diff --git a/documentation/Mainpage.md b/documentation/Mainpage.md
index 35525edca..455c0e5b2 100644
--- a/documentation/Mainpage.md
+++ b/documentation/Mainpage.md
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ S2SS is used in distributed- and co-simulation scenarios and developed for the f
 
 The project consists of a server daemon and several client modules which are documented here.
 
+[TOC]
+
 ### Server
 
 The server simply acts as a gateway to forward simulation data from one client to another.
diff --git a/documentation/clients/File.md b/documentation/clients/File.md
index 28a14b112..75428cd18 100644
--- a/documentation/clients/File.md
+++ b/documentation/clients/File.md
@@ -31,16 +31,31 @@ Specifies the mode which should be used to open the output file.
 See [open(2)](http://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man2/open.2.html) for an explanation of allowed values.
 The default value is `w+` which will start writing at the beginning of the file and create it in case it does not exist yet.
 
-#### `epoch_mode` *("now"|"relative"|"absolute")*
+#### `epoch_mode` *("direct"|"wait" | "relative"|"absolute")*
 
+The *epoch* describes the point in time when the first message will be read from the file.
 This setting allows to select the behaviour of the following `epoch` setting.
 It can be used to adjust the point in time when the first value should be read.
 
 The behaviour of `epoch` is depending on the value of `epoch_mode`.
 
- - `epoch_mode = now`: The first value is read at *now* + `epoch` seconds.
- - `epoch_mode = relative`: The first value is read at *start* + `epoch` seconds.
- - `epoch_mode = absolute`: The first value is read at `epoch` seconds after 1970-01-01 00:00:00.
+To facilitate the following description of supported `epoch_mode`'s, we will introduce some intermediate variables (timestamps).
+Those variables will also been displayed during the startup phase of the server to simplify debugging.
+
+- `epoch` is the value of the `epoch` setting.
+- `first` is the timestamp of the first message / line in the input file.
+- `offset` will be added to the timestamps in the file to obtain the real time when the message will be sent.
+- `start` is the point in time when the first message will be sent (`first + offset`).
+- `eta` the time to wait until the first message will be send (`start - now`)
+
+The supported values for `epoch_mode`:
+ 
+ | `epoch_mode` | `offset`              | `start = first + offset` |
+ | -----------: | :-------------------: | :----------------------: |
+ | `direct`     | `now - first + epoch` | `now + epoch`            |
+ | `wait`       | `now + epoch`         | `now + first`            | 
+ | `relative`   | `epoch`               | `first + epoch`          |
+ | `absolute`   | `epoch - first`       | `epoch`                  |
 
 #### `send_rate` *(float)*
 
@@ -60,8 +75,9 @@ If this setting has a non-zero value, the default behaviour is overwritten with
 		in	= "logs/file_input.log",	# These options specify the path prefix where the the files are stored
 		out	= "logs/file_output_%F_%T.log"	# The output path accepts all format tokens of (see strftime(3))
 
-		epoch_mode = "now"			# One of:
-							#  now 		(default)
+		epoch_mode = "direct"			# One of:
+							#  direct		(default)
+							#  wait
 							#  relative
 							#  absolute
 
diff --git a/server/etc/example.conf b/server/etc/example.conf
index 22ce22dc1..d6e74e6d4 100644
--- a/server/etc/example.conf
+++ b/server/etc/example.conf
@@ -90,8 +90,9 @@ nodes = {
 		in	= "logs/file_input.log",	# These options specify the path prefix where the the files are stored
 		out	= "logs/file_output_%F_%T.log"	# The output path accepts all format tokens of (see strftime(3))
 
-		epoch_mode = "now"			# One of:
-							#  now 		(default)
+		epoch_mode = "direct"			# One of:
+							#  direct		(default)
+							#  wait
 							#  relative
 							#  absolute
 
diff --git a/server/include/file.h b/server/include/file.h
index 51733cc32..ca633b749 100644
--- a/server/include/file.h
+++ b/server/include/file.h
@@ -32,17 +32,19 @@ struct file {
 	const char *file_mode;	/**< The mode for fopen() which is used for the out file. */
 
 	enum epoch_mode {
-		EPOCH_NOW,
+		EPOCH_DIRECT,
+		EPOCH_WAIT,
 		EPOCH_RELATIVE,
 		EPOCH_ABSOLUTE
 	} epoch_mode;		/**< Specifies how file::offset is calculated. */
 
-	struct timespec start;	/**< The first timestamp of the input file. */
+	struct timespec first;	/**< The first timestamp in the file file::path_in */
 	struct timespec epoch;	/**< The epoch timestamp from the configuration. */
 	struct timespec offset;	/**< An offset between the timestamp in the input file and the current time */
 
 	double rate;		/**< The sending rate. */
 	int tfd;		/**< Timer file descriptor. Blocks until 1 / rate seconds are elapsed. */
+	int sequence;		/**< Last sequence of this node */
 };
 
