diff --git a/ot-node.js b/ot-node.js
index 2660f544ad..5e89a6b99f 100644
--- a/ot-node.js
+++ b/ot-node.js
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ class OTNode {
 
         await this.initializeCommandExecutor();
         await this.initializeRouters();
+        await this.startNetworkModule();
         this.logger.info('Node is up and running!');
     }
 
@@ -254,6 +255,11 @@ class OTNode {
         }
     }
 
+    async startNetworkModule() {
+        const networkModuleManager = this.container.resolve('networkModuleManager');
+        await networkModuleManager.start();
+    }
+
     async executePrivateAssetsMetadataMigration() {
         if (
             process.env.NODE_ENV === NODE_ENVIRONMENTS.DEVELOPMENT ||
diff --git a/src/modules/network/implementation/libp2p-service.js b/src/modules/network/implementation/libp2p-service.js
index 1b99a1c873..1d3885debe 100644
--- a/src/modules/network/implementation/libp2p-service.js
+++ b/src/modules/network/implementation/libp2p-service.js
@@ -101,13 +101,16 @@ class Libp2pService {
          */
         this.sessions = {};
         this.node = await libp2p.create(initializationObject);
-        await this.node.start();
         const port = parseInt(this.node.multiaddrs.toString().split('/')[4], 10);
         const peerId = this.node.peerId.toB58String();
         this.config.id = peerId;
         this.logger.info(`Network ID is ${peerId}, connection port is ${port}`);
     }
 
+    async start() {
+        this.node.start();
+    }
+
     async onPeerConnected(listener) {
         this.node.connectionManager.on('peer:connect', listener);
     }
diff --git a/src/modules/network/network-module-manager.js b/src/modules/network/network-module-manager.js
index 758ca4244a..698c7f5697 100644
--- a/src/modules/network/network-module-manager.js
+++ b/src/modules/network/network-module-manager.js
@@ -5,6 +5,12 @@ class NetworkModuleManager extends BaseModuleManager {
         return 'network';
     }
 
+    async start() {
+        if (this.initialized) {
+            return this.getImplementation().module.start();
+        }
+    }
+
     async onPeerConnected(listener) {
         if (this.initialized) {
             return this.getImplementation().module.onPeerConnected(listener);