diff --git a/src/components/designer/NetworkDesigner.tsx b/src/components/designer/NetworkDesigner.tsx
index f5225cb..7b2ac3e 100644
--- a/src/components/designer/NetworkDesigner.tsx
+++ b/src/components/designer/NetworkDesigner.tsx
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import useDebounce from 'hooks/useDebounce';
 import { useStoreActions, useStoreState } from 'store';
 import { Network } from 'types';
 import { Loader } from 'components/common';
-import { CustomLink, CustomNodeInner } from './custom';
+import { Link, NodeInner, Port, Ports } from './custom';
 import OpenChannelModal from './lnd/OpenChannelModal';
 import Sidebar from './Sidebar';
 
@@ -49,7 +49,12 @@ const NetworkDesigner: React.FC<Props> = ({ network, updateStateDelay = 3000 })
       <Styled.FlowChart
         chart={chart}
         config={{ snapToGrid: true }}
-        Components={{ NodeInner: CustomNodeInner, Link: CustomLink }}
+        Components={{
+          NodeInner,
+          Link,
+          Port,
+          Ports,
+        }}
         callbacks={callbacks}
       />
       <Sidebar network={network} chart={chart} />
diff --git a/src/components/designer/custom/CustomLink.tsx b/src/components/designer/custom/Link.tsx
similarity index 100%
rename from src/components/designer/custom/CustomLink.tsx
rename to src/components/designer/custom/Link.tsx
diff --git a/src/components/designer/custom/CustomNodeInner.tsx b/src/components/designer/custom/NodeInner.tsx
similarity index 100%
rename from src/components/designer/custom/CustomNodeInner.tsx
rename to src/components/designer/custom/NodeInner.tsx
diff --git a/src/components/designer/custom/Port.tsx b/src/components/designer/custom/Port.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1ae3cdc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/designer/custom/Port.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+import React from 'react';
+import styled from '@emotion/styled';
+import { IPortDefaultProps } from '@mrblenny/react-flow-chart';
+
+const Outer = styled.div`
+  width: 18px;
+  height: 18px;
+  border-radius: 50%;
+  background: white;
+  cursor: pointer;
+  display: flex;
+  justify-content: center;
+  align-items: center;
+  &:hover > div {
+    width: 10px;
+    height: 10px;
+  }
+`;
+
+const Inner = styled.div<{ color: string; active: boolean }>`
+  width: ${props => (props.active ? '10px' : '7px')};
+  height: ${props => (props.active ? '10px' : '7px')};
+  border-radius: 50%;
+  background: ${props => props.color};
+  cursor: pointer;
+  transition: all 0.3s;
+`;
+
+const CustomPort: React.FC<IPortDefaultProps> = ({
+  port,
+  isLinkSelected,
+  isLinkHovered,
+}) => {
+  let color = 'grey';
+  if (port.properties) {
+    color = port.properties.initiator ? '#52c41a' : '#6495ED';
+  }
+  return (
+    <Outer>
+      <Inner color={color} active={isLinkSelected || isLinkHovered} />
+    </Outer>
+  );
+};
+
+export default CustomPort;
diff --git a/src/components/designer/custom/Ports.tsx b/src/components/designer/custom/Ports.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e0cf7c9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/designer/custom/Ports.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+import React from 'react';
+import { IPortsDefaultProps } from '@mrblenny/react-flow-chart';
+import PortsGroup from './PortsGroup';
+
+const Ports: React.FC<IPortsDefaultProps> = ({ children, config }) => {
+  return (
+    <div>
+      <PortsGroup config={config} side="top">
+        {children.filter(child => ['input', 'top'].includes(child.props.port.type))}
+      </PortsGroup>
+      <PortsGroup config={config} side="bottom">
+        {children.filter(child => ['output', 'bottom'].includes(child.props.port.type))}
+      </PortsGroup>
+      <PortsGroup config={config} side="right">
+        {children.filter(child => ['right'].includes(child.props.port.type))}
+      </PortsGroup>
+      <PortsGroup config={config} side="left">
+        {children.filter(child => ['left'].includes(child.props.port.type))}
+      </PortsGroup>
+    </div>
+  );
+};
+
+export default Ports;
diff --git a/src/components/designer/custom/PortsGroup.tsx b/src/components/designer/custom/PortsGroup.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6086e8c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/designer/custom/PortsGroup.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+import css from '@emotion/css';
+import styled from '@emotion/styled';
+import { IPortsGroupDefaultProps } from '@mrblenny/react-flow-chart';
+
+const PortsGroup = styled.div<IPortsGroupDefaultProps>`
+  position: absolute;
+  display: flex;
+  justify-content: center;
+  ${props => {
+    if (props.side === 'top') {
+      return css`
+        width: 100%;
+        left: 0;
+        top: -9px;
+        flex-direction: row;
+        > div {
+          margin: 0 3px;
+        }
+      `;
+    } else if (props.side === 'bottom') {
+      return css`
+        width: 100%;
+        left: 0;
+        bottom: -9px;
+        flex-direction: row;
+        > div {
+          margin: 0 3px;
+        }
+      `;
+    } else if (props.side === 'left') {
+      return css`
+        height: 100%;
+        top: 0;
+        left: -9px;
+        flex-direction: column;
+        > div {
+          margin: 3px 0;
+        }
+      `;
+    } else {
+      return css`
+        height: 100%;
+        top: 0;
+        right: -9px;
+        flex-direction: column;
+        > div {
+          margin: 3px 0;
+        }
+      `;
+    }
+  }}
+`;
+
+export default PortsGroup;
diff --git a/src/components/designer/custom/index.ts b/src/components/designer/custom/index.ts
index b6446f6..2eca02b 100644
--- a/src/components/designer/custom/index.ts
+++ b/src/components/designer/custom/index.ts
@@ -1,2 +1,4 @@
-export { default as CustomLink } from './CustomLink';
-export { default as CustomNodeInner } from './CustomNodeInner';
+export { default as Link } from './Link';
+export { default as NodeInner } from './NodeInner';
+export { default as Port } from './Port';
+export { default as Ports } from './Ports';
diff --git a/src/components/designer/link/LinkDetails.tsx b/src/components/designer/link/LinkDetails.tsx
index 6a4f40a..c157a3a 100644
--- a/src/components/designer/link/LinkDetails.tsx
+++ b/src/components/designer/link/LinkDetails.tsx
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ const LinkDetails: React.FC<Props> = ({ link, network }) => {
   let cmp = <div>You&apos;ve somehow managed to select an invalid link</div>;
 
