diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index b2d47b3ea8..226c507cf9 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -4649,6 +4649,7 @@ version = "0.1.0"
 dependencies = [
  "async-std",
  "bincode",
+ "crossbeam-channel 0.4.2",
  "futures 0.3.5",
  "lazy_static",
  "prometheus",
diff --git a/network/Cargo.toml b/network/Cargo.toml
index ff62d67be2..9282a14eba 100644
--- a/network/Cargo.toml
+++ b/network/Cargo.toml
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ edition = "2018"
 bincode = "1.2"
 serde = { version = "1.0" }
 #sending
+crossbeam-channel = "0.4.2"
 async-std = { version = "~1.5", default-features = false, features = ["std", "async-task", "default"] }
 #tracing and metrics
 tracing = { version = "0.1", default-features = false }
diff --git a/network/src/api.rs b/network/src/api.rs
index 05be3c3f3b..47cee1f713 100644
--- a/network/src/api.rs
+++ b/network/src/api.rs
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ pub struct Stream {
     mid: Mid,
     prio: Prio,
     promises: Promises,
-    a2b_msg_s: std::sync::mpsc::Sender<(Prio, Sid, OutgoingMessage)>,
+    a2b_msg_s: crossbeam_channel::Sender<(Prio, Sid, OutgoingMessage)>,
     b2a_msg_recv_r: mpsc::UnboundedReceiver<IncomingMessage>,
     closed: Arc<AtomicBool>,
     a2b_close_stream_s: Option<mpsc::UnboundedSender<Sid>>,
@@ -627,7 +627,7 @@ impl Stream {
         sid: Sid,
         prio: Prio,
         promises: Promises,
-        a2b_msg_s: std::sync::mpsc::Sender<(Prio, Sid, OutgoingMessage)>,
+        a2b_msg_s: crossbeam_channel::Sender<(Prio, Sid, OutgoingMessage)>,
         b2a_msg_recv_r: mpsc::UnboundedReceiver<IncomingMessage>,
         closed: Arc<AtomicBool>,
         a2b_close_stream_s: mpsc::UnboundedSender<Sid>,
@@ -934,16 +934,16 @@ impl std::fmt::Debug for Participant {
     }
 }
 
-impl<T> From<std::sync::mpsc::SendError<T>> for StreamError {
-    fn from(_err: std::sync::mpsc::SendError<T>) -> Self { StreamError::StreamClosed }
+impl<T> From<crossbeam_channel::SendError<T>> for StreamError {
+    fn from(_err: crossbeam_channel::SendError<T>) -> Self { StreamError::StreamClosed }
 }
 
-impl<T> From<std::sync::mpsc::SendError<T>> for ParticipantError {
-    fn from(_err: std::sync::mpsc::SendError<T>) -> Self { ParticipantError::ParticipantClosed }
+impl<T> From<crossbeam_channel::SendError<T>> for ParticipantError {
+    fn from(_err: crossbeam_channel::SendError<T>) -> Self { ParticipantError::ParticipantClosed }
 }
 
-impl<T> From<std::sync::mpsc::SendError<T>> for NetworkError {
-    fn from(_err: std::sync::mpsc::SendError<T>) -> Self { NetworkError::NetworkClosed }
+impl<T> From<crossbeam_channel::SendError<T>> for NetworkError {
+    fn from(_err: crossbeam_channel::SendError<T>) -> Self { NetworkError::NetworkClosed }
 }
 
 impl From<async_std::io::Error> for NetworkError {
diff --git a/network/src/metrics.rs b/network/src/metrics.rs
index 83d169642d..cd809c72bc 100644
--- a/network/src/metrics.rs
+++ b/network/src/metrics.rs
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ pub(crate) struct PidCidFrameCache {
 }
 
 impl PidCidFrameCache {
-    const CACHE_SIZE: usize = 16;
+    const CACHE_SIZE: usize = 512;
 
     pub fn new(metric: IntCounterVec, pid: Pid) -> Self {
         Self {
@@ -275,6 +275,12 @@ impl PidCidFrameCache {
 
     fn populate(&mut self, cid: Cid) {
         let start_cid = self.cache.len();
+        if cid >= start_cid as u64 && cid > (Self::CACHE_SIZE as Cid) {
+            warn!(
+                ?cid,
+                "cid, getting quite high, is this a attack on the cache?"
+            );
+        }
         for i in start_cid..=cid as usize {
             let cid = (i as Cid).to_string();
             let entry = [
@@ -300,12 +306,6 @@ impl PidCidFrameCache {
     }
 
