.txt
+++ b/local_iplist.txt
@@ -10,3 +10,92 @@
 127.0.0.1 9009 validator
 127.0.0.1 9010 validator
 127.0.0.1 9011 validator
+127.0.0.1 9012 validator
+127.0.0.1 9013 validator
+127.0.0.1 9014 validator
+127.0.0.1 9015 validator
+127.0.0.1 9016 validator
+127.0.0.1 9017 validator
+127.0.0.1 9018 validator
+127.0.0.1 9019 validator
+127.0.0.1 9020 validator
+127.0.0.1 9021 validator
+127.0.0.1 9022 validator
+127.0.0.1 9023 validator
+127.0.0.1 9024 validator
+127.0.0.1 9025 validator
+127.0.0.1 9026 validator
+127.0.0.1 9027 validator
+127.0.0.1 9028 validator
+127.0.0.1 9029 validator
+127.0.0.1 9030 validator
+127.0.0.1 9031 validator
+127.0.0.1 9032 validator
+127.0.0.1 9033 validator
+127.0.0.1 9034 validator
+127.0.0.1 9035 validator
+127.0.0.1 9036 validator
+127.0.0.1 9037 validator
+127.0.0.1 9038 validator
+127.0.0.1 9039 validator
+127.0.0.1 9040 validator
+127.0.0.1 9041 validator
+127.0.0.1 9042 validator
+127.0.0.1 9043 validator
+127.0.0.1 9044 validator
+127.0.0.1 9045 validator
+127.0.0.1 9046 validator
+127.0.0.1 9047 validator
+127.0.0.1 9048 validator
+127.0.0.1 9049 validator
+127.0.0.1 9050 validator
+127.0.0.1 9051 validator
+127.0.0.1 9052 validator
+127.0.0.1 9053 validator
+127.0.0.1 9054 validator
+127.0.0.1 9055 validator
+127.0.0.1 9056 validator
+127.0.0.1 9057 validator
+127.0.0.1 9058 validator
+127.0.0.1 9059 validator
+127.0.0.1 9060 validator
+127.0.0.1 9061 validator
+127.0.0.1 9062 validator
+127.0.0.1 9063 validator
+127.0.0.1 9064 validator
+127.0.0.1 9065 validator
+127.0.0.1 9066 validator
+127.0.0.1 9067 validator
+127.0.0.1 9068 validator
+127.0.0.1 9069 validator
+127.0.0.1 9070 validator
+127.0.0.1 9071 validator
+127.0.0.1 9072 validator
+127.0.0.1 9073 validator
+127.0.0.1 9074 validator
+127.0.0.1 9075 validator
+127.0.0.1 9076 validator
+127.0.0.1 9077 validator
+127.0.0.1 9078 validator
+127.0.0.1 9079 validator
+127.0.0.1 9080 validator
+127.0.0.1 9081 validator
+127.0.0.1 9082 validator
+127.0.0.1 9083 validator
+127.0.0.1 9084 validator
+127.0.0.1 9085 validator
+127.0.0.1 9086 validator
+127.0.0.1 9087 validator
+127.0.0.1 9088 validator
+127.0.0.1 9089 validator
+127.0.0.1 9090 validator
+127.0.0.1 9091 validator
+127.0.0.1 9092 validator
+127.0.0.1 9093 validator
+127.0.0.1 9094 validator
+127.0.0.1 9095 validator
+127.0.0.1 9096 validator
+127.0.0.1 9097 validator
+127.0.0.1 9098 validator
+127.0.0.1 9099 validator
+127.0.0.1 9100 validator
diff --git a/p2p/message.go b/p2p/message.go
index eab1005c1..b7940ed31 100644
--- a/p2p/message.go
+++ b/p2p/message.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"io"
 	"log"
 	"net"
+	"time"
 )
 
 /*
@@ -29,35 +30,46 @@ func ReadMessagePayload(conn net.Conn) ([]byte, error) {
 		r          = bufio.NewReader(conn)
 	)
 
+	timeoutDuration := 1 * time.Second
+	conn.SetReadDeadline(time.Now().Add(timeoutDuration))
+
 	//// Read 1 byte for messge type
-	msgType, err := r.ReadByte()
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatalf("Error reading the p2p message type field")
+	_, err := r.ReadByte()
+	switch err {
+	case io.EOF:
+		log.Printf("Error reading the p2p message type field: %s", err)
+		return payloadBuf.Bytes(), err
+	case nil:
+
+		//log.Printf("Received p2p message type: %x\n", msgType)
+	default:
+		log.Printf("Error reading the p2p message type field: %s", err)
 		return payloadBuf.Bytes(), err
 	}
-	log.Printf("Received p2p message with type: %x", msgType)
 	// TODO: check on msgType and take actions accordingly
 
 	//// Read 4 bytes for message size
 	fourBytes := make([]byte, 4)
 	n, err := r.Read(fourBytes)
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatalf("Error reading the p2p message size field")
+		log.Printf("Error reading the p2p message size field")
 		return payloadBuf.Bytes(), err
 	} else if n < len(fourBytes) {
-		log.Fatalf("Failed reading the p2p message size field: only read %d bytes", n)
+		log.Printf("Failed reading the p2p message size field: only read %d bytes", n)
 		return payloadBuf.Bytes(), err
 	}
 
-	log.Print(fourBytes)
+	//log.Print(fourBytes)
 	// Number of bytes for the message payload
 	bytesToRead := binary.BigEndian.Uint32(fourBytes)
-	log.Printf("The payload size is %d bytes.", bytesToRead)
+	//log.Printf("The payload size is %d bytes.", bytesToRead)
 
 	//// Read the payload in chunk of 1024 bytes
 	tmpBuf := make([]byte, 1024)
 ILOOP:
 	for {
+		timeoutDuration := 1 * time.Second
+		conn.SetReadDeadline(time.Now().Add(timeoutDuration))
 		if bytesToRead < 1024 {
 			// Read the last number of bytes less than 1024
 			tmpBuf = make([]byte, bytesToRead)
diff --git a/p2p/peer.go b/p2p/peer.go
index 60b5d3ed6..773296fbc 100644
--- a/p2p/peer.go
+++ b/p2p/peer.go
@@ -53,26 +53,25 @@ func ConstructP2pMessage(msgType byte, payload []byte) []byte {
 
 // SocketClient is to connect a socket given a port and send the given message.
 func sendWithSocketClient(ip, port string, message []byte) (res string) {
-	log.Printf("Sending message to ip %s and port %s\n", ip, port)
+	//log.Printf("Sending message to ip %s and port %s\n", ip, port)
 	addr := strings.Join([]string{ip, port}, ":")
 	conn, err := net.Dial("tcp", addr)
 
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatalln(err)
+		log.Println(err)
+		return
 	}
 	defer conn.Close()
 
 	conn.Write(message)
-	log.Printf("Sent to ip %s and port %s: %s\n", ip, port, message)
+	//log.Printf("Sent to ip %s and port %s: %s\n", ip, port, message)
 
 	// No ack (reply) message from the receiver for now.
-	// TODO: think about
 	return
 }
 
 // Send a message to another node with given port.
 func send(ip, port string, message []byte) (returnMessage string) {
-	returnMessage = sendWithSocketClient(ip, port, message)
-	log.Println(returnMessage)
+	sendWithSocketClient(ip, port, message)
 	return
 }