diff --git a/ndn/conf_parser.py b/ndn/conf_parser.py
index 84add19..a351a68 100644
--- a/ndn/conf_parser.py
+++ b/ndn/conf_parser.py
@@ -86,6 +86,10 @@
                ' Angle: '  + str(self.angle) + \
                ' NLSR Parameters: ' + self.nlsrParameters
 
+class confNdnSwitch:
+    def __init__(self, name):
+        self.name = name
+
 class confNDNLink():
 
     def __init__(self,h1,h2,linkDict=None):
@@ -147,6 +151,24 @@
 
     return hosts
 
+def parse_switches(conf_arq):
+    'Parse switches section from the conf file.'
+    config = ConfigParser.RawConfigParser()
+    config.read(conf_arq)
+
+    switches = []
+
+    try:
+        items = config.items('switches')
+    except ConfigParser.NoSectionError:
+        return switches
+
+    for item in items:
+        name = item[0]
+        switches.append(confNdnSwitch(name))
+
+    return switches
+
 def parse_links(conf_arq):
     'Parse links section from the conf file.'
     arq = open(conf_arq,'r')