     pub fn with_label_values(&mut self, cid: Cid, frame: &Frame) -> &GenericCounter<AtomicI64> {
-        if cid > (Self::CACHE_SIZE as Cid) {
-            warn!(
-                ?cid,
-                "cid, getting quite high, is this a attack on the cache?"
-            );
-        }
         self.populate(cid);
         &self.cache[cid as usize][frame.get_int() as usize]
     }
diff --git a/network/src/participant.rs b/network/src/participant.rs
index 1221dec4b5..802fbb7759 100644
--- a/network/src/participant.rs
+++ b/network/src/participant.rs
@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@ impl BParticipant {
         mut w2b_frames_r: mpsc::UnboundedReceiver<(Cid, Frame)>,
         mut b2a_stream_opened_s: mpsc::UnboundedSender<Stream>,
         a2b_close_stream_s: mpsc::UnboundedSender<Sid>,
-        a2p_msg_s: std::sync::mpsc::Sender<(Prio, Sid, OutgoingMessage)>,
+        a2p_msg_s: crossbeam_channel::Sender<(Prio, Sid, OutgoingMessage)>,
     ) {
         self.running_mgr.fetch_add(1, Ordering::Relaxed);
         trace!("start handle_frames_mgr");
@@ -450,7 +450,7 @@ impl BParticipant {
         &self,
         mut a2b_steam_open_r: mpsc::UnboundedReceiver<(Prio, Promises, oneshot::Sender<Stream>)>,
         a2b_close_stream_s: mpsc::UnboundedSender<Sid>,
-        a2p_msg_s: std::sync::mpsc::Sender<(Prio, Sid, OutgoingMessage)>,
+        a2p_msg_s: crossbeam_channel::Sender<(Prio, Sid, OutgoingMessage)>,
         shutdown_open_mgr_receiver: oneshot::Receiver<()>,
     ) {
         self.running_mgr.fetch_add(1, Ordering::Relaxed);
@@ -548,7 +548,7 @@ impl BParticipant {
         &self,
         mut a2b_close_stream_r: mpsc::UnboundedReceiver<Sid>,
         shutdown_stream_close_mgr_receiver: oneshot::Receiver<()>,
-        b2p_notify_empty_stream_s: std::sync::mpsc::Sender<(Sid, oneshot::Sender<()>)>,
+        b2p_notify_empty_stream_s: crossbeam_channel::Sender<(Sid, oneshot::Sender<()>)>,
     ) {
         self.running_mgr.fetch_add(1, Ordering::Relaxed);
         trace!("start stream_close_mgr");
@@ -607,7 +607,7 @@ impl BParticipant {
         sid: Sid,
         prio: Prio,
         promises: Promises,
-        a2p_msg_s: std::sync::mpsc::Sender<(Prio, Sid, OutgoingMessage)>,
+        a2p_msg_s: crossbeam_channel::Sender<(Prio, Sid, OutgoingMessage)>,
         a2b_close_stream_s: &mpsc::UnboundedSender<Sid>,
     ) -> Stream {
         let (b2a_msg_recv_s, b2a_msg_recv_r) = mpsc::unbounded::<IncomingMessage>();
diff --git a/network/src/prios.rs b/network/src/prios.rs
index ae30cf878c..2d9dc9a834 100644
--- a/network/src/prios.rs
+++ b/network/src/prios.rs
@@ -10,13 +10,11 @@ use crate::{
     metrics::NetworkMetrics,
     types::{Frame, Prio, Sid},
 };
+use crossbeam_channel::{unbounded, Receiver, Sender};
 use futures::channel::oneshot;
 use std::{
     collections::{HashMap, HashSet, VecDeque},
-    sync::{
-        mpsc::{channel, Receiver, Sender},
-        Arc,
-    },
+    sync::Arc,
 };
 
 use tracing::*;
@@ -60,8 +58,8 @@ impl PrioManager {
         Sender<(Sid, oneshot::Sender<()>)>,
     ) {
         // (a2p_msg_s, a2p_msg_r)
-        let (messages_tx, messages_rx) = channel();
-        let (sid_flushed_tx, sid_flushed_rx) = channel();
+        let (messages_tx, messages_rx) = unbounded();
+        let (sid_flushed_tx, sid_flushed_rx) = unbounded();
         (
             Self {
                 points: [0; PRIO_MAX],
@@ -318,11 +316,9 @@ mod tests {
         prios::*,
         types::{Frame, Pid, Prio, Sid},
     };
+    use crossbeam_channel::Sender;
     use futures::{channel::oneshot, executor::block_on};
-    use std::{
-        collections::VecDeque,
-        sync::{mpsc::Sender, Arc},
-    };
+    use std::{collections::VecDeque, sync::Arc};
 
     const SIZE: u64 = PrioManager::FRAME_DATA_SIZE;
     const USIZE: usize = PrioManager::FRAME_DATA_SIZE as usize;