diff --git a/ant-cli/src/actions/connect.rs b/ant-cli/src/actions/connect.rs
index cfe971d14e..0922be213d 100644
--- a/ant-cli/src/actions/connect.rs
+++ b/ant-cli/src/actions/connect.rs
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 // permissions and limitations relating to use of the SAFE Network Software.
 
 use autonomi::Client;
+use autonomi::ClientConfig;
 use autonomi::Multiaddr;
 use color_eyre::eyre::bail;
 use color_eyre::eyre::Result;
@@ -22,7 +23,7 @@ pub async fn connect_to_network(peers: Vec<Multiaddr>) -> Result<Client> {
 
     progress_bar.set_message("Connecting to The Autonomi Network...");
 
-    match Client::connect(&peers).await {
+    match Client::init_with_config(ClientConfig::from_peers(peers)).await {
         Ok(client) => {
             info!("Connected to the Network");
             progress_bar.finish_with_message("Connected to the Network");
diff --git a/ant-node/tests/common/client.rs b/ant-node/tests/common/client.rs
index 55126c1fc8..f3f9d6b9cb 100644
--- a/ant-node/tests/common/client.rs
+++ b/ant-node/tests/common/client.rs
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 use ant_evm::Amount;
 use ant_protocol::antnode_proto::{NodeInfoRequest, RestartRequest};
 use ant_service_management::{get_local_node_registry_path, NodeRegistry};
-use autonomi::Client;
+use autonomi::{Client, ClientConfig};
 use evmlib::wallet::Wallet;
 use eyre::Result;
 use std::str::FromStr;
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ impl LocalNetwork {
 
         println!("Client bootstrap with peer {bootstrap_peers:?}");
         info!("Client bootstrap with peer {bootstrap_peers:?}");
-        Client::connect(&bootstrap_peers)
+        Client::init_with_config(ClientConfig::from_peers(bootstrap_peers))
             .await
             .expect("Client shall be successfully created.")
     }
diff --git a/autonomi/examples/put_and_dir_upload.rs b/autonomi/examples/put_and_dir_upload.rs
index 874ca57980..9d8b809147 100644
--- a/autonomi/examples/put_and_dir_upload.rs
+++ b/autonomi/examples/put_and_dir_upload.rs
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
-use autonomi::{Bytes, Client, Wallet};
+use autonomi::{Bytes, Client, ClientConfig, Wallet};
 
 #[tokio::main]
 async fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
     // Default wallet of testnet.
     let key = "0xac0974bec39a17e36ba4a6b4d238ff944bacb478cbed5efcae784d7bf4f2ff80";
 
-    let client = Client::connect(&["/ip4/127.0.0.1/udp/1234/quic-v1".parse()?]).await?;
+    let client = Client::init_with_config(ClientConfig::local()).await?;
     let wallet = Wallet::new_from_private_key(Default::default(), key)?;
 
     // Put and fetch data.
diff --git a/autonomi/src/client/mod.rs b/autonomi/src/client/mod.rs
index b14e3f9e7f..b70566ef4f 100644
--- a/autonomi/src/client/mod.rs
+++ b/autonomi/src/client/mod.rs
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ pub use ant_evm::Amount;
 
 use ant_evm::EvmNetwork;
 use ant_networking::{interval, multiaddr_is_global, Network, NetworkBuilder, NetworkEvent};
-use ant_protocol::{version::IDENTIFY_PROTOCOL_STR, CLOSE_GROUP_SIZE};
+use ant_protocol::version::IDENTIFY_PROTOCOL_STR;
 use libp2p::{identity::Keypair, Multiaddr};
 use std::{collections::HashSet, sync::Arc, time::Duration};
 use tokio::sync::mpsc;
@@ -49,7 +49,10 @@ pub const CONNECT_TIMEOUT_SECS: u64 = 10;
 
 const CLIENT_EVENT_CHANNEL_SIZE: usize = 100;
 
