diff --git a/bin/dnetview/src/util.rs b/bin/dnetview/src/util.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3df2030c1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bin/dnetview/src/util.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+use crate::model::Session;
+use darkfi::{util::serial, Result};
+use rand::{thread_rng, Rng};
+
+pub fn make_node_id(node_name: &String) -> Result<String> {
+    Ok(serial::serialize_hex(node_name))
+}
+
+pub fn make_session_id(node_id: String, session: &Session) -> Result<String> {
+    let mut num = 0_u64;
+
+    match session {
+        Session::Inbound => {
+            for i in ['i', 'n'] {
+                num += i as u64;
+            }
+        }
+        Session::Outbound => {
+            for i in ['o', 'u', 't'] {
+                num += i as u64;
+            }
+        }
+        Session::Manual => {
+            for i in ['m', 'a', 'n'] {
+                num += i as u64;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    for i in node_id.chars() {
+        num += i as u64
+    }
+
+    Ok(serial::serialize_hex(&num))
+}
+
+pub fn make_connect_id(id: u64) -> Result<String> {
+    Ok(serial::serialize_hex(&id))
+}
+
+// we use a random id for empty connections
+pub fn generate_id() -> Result<String> {
+    let mut rng = thread_rng();
+    let id: u32 = rng.gen();
+    Ok(serial::serialize_hex(&id))
+}
+
+//pub fn is_empty_outbound(slots: Vec<Slot>) -> bool {
+//    return slots.iter().all(|slot| slot.is_empty);
+//}
diff --git a/bin/tau/taud/src/main.rs b/bin/tau/taud/src/main.rs
index 0c01c6931..1c3d9ba81 100644
--- a/bin/tau/taud/src/main.rs
+++ b/bin/tau/taud/src/main.rs
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ async fn realmain(settings: Args, executor: Arc<Executor<'_>>) -> Result<()> {
     let rpc_listener_taks =
         executor_cloned.spawn(listen_and_serve(server_config, rpc_interface, executor.clone()));
 
-    let net_settings = settings.net; 
+    let net_settings = settings.net;
 
     //
     //Raft
diff --git a/bin/tau/taud/src/settings.rs b/bin/tau/taud/src/settings.rs
index 1c3207f42..63c690e2d 100644
--- a/bin/tau/taud/src/settings.rs
+++ b/bin/tau/taud/src/settings.rs
@@ -29,4 +29,3 @@ pub struct Args {
     #[structopt(short, parse(from_occurrences))]
     pub verbose: u8,
 }
-
diff --git a/src/net/settings.rs b/src/net/settings.rs
index c804441c2..320c3b893 100644
--- a/src/net/settings.rs
+++ b/src/net/settings.rs
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ impl Default for Settings {
 pub struct SettingsOpt {
     /// P2P accept address
     #[structopt(long = "accept")]
-    pub inbound: Option<SocketAddr>,     
+    pub inbound: Option<SocketAddr>,
 
     /// Connection slots
     #[structopt(long = "slots", default_value = "0")]
@@ -56,11 +56,11 @@ pub struct SettingsOpt {
     #[structopt(long)]
     pub external_addr: Option<SocketAddr>,
 
-    /// Peer nodes to connect to 
+    /// Peer nodes to connect to
     #[structopt(long)]
     pub peers: Vec<SocketAddr>,
 
-    /// Seed nodes to connect to 
+    /// Seed nodes to connect to
     #[structopt(long)]
     pub seeds: Vec<SocketAddr>,