diff --git a/ndn-cxx/net/impl/network-monitor-impl-netlink.cpp b/ndn-cxx/net/impl/network-monitor-impl-netlink.cpp
index 40dcccd..4190717 100644
--- a/ndn-cxx/net/impl/network-monitor-impl-netlink.cpp
+++ b/ndn-cxx/net/impl/network-monitor-impl-netlink.cpp
@@ -43,8 +43,6 @@
 NetworkMonitorImplNetlink::NetworkMonitorImplNetlink(boost::asio::io_service& io)
   : m_rtnlSocket(io)
   , m_genlSocket(io)
-  , m_isEnumeratingLinks(false)
-  , m_isEnumeratingAddresses(false)
 {
   m_rtnlSocket.open();
 
@@ -55,10 +53,10 @@
   }
   m_rtnlSocket.registerNotificationCallback([this] (const auto& msg) { this->parseRtnlMessage(msg); });
 
+  m_phase = ENUMERATING_LINKS;
   NDN_LOG_TRACE("enumerating links");
   m_rtnlSocket.sendDumpRequest(RTM_GETLINK,
                                [this] (const auto& msg) { this->parseRtnlMessage(msg); });
-  m_isEnumeratingLinks = true;
 }
 
 shared_ptr<const NetworkInterface>
@@ -80,12 +78,6 @@
   return v;
 }
 
-bool
-NetworkMonitorImplNetlink::isEnumerating() const
-{
-  return m_isEnumeratingLinks || m_isEnumeratingAddresses;
-}
-
 void
 NetworkMonitorImplNetlink::parseRtnlMessage(const NetlinkMessage& nlmsg)
 {
@@ -93,21 +85,21 @@
   case RTM_NEWLINK:
   case RTM_DELLINK:
     parseLinkMessage(nlmsg);
-    if (!isEnumerating())
+    if (m_phase == ENUMERATION_COMPLETE)
       this->emitSignal(onNetworkStateChanged); // backward compat
     break;
 
   case RTM_NEWADDR:
   case RTM_DELADDR:
     parseAddressMessage(nlmsg);
-    if (!isEnumerating())
+    if (m_phase == ENUMERATION_COMPLETE)
       this->emitSignal(onNetworkStateChanged); // backward compat
     break;
 
   case RTM_NEWROUTE:
   case RTM_DELROUTE:
     parseRouteMessage(nlmsg);
-    if (!isEnumerating())
+    if (m_phase == ENUMERATION_COMPLETE)
       this->emitSignal(onNetworkStateChanged); // backward compat
     break;
 
@@ -353,20 +345,22 @@
 #endif // NDN_CXX_HAVE_NETLINK_EXT_ACK
   }
 
-  if (m_isEnumeratingLinks) {
+  switch (m_phase) {
+  case ENUMERATING_LINKS:
     // links enumeration complete, now request all the addresses
-    m_isEnumeratingLinks = false;
+    m_phase = ENUMERATING_ADDRS;
     NDN_LOG_TRACE("enumerating addresses");
     m_rtnlSocket.sendDumpRequest(RTM_GETADDR,
                                  [this] (const auto& msg) { this->parseRtnlMessage(msg); });
-    m_isEnumeratingAddresses = true;
-  }
-  else if (m_isEnumeratingAddresses) {
+    break;
+  case ENUMERATING_ADDRS:
     // links and addresses enumeration complete
-    m_isEnumeratingAddresses = false;
-    // TODO: enumerate routes
+    m_phase = ENUMERATION_COMPLETE; // TODO: enumerate routes
     NDN_LOG_DEBUG("enumeration complete");
     this->emitSignal(onEnumerationCompleted);
+    break;
+  default:
+    break;
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/ndn-cxx/net/impl/network-monitor-impl-netlink.hpp b/ndn-cxx/net/impl/network-monitor-impl-netlink.hpp
index 559271f..c7388a4 100644
--- a/ndn-cxx/net/impl/network-monitor-impl-netlink.hpp
+++ b/ndn-cxx/net/impl/network-monitor-impl-netlink.hpp
@@ -63,9 +63,6 @@
   listNetworkInterfaces() const final;
 
 private:
-  bool
-  isEnumerating() const;
-
   void
   parseRtnlMessage(const NetlinkMessage& nlmsg);
 
@@ -88,8 +85,14 @@
   std::map<int, shared_ptr<NetworkInterface>> m_interfaces; ///< ifindex => interface
   RtnlSocket m_rtnlSocket; ///< rtnetlink socket
   GenlSocket m_genlSocket; ///< generic netlink socket to communicate with nl80211
-  bool m_isEnumeratingLinks; ///< true if a dump of all links is in progress
-  bool m_isEnumeratingAddresses; ///< true if a dump of all addresses is in progress
+
+  enum {
+    ENUMERATION_NOT_STARTED,
+    ENUMERATING_LINKS,    ///< a dump of all links (RTM_GETLINK) is in progress
+    ENUMERATING_ADDRS,    ///< a dump of all addresses (RTM_GETADDR) is in progress
+    ENUMERATING_ROUTES,   ///< a dump of all routes (RTM_GETROUTE) is in progress (unimplemented)
+    ENUMERATION_COMPLETE,
+  } m_phase = ENUMERATION_NOT_STARTED;
 };
 
 } // namespace net
diff --git a/ndn-cxx/net/network-monitor.hpp b/ndn-cxx/net/network-monitor.hpp
index 480a798..a28bee2 100644
--- a/ndn-cxx/net/network-monitor.hpp
+++ b/ndn-cxx/net/network-monitor.hpp
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /* -*- Mode:C++; c-file-style:"gnu"; indent-tabs-mode:nil; -*- */
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2013-2018 Regents of the University of California.
+ * Copyright (c) 2013-2019 Regents of the University of California.
  *
  * This file is part of ndn-cxx library (NDN C++ library with eXperimental eXtensions).
  *
@@ -111,16 +111,16 @@
   // be assigned to references below.
 
 public: // signals
-  /// Fires when network interfaces enumeration is complete
+  /// Fires when the enumeration of all network interfaces on the system is complete.
   util::Signal<NetworkMonitorImpl>& onEnumerationCompleted;
 
-  /// Fires when a new interface is added
+  /// Fires whenever a new interface is detected on the system.
   util::Signal<NetworkMonitorImpl, shared_ptr<const NetworkInterface>>& onInterfaceAdded;
 
   /**
-   * @brief Fires when an interface is removed
-   * @note The NetworkInterface object is no longer present in the internal list of
-   *       network interfaces when this signal is emitted.
+   * @brief Fires whenever an interface disappears from the system.
+   * @note The NetworkInterface object has already been removed from the list
+   *       returned by listNetworkInterfaces() when this signal is emitted.
    */
   util::Signal<NetworkMonitorImpl, shared_ptr<const NetworkInterface>>& onInterfaceRemoved;