diff --git a/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/interface.cc b/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/interface.cc
index c776465b7a..3e9985a2c5 100644
--- a/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/interface.cc
+++ b/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/interface.cc
@@ -198,37 +198,13 @@ Interface::_new_link(L3_protocol                   const  protocol,
 {
 	switch (protocol) {
 	case L3_protocol::TCP:
-		{
-			Tcp_link &link = *new (_alloc)
-				Tcp_link(*this, local, remote_port_alloc, remote_domain,
-				         remote, _timer, _config(), protocol);
-
-			_tcp_links.insert(&link);
-			_domain.tcp_links().insert(&link.client());
-			remote_domain.tcp_links().insert(&link.server());
-			if (_config().verbose()) {
-				log("New TCP client link: ", link.client(), " at ", _domain);
-				log("New TCP server link: ", link.server(),
-				    " at ", remote_domain);
-			}
-			return;
-		}
+		new (_alloc) Tcp_link(*this, local, remote_port_alloc, remote_domain,
+		                      remote, _timer, _config(), protocol);
+		break;
 	case L3_protocol::UDP:
-		{
-			Udp_link &link = *new (_alloc)
-				Udp_link(*this, local, remote_port_alloc, remote_domain,
-				         remote, _timer, _config(), protocol);
-
-			_udp_links.insert(&link);
-			_domain.udp_links().insert(&link.client());
-			remote_domain.udp_links().insert(&link.server());
-			if (_config().verbose()) {
-				log("New UDP client link: ", link.client(), " at ", _domain);
-				log("New UDP server link: ", link.server(),
-				    " at ", remote_domain);
-			}
-			return;
-		}
+		new (_alloc) Udp_link(*this, local, remote_port_alloc, remote_domain,
+		                      remote, _timer, _config(), protocol);
+		break;
 	default: throw Bad_transport_protocol(); }
 }
 
diff --git a/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/link.cc b/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/link.cc
index 8ccab296da..e31b43b284 100644
--- a/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/link.cc
+++ b/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/link.cc
@@ -54,7 +54,12 @@ Link_side::Link_side(Domain             &domain,
                      Link               &link)
 :
 	_domain(domain), _id(id), _link(link)
-{ }
+{
+	if (link.config().verbose()) {
+		log("[", domain, "] New ", l3_protocol_name(link.protocol()),
+		    " link ", is_client() ? "client" : "server", ": ", *this);
+	}
+}
 
 
 Link_side const &Link_side::find_by_id(Link_side_id const &id) const
@@ -119,14 +124,17 @@ Link::Link(Interface                           &cln_interface,
            Microseconds                  const  close_timeout)
 :
 	_config(config),
-	_client(cln_interface.domain(), cln_id, *this),
 	_client_interface(cln_interface),
 	_server_port_alloc(srv_port_alloc),
-	_server(srv_domain, srv_id, *this),
 	_close_timeout(timer, *this, &Link::_handle_close_timeout),
 	_close_timeout_us(close_timeout),
-	_protocol(protocol)
+	_protocol(protocol),
+	_client(cln_interface.domain(), cln_id, *this),
+	_server(srv_domain, srv_id, *this)
 {
+	_client_interface.links(_protocol).insert(this);
+	_client.domain().links(_protocol).insert(&_client);
+	_server.domain().links(_protocol).insert(&_server);
 	_close_timeout.schedule(_close_timeout_us);
 }
 
diff --git a/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/link.h b/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/link.h
index e94b78b60e..f33819b5b6 100644
--- a/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/link.h
+++ b/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/link.h
@@ -126,13 +126,13 @@ class Net::Link : public Link_list::Element
 	protected:
 
 		Configuration                       &_config;
-		Link_side                            _client;
 		Interface                           &_client_interface;
 		Pointer<Port_allocator_guard> const  _server_port_alloc;
-		Link_side                            _server;
 		Timer::One_shot_timeout<Link>        _close_timeout;
 		Genode::Microseconds          const  _close_timeout_us;
 		L3_protocol                   const  _protocol;
+		Link_side                            _client;
+		Link_side                            _server;
 
 		void _handle_close_timeout(Genode::Duration);
 
@@ -166,9 +166,10 @@ class Net::Link : public Link_list::Element
 		 ** Accessors **
 		 ***************/
 
-		Link_side     &client() { return _client; }
-		Link_side     &server() { return _server; }
-		Configuration &config() { return _config; }
+		Link_side     &client()         { return _client; }
+		Link_side     &server()         { return _server; }
+		Configuration &config()         { return _config; }
+		L3_protocol    protocol() const { return _protocol; }
 };