 /** @see node_vtable::init */
diff --git a/server/src/file.c b/server/src/file.c
index bb06e2058..ab60bacf1 100644
--- a/server/src/file.c
+++ b/server/src/file.c
@@ -30,9 +30,55 @@ char * file_print(struct node *n)
 {
 	struct file *f = n->file;
 	char *buf = NULL;
+	
+	if (f->path_in) {
+		const char *epoch_mode_str = NULL;
+		switch (f->epoch_mode) {
+			case EPOCH_DIRECT:	epoch_mode_str = "direct"; break;
+			case EPOCH_WAIT:	epoch_mode_str = "wait"; break;
+			case EPOCH_RELATIVE:	epoch_mode_str = "relative"; break;
+			case EPOCH_ABSOLUTE:	epoch_mode_str = "absolute"; break;
+		}
+		
+		strcatf(&buf, "in=%s, epoch_mode=%s, epoch=%.2f, ",
+			f->path_in,
+			epoch_mode_str,
+			time_to_double(&f->epoch)
+		);
+			
+		if (f->rate)
+			strcatf(&buf, "rate=%.1f, ", f->rate);
+	}
+	
+	if (f->path_out) {
+		strcatf(&buf, "out=%s, mode=%s, ",
+			f->path_out,
+			f->file_mode
+		);
+	}
+	
+	if (f->first.tv_sec || f->first.tv_nsec)
+		strcatf(&buf, "first=%.2f, ", time_to_double(&f->first));
+	
+	if (f->offset.tv_sec || f->offset.tv_nsec)
+		strcatf(&buf, "offset=%.2f, ", time_to_double(&f->offset));
+	
+	if ((f->first.tv_sec || f->first.tv_nsec) &&
+	    (f->offset.tv_sec || f->offset.tv_nsec)) {
+    		struct timespec eta, now;
+		clock_gettime(CLOCK_REALTIME, &now);
 
-	return strcatf(&buf, "in=%s, out=%s, mode=%s, rate=%.1f, epoch_mode=%u, epoch=%.0f",
-		f->path_in, f->path_out, f->file_mode, f->rate, f->epoch_mode, time_to_double(&f->epoch));
+    		eta = time_add(&f->first, &f->offset);
+    		eta = time_diff(&now, &eta);
+
+		if (eta.tv_sec || eta.tv_nsec)
+		strcatf(&buf, "eta=%.2f sec, ", time_to_double(&eta));
+	}
+	
+	if (strlen(buf) > 2)
+		buf[strlen(buf) - 2] = 0;
+
+	return buf;
 }
 
 int file_parse(config_setting_t *cfg, struct node *n)
@@ -65,10 +111,12 @@ int file_parse(config_setting_t *cfg, struct node *n)
 		f->epoch = time_from_double(epoch_flt);
 
 	if (!config_setting_lookup_string(n->cfg, "epoch_mode", &epoch_mode))
-		epoch_mode = "now";
+		epoch_mode = "direct";
 
-	if (!strcmp(epoch_mode, "now"))
-		f->epoch_mode = EPOCH_NOW;
+	if (!strcmp(epoch_mode, "direct"))
+		f->epoch_mode = EPOCH_DIRECT;
+	else if (!strcmp(epoch_mode, "wait"))
+		f->epoch_mode = EPOCH_WAIT;
 	else if (!strcmp(epoch_mode, "relative"))
 		f->epoch_mode = EPOCH_RELATIVE;
 	else if (!strcmp(epoch_mode, "absolute"))
@@ -86,17 +134,51 @@ int file_open(struct node *n)
 	struct file *f = n->file;
 
 	if (f->path_in) {
-		f->in  = fopen(f->path_in,  "r");
+		/* Open file */
+		f->in = fopen(f->path_in,  "r");
 		if (!f->in)
 			serror("Failed to open file for reading: '%s'", f->path_in);
 
+		/* Create timer */
 		f->tfd = timerfd_create(CLOCK_REALTIME, 0);
 		if (f->tfd < 0)
 			serror("Failed to create timer");
+		
+		/* Get current time */
+		struct timespec now, eta;
+		clock_gettime(CLOCK_REALTIME, &now);
 