   const { bitcoin, lightning } = network.nodes;
-  const { type } = link.properties as LinkProperties;
+  const { type } = (link.properties as LinkProperties) || {};
   switch (type) {
     case 'backend':
       const bitcoinNode = bitcoin.find(n => n.name === link.to.nodeId);
diff --git a/src/components/network/NetworkView.tsx b/src/components/network/NetworkView.tsx
index 1a5c8c1..6885a28 100644
--- a/src/components/network/NetworkView.tsx
+++ b/src/components/network/NetworkView.tsx
@@ -48,6 +48,15 @@ interface Props {
 
 const NetworkViewWrap: React.FC<RouteComponentProps<MatchParams>> = ({ match }) => {
   const { networks } = useStoreState(s => s.network);
+  const { load } = useStoreActions(s => s.network);
+  const { notify } = useStoreActions(s => s.app);
+  const loadAsync = useAsyncCallback(async () => {
+    try {
+      await load();
+    } catch (error) {
+      notify({ message: 'Unable to load networks', error });
+    }
+  });
   if (match.params.id) {
     const networkId = parseInt(match.params.id);
     const network = networks.find(n => n.id === networkId);
@@ -61,6 +70,9 @@ const NetworkViewWrap: React.FC<RouteComponentProps<MatchParams>> = ({ match })
       image={Empty.PRESENTED_IMAGE_SIMPLE}
       description={`Could not find a network with the id '${match.params.id}'`}
     >
+      <Button type="link" size="large" onClick={loadAsync.execute}>
+        Reload Networks
+      </Button>
       <Link to={HOME}>
         <Button type="primary" size="large">
           View Networks
diff --git a/src/store/models/designer.ts b/src/store/models/designer.ts
index 4b89f6f..92f9fa7 100644
--- a/src/store/models/designer.ts
+++ b/src/store/models/designer.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import { link } from 'fs';
 import RFC, { IChart, IConfig, IPosition } from '@mrblenny/react-flow-chart';
 import {
   Action,
@@ -11,7 +12,7 @@ import {
   ThunkOn,
   thunkOn,
 } from 'easy-peasy';
-import { Network, StoreInjections } from 'types';
+import { Network, Status, StoreInjections } from 'types';
 import { updateChartFromNetwork } from 'utils/chart';
 import { RootModel } from './';
 
