diff --git a/hack/README.md b/hack/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bd40568
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hack/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+# Container based test bed for sshuttle
+
+```bash
+test-bed up -d # start containers
+
+exec-sshuttle node-1 # start sshuttle to connect to node-1
+
+exec-tool curl node-1  # curl to nginx instance running on node1 via IP that is only reachable via sshuttle
+exec-tool iperf3 node-1 # measure throughput to node-1
+
+```
diff --git a/hack/compose.yml b/hack/compose.yml
index e008e6d..cd086e8 100644
--- a/hack/compose.yml
+++ b/hack/compose.yml
@@ -5,8 +5,6 @@ services:
     image: ghcr.io/sshuttle/sshuttle-testbed
     container_name: sshuttle-testbed-node-1
     hostname: node-1
-    ports:
-      - 22001:2222
     cap_add:
       - "NET_ADMIN"
     environment:
@@ -15,8 +13,6 @@ services:
     image: ghcr.io/sshuttle/sshuttle-testbed
     container_name: sshuttle-testbed-node-2
     hostname: node-2
-    ports:
-      - 22002:2222
     cap_add:
       - "NET_ADMIN"
     environment:
diff --git a/hack/exec-sshuttle b/hack/exec-sshuttle
index 5d5f692..b76a90f 100755
--- a/hack/exec-sshuttle
+++ b/hack/exec-sshuttle
@@ -9,9 +9,9 @@ if [[ ! $node =~ [1-9]+ ]]; then
 fi
 shift
 
-port="2200$node"
+port="2222"
 subnet_args="-N"
-host=localhost
+host=$("$(dirname "$0")/test-bed" get-ip "$node")
 user="test:test"
 
 if ! command -v sshpass >/dev/null; then
diff --git a/hack/exec-tool b/hack/exec-tool
index 28a0882..e70de9c 100755
--- a/hack/exec-tool
+++ b/hack/exec-tool
@@ -2,10 +2,11 @@
 set -e
 
 tool=${1?:"tool argument missing. should be one of iperf3,ping,curl,ab"}
-node=${2?:"node argument missing. should be '1' , '2' etc"}
+node=${2?:"node argument missing. should be 'node-1' , 'node-2' etc"}
 shift 2
 
-ip="10.55.$node.77"
+index=${node#node-}
+ip="10.55.$index.77"
 connect_timeout_sec=3
 
 function with_set_x() {
@@ -34,4 +35,8 @@ ab)
     port=8080
     with_set_x exec ab -n 100 -c 20 -s $connect_timeout_sec "$@" "http://$ip:$port/"
     ;;
+*)
+    echo "Unknown tool: $tool" >&2
+    exit 2
+    ;;
 esac
diff --git a/hack/run-benchmark b/hack/run-benchmark
index 2ba4386..07a858b 100755
--- a/hack/run-benchmark
+++ b/hack/run-benchmark
@@ -5,14 +5,15 @@ cd "$(dirname "$0")"
 function with_set_x() {
     set -x
     "$@"
-    { ec=$?; set +x;return $ec; } 2>/dev/null
+    {
+        ec=$?
+        set +x
+        return $ec
+    } 2>/dev/null
 }
 
-
 ./test-bed up -d
 
-
-
 benchmark() {
     local sshuttle_bin="${1?:}"
     echo -e "\n======== Benchmarking sshuttle: $sshuttle_bin  ========"
@@ -29,12 +30,9 @@ benchmark() {
     wait $sshuttle_pid || true
 }
 
-
 if [[ "$1" ]]; then
     benchmark "$1"
 else
     benchmark "${SSHUTTLE_BIN:-/bin/sshuttle}"
     benchmark dev
 fi
-
-
diff --git a/hack/run-checks b/hack/run-checks
index 72bead2..92b606a 100755
--- a/hack/run-checks
+++ b/hack/run-checks
@@ -6,4 +6,4 @@ export PYTHONPATH=.
 
 set -x
 python -m pytest .
-python -m flake8 .  
\ No newline at end of file
+python -m flake8 .
diff --git a/hack/setup.service b/hack/setup.service
index 8a6b0b7..4e36124 100755
--- a/hack/setup.service
+++ b/hack/setup.service
@@ -8,10 +8,13 @@ echo -e ">>> Setting up $(hostname) | id: $(id) | $(python --version) \nip: $(ip
 function with_set_x() {
     set -x
     "$@"
-    { ec=$?; set +x;return $ec; } 2>/dev/null
+    {
+        ec=$?
+        set +x
+        return $ec
+    } 2>/dev/null
 }
 
-
 iface="$(ip route | awk '/default/ { print $5 }')"
 default_gw="$(ip route | awk '/default/ { print $3 }')"
 for addr in ${IP_ADDRESSES//,/ }; do
diff --git a/hack/test-bed b/hack/test-bed
index dddb04f..cb05043 100755
--- a/hack/test-bed
+++ b/hack/test-bed
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 set -e
 cd "$(dirname "$0")"
 
-
 if [[ -z $1 || $1 = -* ]]; then
     set -- up "$@"
 fi
@@ -10,7 +9,11 @@ fi
 function with_set_x() {
     set -x
     "$@"
-    { ec=$?; set +x;return $ec; } 2>/dev/null
+    {
+        ec=$?
+        set +x
+        return $ec
+    } 2>/dev/null
 }
 
 function build() {
@@ -23,8 +26,17 @@ function compose() {
     with_set_x docker compose "$@"
 }
 
+function get-ip() {
+    local container_name=sshuttle-testbed-"$1"
+    docker inspect -f '{{range.NetworkSettings.Networks}}{{.IPAddress}}{{end}}' "$container_name"
+}
 
-if [[ $* = *--build* ]]; then
-    build
+if [[ $1 == get-ip ]]; then
+    shift
+    get-ip "$@"
+else
+    if [[ $* = *--build* ]]; then
+        build
+    fi
+    compose "$@"
 fi
-compose "$@"