--- libaitio/src/Attic/tools.c	2011/10/14 07:28:16	1.5.4.1
+++ libaitio/src/Attic/tools.c	2011/10/31 13:53:51	1.6
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 *  by Michael Pounov <misho@elwix.org>
 *
 * $Author: misho $
-* $Id: tools.c,v 1.5.4.1 2011/10/14 07:28:16 misho Exp $
+* $Id: tools.c,v 1.6 2011/10/31 13:53:51 misho Exp $
 *
 **************************************************************************
 The ELWIX and AITNET software is distributed under the following
@@ -317,4 +317,33 @@ io_ether_ntoa(const struct io_ether_addr *n, char * __
 		return NULL;
 
 	return a;
+}
+
+/*
+ * io_ether_aton() Convert string to ethernet address
+ * @a = string
+ * @e = ethernet address structure, like struct ether_addr
+ * return: NULL error or !=NULL ethernet address structure
+ */
+inline struct io_ether_addr *
+io_ether_aton(const char *a, struct io_ether_addr *e)
+{                       
+	int i;
+	u_int o0, o1, o2, o3, o4, o5;
+
+	if (!a || !e)
+		return NULL;
+
+	i = sscanf(a, "%x:%x:%x:%x:%x:%x", &o0, &o1, &o2, &o3, &o4, &o5);
+	if (i != 6)
+		return NULL;
+
+	e->ether_addr_octet[0] = o0;
+	e->ether_addr_octet[1] = o1;
+	e->ether_addr_octet[2] = o2;
+	e->ether_addr_octet[3] = o3;
+	e->ether_addr_octet[4] = o4;
+	e->ether_addr_octet[5] = o5;
+
+	return e;
 }