diff --git a/os/src/server/nic_bridge/component.cc b/os/src/server/nic_bridge/component.cc
index 1048222ed..d3e8fbc82 100644
--- a/os/src/server/nic_bridge/component.cc
+++ b/os/src/server/nic_bridge/component.cc
@@ -139,9 +139,9 @@ Session_component::Session_component(Genode::Allocator          *allocator,
 			set_ipv4_address(ip);
 
 			if (verbose)
-				PDBG("\nmac=%02x.%02x.%02x.%02x.%02x.%02x ip=%d.%d.%d.%d",
+				PLOG("vmac=%02x:%02x:%02x:%02x:%02x:%02x ip=%d.%d.%d.%d",
 				     vmac.addr[0], vmac.addr[1], vmac.addr[2],
-			         vmac.addr[3], vmac.addr[4], vmac.addr[5],
+				     vmac.addr[3], vmac.addr[4], vmac.addr[5],
 				     ip.addr[0], ip.addr[1], ip.addr[2], ip.addr[3]);
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/os/src/server/nic_bridge/component.h b/os/src/server/nic_bridge/component.h
index e509ae60e..41ff3d1f8 100644
--- a/os/src/server/nic_bridge/component.h
+++ b/os/src/server/nic_bridge/component.h
@@ -183,11 +183,11 @@ namespace Net {
 					Session_policy policy(label);
 					policy.attribute("ip_addr").value(ip_addr, sizeof(ip_addr));
 
-					if (verbose) PDBG("policy: %s ip_addr = %s", label.string(), ip_addr);
+					if (verbose) PLOG("policy: %s ip_addr = %s", label.string(), ip_addr);
 				} catch (Xml_node::Nonexistent_attribute) {
-					if (verbose) PDBG("Missing \"ip_addr\" attribute in policy definition");
+					if (verbose) PLOG("Missing \"ip_addr\" attribute in policy definition");
 				} catch (Session_policy::No_policy_defined) {
-					if (verbose) PDBG("Invalid session request, no matching policy");;
+					if (verbose) PLOG("Invalid session request, no matching policy");;
 				}
 
 				size_t ram_quota =
diff --git a/os/src/server/nic_bridge/main.cc b/os/src/server/nic_bridge/main.cc
index f7ed0453a..b04cbda5e 100644
--- a/os/src/server/nic_bridge/main.cc
+++ b/os/src/server/nic_bridge/main.cc
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 
 /* local includes */
 #include "component.h"
+#include "nic.h"
 #include "env.h"
 
 
@@ -45,6 +46,12 @@ int main(int, char **)
 		/* announce NIC service */
 		env()->parent()->announce(ep.manage(&nic_root));
 
+		/* connect to NIC backend to actually see incoming traffic */
+		Net::Ethernet_frame::Mac_address mac(Net::Env::nic()->mac());
+		printf("--- NIC bridge started (mac=%02x:%02x:%02x:%02x:%02x:%02x) ---\n",
+		       mac.addr[0], mac.addr[1], mac.addr[2],
+		       mac.addr[3], mac.addr[4], mac.addr[5]);
+
 		while (true) {
 			Signal s = Net::Env::receiver()->wait_for_signal();
 			static_cast<Signal_dispatcher_base *>(s.context())->dispatch(s.num());