diff --git a/examples/test/test_hwintf.py b/examples/test/test_hwintf.py
index ec0ffddc8764b1332a24d35b6fa5fe869cd97933..20d08d319c2d769ebea6d55d764926e35d75084f 100755
--- a/examples/test/test_hwintf.py
+++ b/examples/test/test_hwintf.py
@@ -1,35 +1,29 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python
 
-"""TEST"""
+"""
+Test for hwintf.py
+"""
 
 import unittest
 import pexpect
 import re
-from time import sleep
 from mininet.log import setLogLevel
 from mininet.net import Mininet
 from mininet.node import Node
 from mininet.link import Link, Intf
 
 class testHwintf( unittest.TestCase ):
-    "Test ping with single switch topology (common code)."
 
     prompt = 'mininet>'
 
-    def _testE2E( self ):
-        results = [ "Results:", pexpect.EOF, pexpect.TIMEOUT ]
-        p = pexpect.spawn( 'python -m mininet.examples.simpleperf' )
-        index = p.expect( results, timeout=600 )
-        self.assertEqual( index, 0 )
-        p.wait()
-
     def setUp( self ):
         self.h3 = Node( 't0', ip='10.0.0.3/8' )
-        self.n0 = Node( 't1', inNamespace=False)
+        self.n0 = Node( 't1', inNamespace=False )
         Link( self.h3, self.n0 )
         self.h3.configDefault()
 
     def testLocalPing( self ):
+        "Verify connectivity between virtual hosts using pingall"
         p = pexpect.spawn( 'python -m mininet.examples.hwintf %s' % self.n0.intf() )
         p.expect( self.prompt )
         p.sendline( 'pingall' )
@@ -41,15 +35,16 @@ def testLocalPing( self ):
         p.wait()
 
     def testExternalPing( self ):
-        expectStr = '(\d+) packets transmitted, (\d+) received'
+        "Verify connnectivity between virtual host and virtual-physical 'external' host "
         p = pexpect.spawn( 'python -m mininet.examples.hwintf %s' % self.n0.intf() )
         p.expect( self.prompt )
-
+        # test ping external to internal
+        expectStr = '(\d+) packets transmitted, (\d+) received'
         m = re.search( expectStr, self.h3.cmd( 'ping -v -c 1 10.0.0.1' ) )
         tx = m.group( 1 )
         rx = m.group( 2 )
         self.assertEqual( tx, rx )
-
+        # test ping internal to external
         p.sendline( 'h1 ping -c 1 10.0.0.3')
         p.expect( expectStr )
         tx = p.match.group( 1 )
@@ -63,51 +58,6 @@ def tearDown( self ):
         self.h3.terminate()
         self.n0.terminate()
 
-
-            
-    ''' TAP garbage 
-     def testHwintf( self ):
-        ifname = 'br3'
-        #sudo ip tuntap add mode tap br0
-        #sudo ip tuntap del mode tap br0
-        #sudo ip link add name test0 type veth peer name test1
-        #sudo ip link del test0
-        t0 = Node( 't0', inNamespace=False, ip='10.0.0.3/8' )
-
-        t1 = Node( 't1', inNamespace=False)
-        #t0.cmd( 'ip tuntap add mode tap %s' % ifname )
-        #Intf( ifname, t0 )
-        print Link( t0, t1 )
-        t0.configDefault()
-
-        print t0.cmd( 'ifconfig' )
-        ifname =  t1.intf()
-
-
-        try:
-            foo = pexpect.spawn( 'wireshark' )
-            p = pexpect.spawn( 'python -m mininet.examples.hwintf %s' % ifname )
-            p.expect( self.prompt )
-            #t0.cmd( 'ip link set dev %s up' % ifname )
-            #t0.cmd( "bash -c 'echo 1 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_forward'" )
-            #t0.cmd( "bash -c 'echo 1 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/conf/%s/proxy_arp'" % ifname)
-            #t0.cmd( 'arp -Ds 10.0.0.3 s1 pub' )
-
-            #p.sendline( 'x s1 wireshark' )
-            print t0.cmd( 'ifconfig %s' % ifname )
-            print t0.cmd( 'ip route' )
-            print t0.cmd( 'ping -v -c 1 10.0.0.3' )
-            print t0.cmd( 'ping -v -c 1 10.0.0.1' )
-
-            p.interact()
-            #p.wait()
-        finally:
-            #t0.cmd( 'ip tuntap del mode tap %s' % ifname )
-            t0.terminate()
-            t1.terminate()
-        #t0.configDefault()
-    '''
-
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     setLogLevel( 'warning' )
     unittest.main()