-/// Represents a connection to the Autonomi network.
+// Amount of peers to confirm into our routing table before we consider the client ready.
+pub use ant_protocol::CLOSE_GROUP_SIZE;
+
+/// Represents a client for the Autonomi network.
 ///
 /// # Example
 ///
@@ -83,24 +86,42 @@ pub struct ClientConfig {
 }
 
 impl ClientConfig {
-    /// Get a configuration for a local client.
+    /// Configuration for a local client.
     pub fn local() -> Self {
         Self {
             local: true,
             ..Default::default()
         }
     }
+
+    /// Configuration for a client that bootstraps from a list of peers.
+    ///
+    /// If any of the provided peers is a global address, the client will not be local.
+    ///
+    /// ```no_run
+    /// // Will set `local` to true.
+    /// let config = autonomi::ClientConfig::from_peers(vec!["/ip4/127.0.0.1/udp/1234/quic-v1".parse()?]);
+    /// ```
+    pub fn from_peers(peers: Vec<Multiaddr>) -> Self {
+        // Any global address makes the client non-local
+        let local = !peers.iter().any(multiaddr_is_global);
+
+        Self {
+            local,
+            peers: Some(peers),
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 /// Error returned by [`Client::connect`].
 #[derive(Debug, thiserror::Error)]
 pub enum ConnectError {
-    /// Did not manage to connect to enough peers in time.
-    #[error("Could not connect to enough peers in time.")]
+    /// Did not manage to populate the routing table with enough peers.
+    #[error("Failed to populate our routing table with enough peers in time")]
     TimedOut,
 
     /// Same as [`ConnectError::TimedOut`] but with a list of incompatible protocols.
-    #[error("Could not connect to peers due to incompatible protocol: {0:?}")]
+    #[error("Failed to populate our routing table due to incompatible protocol: {0:?}")]
     TimedOutWithIncompatibleProtocol(HashSet<String>, String),
 
     /// An error occurred while bootstrapping the client.
diff --git a/autonomi/src/python.rs b/autonomi/src/python.rs
index 0c28401b55..35da191a38 100644
--- a/autonomi/src/python.rs
+++ b/autonomi/src/python.rs
@@ -1,12 +1,15 @@
 // TODO: Shall be removed once the python binding warnings resolved
 #![allow(non_local_definitions)]
 
-use crate::client::{
-    data::DataMapChunk,
-    files::{archive::PrivateArchiveAccess, archive_public::ArchiveAddr},
-    payment::PaymentOption as RustPaymentOption,
-    vault::{UserData, VaultSecretKey},
-    Client as RustClient,
+use crate::{
+    client::{
+        data::DataMapChunk,
+        files::{archive::PrivateArchiveAccess, archive_public::ArchiveAddr},
+        payment::PaymentOption as RustPaymentOption,
+        vault::{UserData, VaultSecretKey},
+        Client as RustClient,
+    },
+    ClientConfig,
 };
 use crate::{Bytes, Network, Wallet as RustWallet};
 use pyo3::exceptions::PyValueError;
@@ -31,9 +34,13 @@ impl PyClient {
                 pyo3::exceptions::PyValueError::new_err(format!("Invalid multiaddr: {e}"))
             })?;
 
-        let client = rt.block_on(RustClient::connect(&peers)).map_err(|e| {
-            pyo3::exceptions::PyValueError::new_err(format!("Failed to connect: {e}"))
-        })?;
+        let client = rt
+            .block_on(RustClient::init_with_config(ClientConfig::from_peers(
+                peers,
+            )))
+            .map_err(|e| {
+                pyo3::exceptions::PyValueError::new_err(format!("Failed to connect: {e}"))
+            })?;
 
         Ok(Self { inner: client })
     }
diff --git a/autonomi/tests/external_signer.rs b/autonomi/tests/external_signer.rs
index 6b918f9370..0a135ac50d 100644
--- a/autonomi/tests/external_signer.rs
+++ b/autonomi/tests/external_signer.rs
@@ -10,12 +10,12 @@ use autonomi::client::payment::{receipt_from_store_quotes, Receipt};
 use autonomi::client::quote::StoreQuote;
 use autonomi::client::vault::user_data::USER_DATA_VAULT_CONTENT_IDENTIFIER;
 use autonomi::client::vault::VaultSecretKey;
-use autonomi::{Client, Wallet};
+use autonomi::{Client, ClientConfig, Wallet};
 use bytes::Bytes;
 use std::collections::BTreeMap;
 use std::time::Duration;
 use test_utils::evm::get_funded_wallet;
-use test_utils::{gen_random_data, peers_from_env};
+use test_utils::gen_random_data;
 use tokio::time::sleep;
 use xor_name::XorName;
 
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ async fn external_signer_put() -> eyre::Result<()> {
     let _log_appender_guard =
         LogBuilder::init_single_threaded_tokio_test("external_signer_put", false);
 
