diff --git a/examples/sshd.py b/examples/sshd.py
new file mode 100644
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--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/sshd.py
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+#!/usr/bin/python
+
+"""
+Create a network and start sshd(8) on each host.
+
+While something like rshd(8) would be lighter and faster,
+(and perfectly adequate on an in-machine network)
+the advantage of running sshd is that scripts can work
+unchanged on mininet and hardware.
+
+In addition to providing ssh access to hosts, this example
+demonstrates:
+
+- creating a convenience function to construct networks
+- connecting the host network to the root namespace
+- running server processes (sshd in this case) on hosts
+"""
+
+from mininet.net import Mininet
+from mininet.cli import CLI
+from mininet.log import lg
+from mininet.node import Node, OVSKernelSwitch
+from mininet.topolib import TreeTopo
+from mininet.link import Link
+
+def TreeNet( depth=1, fanout=2, **kwargs ):
+    "Convenience function for creating tree networks."
+    topo = TreeTopo( depth, fanout )
+    return Mininet( topo, **kwargs )
+
+def connectToRootNS( network, switch, ip, prefixLen, routes ):
+    """Connect hosts to root namespace via switch. Starts network.
+      network: Mininet() network object
+      switch: switch to connect to root namespace
+      ip: IP address for root namespace node
+      prefixLen: IP address prefix length (e.g. 8, 16, 24)
+      routes: host networks to route to"""
+    # Create a node in root namespace and link to switch 0
+    root = Node( 'root', inNamespace=False )
+    intf = Link( root, switch ).intf1
+    root.setIP( ip, prefixLen, intf )
+    # Start network that now includes link to root namespace
+    network.start()
+    # Add routes from root ns to hosts
+    for route in routes:
+        root.cmd( 'route add -net ' + route + ' dev ' + str( intf ) )
+
+def sshd( network, cmd='/usr/sbin/sshd', opts='-D' ):
+    "Start a network, connect it to root ns, and run sshd on all hosts."
+    switch = network.switches[ 0 ]  # switch to use
+    ip = '10.123.123.1'  # our IP address on host network
+    routes = [ '10.0.0.0/8' ]  # host networks to route to
+    connectToRootNS( network, switch, ip, 8, routes )
+    for host in network.hosts:
+        host.cmd( cmd + ' ' + opts + '&' )
+    print
+    print "*** Hosts are running sshd at the following addresses:"
+    print
+    for host in network.hosts:
+        print host.name, host.IP()
+    print
+    print "*** Type 'exit' or control-D to shut down network"
+    CLI( network )
+    for host in network.hosts:
+        host.cmd( 'kill %' + cmd )
+    network.stop()
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    lg.setLogLevel( 'info')
+    net = TreeNet( depth=1, fanout=4, switch=OVSKernelSwitch )
+    sshd( net )