@@ -134,20 +135,42 @@ const designerModel: DesignerModel = {
     // this action is used when the OpenChannel modal is closed.
     // remove the link created in the chart since a new one will
     // be created when the channels are fetched
-    const chart = state.allCharts[state.activeId];
-    delete chart.links[linkId];
+    delete state.allCharts[state.activeId].links[linkId];
   }),
   onLinkCompleteListener: thunkOn(
     actions => actions.onLinkComplete,
-    (actions, { payload }, { getState, getStoreActions }) => {
-      // show the OpenChannel modal if a link is created
-      if (getState().activeChart.links[payload.linkId]) {
-        getStoreActions().modals.showOpenChannel({
-          to: payload.toNodeId,
-          from: payload.fromNodeId,
-          linkId: payload.linkId,
+    (actions, { payload }, { getState, getStoreState, getStoreActions }) => {
+      const { activeId, activeChart } = getState();
+      if (!activeChart.links[payload.linkId]) return;
+      const toNode = activeChart.nodes[payload.toNodeId];
+      const fromNode = activeChart.nodes[payload.fromNodeId];
+      if (fromNode.type !== 'lightning' || toNode.type !== 'lightning') {
+        actions.removeLink(payload.linkId);
+        getStoreActions().app.notify({
+          message: 'Cannot open a channel',
+          error: new Error('Must be between two lightning nodes'),
+        });
+        return;
+      }
+      const network = getStoreState().network.networkById(activeId);
+      if (!network) {
+        actions.removeLink(payload.linkId);
+        return;
+      }
+      if (network.status !== Status.Started) {
+        actions.removeLink(payload.linkId);
+        getStoreActions().app.notify({
+          message: 'Cannot open a channel',
+          error: new Error('The network must be Started first'),
         });
+        return;
       }
+      // show the OpenChannel modal if a link is created
+      getStoreActions().modals.showOpenChannel({
+        to: payload.toNodeId,
+        from: payload.fromNodeId,
+        linkId: payload.linkId,
+      });
     },
   ),
   // TODO: add unit tests for the actions below
diff --git a/src/utils/chart.ts b/src/utils/chart.ts
index b5dcc0b..d591d9c 100644
--- a/src/utils/chart.ts
+++ b/src/utils/chart.ts
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ export const initChartFromNetwork = (network: Network): IChart => {
   network.nodes.bitcoin.forEach(n => {
     chart.nodes[n.name] = {
       id: n.name,
-      type: 'output-only',
+      type: 'bitcoin',
       position: { x: n.id * 250 + 200, y: 400 },
       ports: {
         backend: { id: 'backend', type: 'input' },
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ export const initChartFromNetwork = (network: Network): IChart => {
   network.nodes.lightning.forEach(n => {
     chart.nodes[n.name] = {
       id: n.name,
-      type: 'input-output',
+      type: 'lightning',
       position: { x: n.id * 250 + 50, y: n.id % 2 === 0 ? 100 : 200 },
       ports: {
         'empty-left': { id: 'empty-left', type: 'left' },
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ const updateNodeSize = (node: INode) => {
     const numPorts = Math.max(leftPorts, rightPorts, 1);
     node.size = {
       ...(size || {}),
-      height: numPorts * 30 + 12,
+      height: numPorts * 24 + 12,
     };
   }
 };
@@ -129,6 +129,7 @@ const updateLinksAndPorts = (
     ...(fromNode.ports[chanId] || {}),
     id: chanId,
     type: fromOnLeftSide ? 'right' : 'left',
+    properties: { nodeId: fromNode.id, initiator: true },
   };
 
   // create or update the port on the to node
@@ -136,6 +137,7 @@ const updateLinksAndPorts = (
     ...(toNode.ports[chanId] || {}),
     id: chanId,
     type: fromOnLeftSide ? 'left' : 'right',
+    properties: { nodeId: toNode.id },
   };
 
   // create or update the link
@@ -199,16 +201,28 @@ export const updateChartFromNetwork = (
     }
   });
 
-  // remove links for channels that that no longer exist
+  // remove links for channels that no longer exist
   Object.keys(links).forEach(linkId => {
     // don't remove links for existing channels
     if (linkIds.includes(linkId)) return;
     // don't remove links to bitcoin nodes
     if (linkId.endsWith('-backend')) return;
-    // delete any other links
+    // delete all other links
     delete links[linkId];
   });
 
+  // remove ports for channels that no longer exist
+  Object.values(nodes).forEach(node => {
+    Object.keys(node.ports).forEach(portId => {
+      // don't remove special ports
+      if (['empty-left', 'empty-right', 'backend'].includes(portId)) return;
+      // don't remove ports for existing channels
+      if (linkIds.includes(portId)) return;
+      // delete all other ports
+      delete node.ports[portId];
+    });
+  });
+
   // resize chart nodes if necessary to fit new ports
   Object.keys(nodesData).forEach(name => updateNodeSize(nodes[name]));