-    let client = Client::connect(&peers_from_env()?).await?;
+    let client = Client::init_with_config(ClientConfig::local()).await?;
     let wallet = get_funded_wallet();
     let data = gen_random_data(1024 * 1024 * 10);
 
diff --git a/autonomi/tests/fs.rs b/autonomi/tests/fs.rs
index 1b8b59f801..4d70dac008 100644
--- a/autonomi/tests/fs.rs
+++ b/autonomi/tests/fs.rs
@@ -9,13 +9,13 @@
 #![cfg(feature = "fs")]
 
 use ant_logging::LogBuilder;
-use autonomi::Client;
+use autonomi::{Client, ClientConfig};
 use eyre::Result;
 use sha2::{Digest, Sha256};
 use std::fs::File;
 use std::io::{BufReader, Read};
 use std::time::Duration;
-use test_utils::{evm::get_funded_wallet, peers_from_env};
+use test_utils::evm::get_funded_wallet;
 use tokio::time::sleep;
 use walkdir::WalkDir;
 
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ async fn dir_upload_download() -> Result<()> {
     let _log_appender_guard =
         LogBuilder::init_single_threaded_tokio_test("dir_upload_download", false);
 
-    let client = Client::connect(&peers_from_env()?).await?;
+    let client = Client::init_with_config(ClientConfig::local()).await?;
     let wallet = get_funded_wallet();
 
     let addr = client
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ fn compute_dir_sha256(dir: &str) -> Result<String> {
 async fn file_into_vault() -> Result<()> {
     let _log_appender_guard = LogBuilder::init_single_threaded_tokio_test("file", false);
 
-    let client = Client::connect(&peers_from_env()?).await?;
+    let client = Client::init_with_config(ClientConfig::local()).await?;
     let wallet = get_funded_wallet();
     let client_sk = bls::SecretKey::random();
 
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ async fn file_into_vault() -> Result<()> {
         .await?;
 
     // now assert over the stored account packet
-    let new_client = Client::connect(&[]).await?;
+    let new_client = Client::init_with_config(ClientConfig::local()).await?;
 
     let (ap, got_version) = new_client.fetch_and_decrypt_vault(&client_sk).await?;
     assert_eq!(set_version, got_version);
diff --git a/autonomi/tests/register.rs b/autonomi/tests/register.rs
index e698809d46..7afcd2afd0 100644
--- a/autonomi/tests/register.rs
+++ b/autonomi/tests/register.rs
@@ -9,19 +9,19 @@
 #![cfg(feature = "registers")]
 
 use ant_logging::LogBuilder;
-use autonomi::Client;
+use autonomi::{Client, ClientConfig};
 use bytes::Bytes;
 use eyre::Result;
 use rand::Rng;
 use std::time::Duration;
-use test_utils::{evm::get_funded_wallet, peers_from_env};
+use test_utils::evm::get_funded_wallet;
 use tokio::time::sleep;
 
 #[tokio::test]
 async fn register() -> Result<()> {
     let _log_appender_guard = LogBuilder::init_single_threaded_tokio_test("register", false);
 
-    let client = Client::connect(&peers_from_env()?).await?;
+    let client = Client::init_with_config(ClientConfig::local()).await?;
     let wallet = get_funded_wallet();
 
     // Owner key of the register.
diff --git a/autonomi/tests/transaction.rs b/autonomi/tests/transaction.rs
index 76f0bd760d..92d2072870 100644
--- a/autonomi/tests/transaction.rs
+++ b/autonomi/tests/transaction.rs
@@ -8,15 +8,15 @@
 
 use ant_logging::LogBuilder;
 use ant_protocol::storage::Transaction;
-use autonomi::{client::transactions::TransactionError, Client};
+use autonomi::{client::transactions::TransactionError, Client, ClientConfig};
 use eyre::Result;
-use test_utils::{evm::get_funded_wallet, peers_from_env};
+use test_utils::evm::get_funded_wallet;
 
 #[tokio::test]
 async fn transaction_put() -> Result<()> {
     let _log_appender_guard = LogBuilder::init_single_threaded_tokio_test("transaction", false);
 
-    let client = Client::connect(&peers_from_env()?).await?;
+    let client = Client::init_with_config(ClientConfig::local()).await?;
     let wallet = get_funded_wallet();
 
     let key = bls::SecretKey::random();