-		/* Arm the timer */
+		/* Get timestamp of first line */
+		struct msg m;
+		int ret = msg_fscan(f->in, &m, NULL, NULL); rewind(f->in);
+		if (ret < 0)
+			error("Failed to read first timestamp of node '%s'", n->name);
+		
+		f->first = MSG_TS(&m);
+
+		/* Set offset depending on epoch_mode */
+		switch (f->epoch_mode) {
+			case EPOCH_DIRECT: /* read first value at now + epoch */
+				f->offset = time_diff(&f->first, &now);
+				f->offset = time_add(&f->offset, &f->epoch);
+				break;
+
+			case EPOCH_WAIT: /* read first value at now + first + epoch */
+				f->offset = now;
+				f->offset = time_add(&f->offset, &f->epoch);
+				break;
+		
+			case EPOCH_RELATIVE: /* read first value at first + epoch */
+				f->offset = f->epoch;
+				break;
+		
+			case EPOCH_ABSOLUTE: /* read first value at f->epoch */
+				f->offset = time_diff(&f->first, &f->epoch);
+				break;
+		}
+		
+		/* Arm the timer with a fixed rate */
 		if (f->rate) {
-			/* Send with fixed rate */
 			struct itimerspec its = {
 				.it_interval = time_from_double(1 / f->rate),
 				.it_value = { 1, 0 },
@@ -106,43 +188,14 @@ int file_open(struct node *n)
 			if (ret)
 				serror("Failed to start timer");
 		}
-		else {
-			struct msg m;
-			/* Get current time */
-			struct timespec now, first, eta;
-			clock_gettime(CLOCK_REALTIME, &now);
-
-			/* Get timestamp of first sample */
-			msg_fscan(f->in, &m, NULL, NULL);
-			first = MSG_TS(&m);
-
-			/* Set offset depending on epoch_mode */
-			switch (f->epoch_mode) {
-				case EPOCH_NOW: /* read first value at f->now + f->epoch */
-					first = time_diff(&f->start, &now);
-					f->offset = time_add(&first, &f->epoch);
-					break;
-				case EPOCH_RELATIVE: /* read first value at f->start + f->epoch */
-					f->offset = f->epoch;
-					break;
-				case EPOCH_ABSOLUTE: /* read first value at f->epoch */
-					f->offset = time_diff(&f->start, &f->epoch);
-					break;
-			}
-
-			eta = time_add(&f->start, &f->offset);
-			eta = time_diff(&now, &eta);
-
-			debug(5, "Opened file '%s' as input for node '%s': start=%.2f, offset=%.2f, eta=%.2f sec",
-				f->path_in, n->name,
-				time_to_double(&f->start),
-				time_to_double(&f->offset),
-				time_to_double(&eta)
-			);
-		}
+		
+		char *buf = file_print(n);
+		debug(4, "Opened file node '%s': %s", n->name, buf);
+		free(buf);
 	}
 
 	if (f->path_out) {
+		/* Open output file */
 		f->out = fopen(f->path_out, f->file_mode);
 		if (!f->out)
 			serror("Failed to open file for writing: '%s'", f->path_out);
@@ -167,39 +220,35 @@ int file_close(struct node *n)
 
 int file_read(struct node *n, struct msg *pool, int poolsize, int first, int cnt)
 {
-	int i = 0;
+	int values, flags, i = 0;
 	struct file *f = n->file;
 
 	if (f->in) {
 		for (i = 0; i < cnt; i++) {
 			struct msg *cur = &pool[(first+i) % poolsize];
 			
-			if (f->rate) {
-				/* Wait until epoch for the first time only */
-				if (ftell(f->in) == 0) {
-					struct timespec until = time_add(&f->start, &f->offset);
-					if (timerfd_wait_until(f->tfd, &until))
-						serror("Failed to wait for timer");
-				}
-				/* Wait with fixed rate delay */
-				else {
-					if (timerfd_wait(f->tfd) < 0)
-						serror("Failed to wait for timer");
-				}
+			/* Get message and timestamp */
+			values = msg_fscan(f->in, cur, &flags, NULL);
+			if (values < 0) {
+				if (!feof(f->in))
+					warn("Failed to parse file of node '%s", n->name);
 
-				msg_fscan(f->in, cur, NULL, NULL);
+				return 0;
 			}
-			else {
-				struct timespec until;
 			
-				/* Get message and timestamp */
-				msg_fscan(f->in, cur, NULL, NULL);
+			/* Fix missing sequence no */
+			cur->sequence = f->sequence = (flags & MSG_PRINT_SEQUENCE) ? cur->sequence : f->sequence + 1;
+
+			if (!f->rate || ftell(f->in) == 0) {
+				struct timespec until = time_add(&MSG_TS(cur), &f->offset);
 
-				/* Wait for next message / sampe */
-				until = time_add(&MSG_TS(cur), &f->offset);
 				if (timerfd_wait_until(f->tfd, &until) < 0)
 					serror("Failed to wait for timer");
 			}
+			else { /* Wait with fixed rate delay */
+				if (timerfd_wait(f->tfd) < 0)
+					serror("Failed to wait for timer");
+			}
 		}
 	}
 	else