diff --git a/src/services/main/settings.ts b/src/services/main/settings.ts
index ab04890ae..e7164967e 100644
--- a/src/services/main/settings.ts
+++ b/src/services/main/settings.ts
@@ -22,6 +22,12 @@ export type MainSettings = {
     skipSanityCheck: boolean
     disableExternalPayments: boolean
 }
+export type BitcoinCoreSettings = {
+    port: number
+    user: string
+    pass: string
+}
+export type TestSettings = MainSettings & { lndSettings: { otherNode: NodeSettings, thirdNode: NodeSettings, fourthNode: NodeSettings }, bitcoinCoreSettings: BitcoinCoreSettings }
 export const LoadMainSettingsFromEnv = (): MainSettings => {
     return {
         watchDogSettings: LoadWatchdogSettingsFromEnv(),
@@ -44,7 +50,7 @@ export const LoadMainSettingsFromEnv = (): MainSettings => {
     }
 }
 
-export const LoadTestSettingsFromEnv = (): MainSettings & { lndSettings: { otherNode: NodeSettings, thirdNode: NodeSettings } } => {
+export const LoadTestSettingsFromEnv = (): TestSettings => {
     const eventLogPath = `logs/eventLogV2Test${Date.now()}.csv`
     const settings = LoadMainSettingsFromEnv()
     return {
@@ -61,8 +67,18 @@ export const LoadTestSettingsFromEnv = (): MainSettings & { lndSettings: { other
                 lndAddr: EnvMustBeNonEmptyString("LND_THIRD_ADDR"),
                 lndCertPath: EnvMustBeNonEmptyString("LND_THIRD_CERT_PATH"),
                 lndMacaroonPath: EnvMustBeNonEmptyString("LND_THIRD_MACAROON_PATH")
+            },
+            fourthNode: {
+                lndAddr: EnvMustBeNonEmptyString("LND_FOURTH_ADDR"),
+                lndCertPath: EnvMustBeNonEmptyString("LND_FOURTH_CERT_PATH"),
+                lndMacaroonPath: EnvMustBeNonEmptyString("LND_FOURTH_MACAROON_PATH")
             }
         },
-        skipSanityCheck: true
+        skipSanityCheck: true,
+        bitcoinCoreSettings: {
+            port: EnvMustBeInteger("BITCOIN_CORE_PORT"),
+            user: EnvMustBeNonEmptyString("BITCOIN_CORE_USER"),
+            pass: EnvMustBeNonEmptyString("BITCOIN_CORE_PASS")
+        }
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/tests/.env.test b/src/tests/.env.test
index 0e610e5fe..1b2ad6955 100644
--- a/src/tests/.env.test
+++ b/src/tests/.env.test
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-LND_ADDRESS=127.0.0.1:10001
-LND_CERT_PATH=alice-tls.cert
+LND_ADDRESS=127.0.0.1:10001 #alice
+LND_CERT_PATH=alice-tls.cert #alice
 LND_MACAROON_PATH=alice-admin.macaroon
 DATABASE_FILE=db.sqlite
 JWT_SECRET=bigsecrethere
@@ -22,12 +22,19 @@ METRICS_DATABASE_FILE=metrics.sqlite
 WATCHDOG_MAX_DIFF_BPS=100
 WATCHDOG_MAX_DIFF_SATS=10000
 
-
+# dave <--> alice <--> carol <--> bob
 LND_OTHER_ADDR=127.0.0.1:10002
 LND_OTHER_CERT_PATH=bob-tls.cert
 LND_OTHER_MACAROON_PATH=bob-admin.macaroon
 
-LND_THIRD_ADDR=127.0.0.1:10004
-LND_THIRD_CERT_PATH=dave-tls.cert
-LND_THIRD_MACAROON_PATH=dave-admin.macaroon
+LND_THIRD_ADDR=127.0.0.1:10003
+LND_THIRD_CERT_PATH=carol-tls.cert
+LND_THIRD_MACAROON_PATH=carol-admin.macaroon
+
+LND_FOURTH_ADDR=127.0.0.1:10004
+LND_FOURTH_CERT_PATH=dave-tls.cert
+LND_FOURTH_MACAROON_PATH=dave-admin.macaroon
 
+BITCOIN_CORE_PORT=18443
+BITCOIN_CORE_USER=polaruser
+BITCOIN_CORE_PASS=polarpass
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/tests/networkSetup.ts b/src/tests/networkSetup.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c1bf2fafa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tests/networkSetup.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+import BitcoinCore from 'bitcoin-core';
+import { LoadTestSettingsFromEnv, TestSettings } from "../services/main/settings.js"
+import LND from '../services/lnd/lnd.js'
+// dave <--> alice <--> carol <--> bob
+export const setupNetwork = async () => {
+    const settings = LoadTestSettingsFromEnv()
+    const core = await initBitcoinCore(settings)
+    const { alice, bob, carol, dave } = await initLndInstances(settings)
+}
+
+const initLndInstances = async (settings: TestSettings) => {
+    const alice = new LND(settings.lndSettings, console.log, console.log, () => { }, () => { })
+    await alice.Warmup()
+
+    const bobSettings = { ...settings.lndSettings, mainNode: settings.lndSettings.otherNode }
+    const bob = new LND(bobSettings, console.log, console.log, () => { }, () => { })
+    await bob.Warmup()
+
+    const carolSettings = { ...settings.lndSettings, mainNode: settings.lndSettings.thirdNode }
+    const carol = new LND(carolSettings, console.log, console.log, () => { }, () => { })
+    await carol.Warmup()
+
+    const daveSettings = { ...settings.lndSettings, mainNode: settings.lndSettings.fourthNode }
+    const dave = new LND(daveSettings, console.log, console.log, () => { }, () => { })
+    await dave.Warmup()
+    return { alice, bob, carol, dave }
+}
+
+const initBitcoinCore = async (settings: TestSettings) => {
+    const core = new BitcoinCore({
+        //network: 'regtest',
+        host: '127.0.0.1',
+        port: `${settings.bitcoinCoreSettings.port}`,
+        username: settings.bitcoinCoreSettings.user,
+        password: settings.bitcoinCoreSettings.pass,
+        // use a long timeout due to the time it takes to mine a lot of blocks
+        timeout: 5 * 60 * 1000,
+    })
+    const wallet = await core.createWallet('');
+    console.log({ wallet })
+    const address = await core.getNewAddress()
+    console.log({ address })
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/tests/testRunner.ts b/src/tests/testRunner.ts
index 5bf830b65..a42b80233 100644
--- a/src/tests/testRunner.ts
+++ b/src/tests/testRunner.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { globby } from 'globby'
+import { setupNetwork } from './networkSetup.js'
 import { Describe, SetupTest, teardown, TestBase } from './testBase.js'
 
 
@@ -19,7 +20,9 @@ const getDescribe = (fileName: string): Describe => {
     }
 }
 const start = async () => {
-
+    if (process.argv[2] === 'setup_network') {
+        await setupNetwork()
+    }
     const files = await globby(["**/*.spec.js", "!**/node_modules/**"])
     const modules: { file: string, module: TestModule }[] = []
     let devModule = -1