diff --git a/node/lux_node_sync.go b/node/lux_node_sync.go
index 95c7a37..5fe85ad 100644
--- a/node/lux_node_sync.go
+++ b/node/lux_node_sync.go
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 package node
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"lux/proto"
+	"net/netip"
 
 	ipnet "net"
 )
@@ -11,3 +13,69 @@ type LuxNodeSync struct {
 	Neighbors map[proto.LuxID]*ipnet.UDPAddr
 	SyncState LuxNodeState
 }
+
+func NewLuxNodeSync() LuxNodeSync {
+	return LuxNodeSync{
+		Synced:    make(map[proto.LuxID]struct{}),
+		Neighbors: make(map[proto.LuxID]*ipnet.UDPAddr),
+		SyncState: LuxNodeState{},
+	}
+}
+
+func (sync *LuxNodeSync) Read(rd *proto.LuxBuffer) error {
+	// read synced list
+	syncNum, err := rd.ReadUint16()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	for i := 0; i < int(syncNum); i++ {
+		id := proto.LuxID{}
+		if err := id.Read(rd); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		sync.Synced[id] = struct{}{}
+	}
+
+	// read neighbors
+	neighborNum, err := rd.ReadUint16()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	for i := 0; i < int(neighborNum); i++ {
+		id := proto.LuxID{}
+		if err := id.Read(rd); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		ipOctets, err := rd.ReadVarBlock()
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		portNum, err := rd.ReadUint16()
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		// TODO: move this to proto
+		var addrPort netip.AddrPort
+		switch len(ipOctets) {
+		case ipnet.IPv4len:
+			addrPort = netip.AddrPortFrom(netip.AddrFrom4([4]byte(ipOctets)), portNum)
+		case ipnet.IPv6len:
+			addrPort = netip.AddrPortFrom(netip.AddrFrom16([16]byte(ipOctets)), portNum)
+		default:
+			return fmt.Errorf("received wrong sized neighbor ip len %d", len(ipOctets))
+		}
+
+		sync.Neighbors[id] = ipnet.UDPAddrFromAddrPort(addrPort)
+	}
+
+	// read sync state
+	err = sync.SyncState.Read(rd)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}