diff --git a/bin/ircd2/ircd_config.toml b/bin/ircd2/ircd_config.toml
index 37b098e7b..ce76ac486 100644
--- a/bin/ircd2/ircd_config.toml
+++ b/bin/ircd2/ircd_config.toml
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 ## JSON-RPC listen URL
-#rpc_listen="127.0.0.1:8857"
+#rpc_listen="127.0.0.1:11055"
 
 ## IRC listen URL
-#irc_listen="127.0.0.1:8855"
+#irc_listen="127.0.0.1:11066"
 
 ## Sets Datastore Path
 #datastore="~/.config/ircd"
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 #inbound="127.0.0.1:11002" 
 
 ## Connection slots
-#outbound_connections=0 
+#outbound_connections=5
 
 ## P2P external address
 #external_addr="127.0.0.1:11002"
diff --git a/bin/ircd2/src/main.rs b/bin/ircd2/src/main.rs
index e4432a731..8a0bc60b6 100644
--- a/bin/ircd2/src/main.rs
+++ b/bin/ircd2/src/main.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 use async_std::net::{TcpListener, TcpStream};
-use std::{net::SocketAddr, path::PathBuf, sync::Arc};
+use std::{net::SocketAddr, sync::Arc};
 
 use async_channel::Receiver;
 use async_executor::Executor;
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ use darkfi::{
     rpc::rpcserver::{listen_and_serve, RpcServerConfig},
     util::{
         cli::{log_config, spawn_config},
-        path::get_config_path,
+        path::{expand_path, get_config_path},
     },
     Error, Result,
 };
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ async fn realmain(settings: Args, executor: Arc<Executor<'_>>) -> Result<()> {
     let local_addr = listener.local_addr()?;
     info!("Listening on {}", local_addr);
 
-    let datastore_path = PathBuf::from(&settings.datastore);
+    let datastore_path = expand_path(&settings.datastore)?;
 
     let net_settings = settings.net;
     //
diff --git a/bin/ircd2/src/settings.rs b/bin/ircd2/src/settings.rs
index dcb3c9dad..a86d94474 100644
--- a/bin/ircd2/src/settings.rs
+++ b/bin/ircd2/src/settings.rs
@@ -18,10 +18,10 @@ pub struct Args {
     #[structopt(long)]
     pub config: Option<String>,
     /// JSON-RPC listen URL
-    #[structopt(long = "rpc", default_value = "127.0.0.1:8857")]
+    #[structopt(long = "rpc", default_value = "127.0.0.1:11055")]
     pub rpc_listen: SocketAddr,
     /// IRC listen URL
-    #[structopt(long = "irc", default_value = "127.0.0.1:8855")]
+    #[structopt(long = "irc", default_value = "127.0.0.1:11066")]
     pub irc_listen: SocketAddr,
     /// Sets Datastore Path
     #[structopt(long, default_value = "~/.config/ircd")]
diff --git a/bin/tau/taud/src/settings.rs b/bin/tau/taud/src/settings.rs
index 63c690e2d..950c3250a 100644
--- a/bin/tau/taud/src/settings.rs
+++ b/bin/tau/taud/src/settings.rs
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ pub struct Args {
     #[structopt(long)]
     pub config: Option<String>,
     /// JSON-RPC listen URL
-    #[structopt(long = "rpc", default_value = "127.0.0.1:8857")]
+    #[structopt(long = "rpc", default_value = "127.0.0.1:11055")]
     pub rpc_listen: SocketAddr,
     /// Sets Datastore Path
     #[structopt(long, default_value = "~/.config/tau")]
diff --git a/bin/tau/taud_config.toml b/bin/tau/taud_config.toml
index 02a61e7ef..abc02f065 100644
--- a/bin/tau/taud_config.toml
+++ b/bin/tau/taud_config.toml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 ## JSON-RPC listen URL
-#rpc_listen="127.0.0.1:8857"
+#rpc_listen="127.0.0.1:11055"
 
 ## Sets Datastore Path
 #datastore="~/.config/tau"
diff --git a/src/net/settings.rs b/src/net/settings.rs
index 320c3b893..51c38b87e 100644
--- a/src/net/settings.rs
+++ b/src/net/settings.rs
@@ -41,7 +41,6 @@ impl Default for Settings {
 
 /// Defines the network settings.
 #[derive(Clone, Debug, Deserialize, StructOpt, StructOptToml)]
-#[serde(default)]
 #[structopt()]
 pub struct SettingsOpt {
     /// P2P accept address
@@ -49,43 +48,45 @@ pub struct SettingsOpt {
     pub inbound: Option<SocketAddr>,
 
     /// Connection slots
-    #[structopt(long = "slots", default_value = "0")]
-    pub outbound_connections: u32,
+    #[structopt(long = "slots")]
+    pub outbound_connections: Option<u32>,
 
     /// P2P external address
     #[structopt(long)]
     pub external_addr: Option<SocketAddr>,
 
     /// Peer nodes to connect to
+    #[serde(default)]
     #[structopt(long)]
     pub peers: Vec<SocketAddr>,
 
     /// Seed nodes to connect to
+    #[serde(default)]
     #[structopt(long)]
     pub seeds: Vec<SocketAddr>,
 
-    #[structopt(skip = 0 as u32)]
-    pub manual_attempt_limit: u32,
-    #[structopt(skip = 8 as u32)]
-    pub seed_query_timeout_seconds: u32,
-    #[structopt(skip = 10 as u32)]
-    pub connect_timeout_seconds: u32,
-    #[structopt(skip = 4 as u32)]
-    pub channel_handshake_seconds: u32,
-    #[structopt(skip = 10 as u32)]
-    pub channel_heartbeat_seconds: u32,
+    #[structopt(skip)]
+    pub manual_attempt_limit: Option<u32>,
+    #[structopt(skip)]
+    pub seed_query_timeout_seconds: Option<u32>,
+    #[structopt(skip)]
+    pub connect_timeout_seconds: Option<u32>,
+    #[structopt(skip)]
+    pub channel_handshake_seconds: Option<u32>,
+    #[structopt(skip)]
+    pub channel_heartbeat_seconds: Option<u32>,
 }
 
 impl Into<Settings> for SettingsOpt {
     fn into(self) -> Settings {
         Settings {
             inbound: self.inbound,
-            outbound_connections: self.outbound_connections,
-            manual_attempt_limit: self.manual_attempt_limit,
-            seed_query_timeout_seconds: self.seed_query_timeout_seconds,
-            connect_timeout_seconds: self.connect_timeout_seconds,
-            channel_handshake_seconds: self.channel_handshake_seconds,
-            channel_heartbeat_seconds: self.channel_heartbeat_seconds,
+            outbound_connections: self.outbound_connections.unwrap_or(0),
+            manual_attempt_limit: self.manual_attempt_limit.unwrap_or(0),
+            seed_query_timeout_seconds: self.seed_query_timeout_seconds.unwrap_or(8),
+            connect_timeout_seconds: self.connect_timeout_seconds.unwrap_or(10),
+            channel_handshake_seconds: self.channel_handshake_seconds.unwrap_or(4),
+            channel_heartbeat_seconds: self.channel_heartbeat_seconds.unwrap_or(10),
             external_addr: self.external_addr,
             peers: self.peers,
             seeds: self.seeds,