diff --git a/src/core/netif.c b/src/core/netif.c
index 487f8caa..1a43ddb7 100644
--- a/src/core/netif.c
+++ b/src/core/netif.c
@@ -70,10 +70,9 @@ netif_add(struct ip_addr *ipaddr, struct ip_addr *netmask,
   netif->state = state;
   netif->num = netifnum++;
   netif->input = input;
-  ip_addr_set(&(netif->ip_addr), ipaddr);
-  ip_addr_set(&(netif->netmask), netmask);
-  ip_addr_set(&(netif->gw), gw);
 
+  netif_set_addr(netif, ipaddr, netmask, gw);
+  
   if (init(netif) != ERR_OK) {
       mem_free(netif);
       return NULL;
@@ -93,6 +92,16 @@ netif_add(struct ip_addr *ipaddr, struct ip_addr *netmask,
 #endif /* NETIF_DEBUG */
   return netif;
 }
+
+void
+netif_set_addr(struct netif *netif,struct ip_addr *ipaddr, struct ip_addr *netmask,
+	  struct ip_addr *gw)
+{
+  netif_set_ipaddr(netif, ipaddr);
+  netif_set_netmask(netif, netmask);
+  netif_set_gw(netif, gw);
+}
+
 /*-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
 void netif_remove(struct netif * netif)
 {
diff --git a/src/include/lwip/netif.h b/src/include/lwip/netif.h
index 4bb55f77..8a863089 100644
--- a/src/include/lwip/netif.h
+++ b/src/include/lwip/netif.h
@@ -116,6 +116,9 @@ struct netif *netif_add(struct ip_addr *ipaddr, struct ip_addr *netmask,
 			err_t (* init)(struct netif *netif),
 			err_t (* input)(struct pbuf *p, struct netif *netif));
 
+void
+netif_set_addr(struct netif *netif,struct ip_addr *ipaddr, struct ip_addr *netmask,
+	  struct ip_addr *gw);
 void netif_remove(struct netif * netif);
 
 /* Returns a network interface given its name. The name is of the form