diff --git a/ndn-cpp/NDN.cpp b/ndn-cpp/NDN.cpp
index 4f7be39..c41f1d7 100644
--- a/ndn-cpp/NDN.cpp
+++ b/ndn-cpp/NDN.cpp
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
   vector<unsigned char> encoding;
   interest.encode(encoding);  
 
-  transport_->connect((char *)"E.hub.ndn.ucla.edu", 9695);
+  transport_->connect(host_.c_str(), port_);
   transport_->send(&encoding[0], encoding.size());
 }
     
diff --git a/ndn-cpp/NDN.hpp b/ndn-cpp/NDN.hpp
index 09dfad2..c574b8d 100644
--- a/ndn-cpp/NDN.hpp
+++ b/ndn-cpp/NDN.hpp
@@ -11,14 +11,15 @@
 #include "transport/Transport.hpp"
 #include "encoding/BinaryXMLElementReader.hpp"
 
+using namespace std;
+
 namespace ndn {
 
 class NDN : public ElementListener {
 public:
-  NDN(const ptr_lib::shared_ptr<Transport> &transport, const ptr_lib::shared_ptr<Closure> &tempClosure)
+  NDN(const ptr_lib::shared_ptr<Transport> &transport, const char *host, unsigned short port, const ptr_lib::shared_ptr<Closure> &tempClosure)
+  : transport_(transport), host_(host), port_(port), tempClosure_(tempClosure) 
   {
-    transport_ = transport;
-    tempClosure_ = tempClosure;
   }
   
   /**
@@ -38,6 +39,8 @@
   
 private:
   ptr_lib::shared_ptr<Transport> transport_;
+  string host_;
+  unsigned short port_;
   ptr_lib::shared_ptr<Closure> tempClosure_;
 };
 
diff --git a/ndn-cpp/transport/TcpTransport.cpp b/ndn-cpp/transport/TcpTransport.cpp
index 7a3a190..c3abab6 100644
--- a/ndn-cpp/transport/TcpTransport.cpp
+++ b/ndn-cpp/transport/TcpTransport.cpp
@@ -10,10 +10,10 @@
 
 namespace ndn {
 
-void TcpTransport::connect(char *host, unsigned short port)
+void TcpTransport::connect(const char *host, unsigned short port)
 {
   ndn_Error error;
-  if (error = ndn_TcpTransport_connect(&transport_, host, port))
+  if (error = ndn_TcpTransport_connect(&transport_, (char *)host, port))
     throw std::runtime_error(ndn_getErrorString(error));  
 }
 
diff --git a/ndn-cpp/transport/TcpTransport.hpp b/ndn-cpp/transport/TcpTransport.hpp
index a8a354e..a5d0ca8 100644
--- a/ndn-cpp/transport/TcpTransport.hpp
+++ b/ndn-cpp/transport/TcpTransport.hpp
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
     ndn_TcpTransport_init(&transport_);
   }
   
-  virtual void connect(char *host, unsigned short port);
+  virtual void connect(const char *host, unsigned short port);
   
   virtual void send(unsigned char *data, unsigned int dataLength);
 
diff --git a/ndn-cpp/transport/Transport.cpp b/ndn-cpp/transport/Transport.cpp
index 950b1cb..84a4e02 100644
--- a/ndn-cpp/transport/Transport.cpp
+++ b/ndn-cpp/transport/Transport.cpp
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 
 namespace ndn {
 
-void Transport::connect(char *host, unsigned short port) 
+void Transport::connect(const char *host, unsigned short port) 
 {
   throw logic_error("unimplemented");
 }
diff --git a/ndn-cpp/transport/Transport.hpp b/ndn-cpp/transport/Transport.hpp
index 85fe1b7..655ce6e 100644
--- a/ndn-cpp/transport/Transport.hpp
+++ b/ndn-cpp/transport/Transport.hpp
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
   
 class Transport {
 public:
-  virtual void connect(char *host, unsigned short port);
+  virtual void connect(const char *host, unsigned short port);
   
   virtual void send(unsigned char *data, unsigned int dataLength);