diff --git a/src/python/oftest/controller/netutils.py b/src/python/oftest/controller/netutils.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..aed1f2b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/python/oftest/controller/netutils.py
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+
+"""
+Network utilities for the OpenFlow controller
+"""
+
+import socket
+
+RCV_TIMEOUT_DEFAULT = 10
+HOST_DEFAULT = ''
+PORT_DEFAULT = 6633
+RCV_SIZE_DEFAULT = 4096
+
+def rcv_data_from_socket(sock, timeout=RCV_TIMEOUT_DEFAULT):
+    """ 
+    Wait for data on a specified socket.
+
+    Time out in (timeout)seconds.
+
+    @param sock control socket
+    @param timeout Timeout if data hasn't come in a specified seconds
+    @return A pair (okay, msg) okay is boolean to indicate a packet was
+    received.  msg is the message if okay is True
+
+    """
+    sock.settimeout(RCV_TIMEOUT)
+    try:
+        rcvmsg = sock.recv(RCV_SIZE)
+        return (True, rcvmsg)
+    except socket.timeout:
+        return (False, None)
+
+def open_ctrlsocket(host=HOST_DEFAULT, port=PORT_DEFAULT):
+    """ Open a socket for a controller connection.
+
+        @param host host IP address
+        @param port transport port number for the test-controller
+        @retval s socket
+    """
+    s = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
+    s.setsockopt(socket.SOL_SOCKET, socket.SO_REUSEADDR, 1)
+    s.bind((host, port))
+    s.listen(1)
+    return s