diff --git a/include/r3.h b/include/r3.h
index 3b0d1ce..0e3bb18 100644
--- a/include/r3.h
+++ b/include/r3.h
@@ -81,6 +81,11 @@ struct _route {
 
     void * data;
 
+    char * ip_addr;
+    char * ip_addr_mask;
+
+
+    // todo: take of this
     char * remote_addr_pattern;
     int    remote_addr_pattern_len;
 };
@@ -88,8 +93,8 @@ struct _route {
 typedef struct {
     str_array * vars;
     const char * path; // current path to dispatch
-    int    path_len; // the length of the current path
-    int    request_method;  // current request method
+    int          path_len; // the length of the current path
+    int          request_method;  // current request method
 
     void * data; // route ptr
 
@@ -216,9 +221,8 @@ match_entry * match_entry_createl(const char * path, int path_len);
 void match_entry_free(match_entry * entry);
 
 
-int r3_ip_cmp_str(const char* a, const char* b);
-int r3_ip_cmp_long(long a, long b);
-
+int r3_ip_cmp(const char* a, const char* b);
+int r3_ip_mask_cmp(const char *a, const char* mask_str, const char* b);
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
diff --git a/src/ip.c b/src/ip.c
index 947ef45..73a5e61 100644
--- a/src/ip.c
+++ b/src/ip.c
@@ -11,19 +11,19 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <arpa/inet.h>
 
-int r3_ip_cmp_str(const char* a, const char* b) { 
+int r3_ip_cmp(const char* a, const char* b) { 
     long al = inet_addr(a);
     long bl = inet_addr(b);
     return al == bl;
 }
 
-int r3_ip_cmp_long(long a, long b) { 
-    return 0;
+int r3_ip_mask_cmp(const char *a, const char* b, const char* mask_str) { 
+    long m = inet_addr(mask_str);
+    long al = inet_addr(a);
+    long bl = inet_addr(b);
+    return !((al ^ bl) & m);
 }
 
-int r3_ip_mask_cmp( ) { 
-    return 0;
-}
 
 /*
     long in;
diff --git a/tests/check_tree.c b/tests/check_tree.c
index c577bc5..7a5b9ec 100644
--- a/tests/check_tree.c
+++ b/tests/check_tree.c
@@ -661,14 +661,24 @@ END_TEST
 
 START_TEST(test_ip_cmp)
 {
-    ck_assert(r3_ip_cmp_str("127.0.0.1","127.0.0.1"));
-    ck_assert(!r3_ip_cmp_str("127.0.0.1","220.12.12.12"));
+    ck_assert(r3_ip_cmp("127.0.0.1","127.0.0.1"));
+    ck_assert(!r3_ip_cmp("127.0.0.1","220.12.12.12"));
 }
 END_TEST
 
 
 
+START_TEST(test_ip_mask_cmp)
+{
+    ck_assert( r3_ip_mask_cmp("127.123.123.123" , "127.0.0.1"     , "255.0.0.0"    ));
+    ck_assert( r3_ip_mask_cmp("192.168.123.123" , "192.168.0.1"   , "255.0.0.0"    ));
+    ck_assert( r3_ip_mask_cmp("192.168.123.123" , "192.168.0.1"   , "255.255.0.0"    ));
+    ck_assert( r3_ip_mask_cmp("192.168.123.123" , "192.168.123.1" , "255.255.255.0"    ));
 
+    ck_assert(!r3_ip_mask_cmp("127.123.123.123" , "127.0.0.1", "255.255.0.0"     ));
+    ck_assert(!r3_ip_mask_cmp("127.123.123.123" , "127.0.0.1", "255.255.255.0"   ));
+}
+END_TEST
 
 
 START_TEST(test_insert_route)
@@ -733,6 +743,7 @@ Suite* r3_suite (void) {
         tcase_add_test(tcase, test_pcre_patterns_insert_3);
         tcase_add_test(tcase, test_incomplete_slug_path);
         tcase_add_test(tcase, test_ip_cmp);
+        tcase_add_test(tcase, test_ip_mask_cmp);
         suite_add_tcase(suite, tcase);
 
         return suite;