diff --git a/debian/control b/debian/control
index 7122da4..7809864 100644
--- a/debian/control
+++ b/debian/control
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ Architecture: all
 Provides: ifupdown
 Conflicts: ifupdown
 Replaces: ifupdown
-Depends: ${python:Depends}, ${misc:Depends}, iproute2, python3-argcomplete
+Depends: ${python:Depends}, ${misc:Depends}, iproute2, python-argcomplete, python-ipaddr
 Suggests: isc-dhcp-client, bridge-utils, ethtool, python-gvgen, python-mako
 Description: Network Interface Management tool similar to ifupdown
  ifupdown2 is ifupdown re-written in Python. It replaces ifupdown and provides
diff --git a/ifupdown2/addons/address.py b/ifupdown2/addons/address.py
index 94d8b77..3abc4c4 100644
--- a/ifupdown2/addons/address.py
+++ b/ifupdown2/addons/address.py
@@ -6,12 +6,7 @@
 
 import socket
 
-from ipaddress import ip_network, IPv4Network, IPv6Network
-
-
-def IPNetwork(ip):
-    return ip_network(ip, False)
-
+from ipaddr import IPNetwork, IPv4Network, IPv6Network
 
 try:
     from ifupdown2.lib.addon import Addon
@@ -325,14 +320,6 @@ class address(Addon, moduleBase):
             return True
         return False
 
-    @staticmethod
-    def validate_ipv4network(value):
-        return IPv4Network(value, strict=False)
-
-    @staticmethod
-    def validate_ipv6network(value):
-        return IPv6Network(value, strict=False)
-
     def syntax_check_multiple_gateway(self, ifaceobj):
         result = True
         inet = False
@@ -341,10 +328,10 @@ class address(Addon, moduleBase):
         for addr in gateways if gateways else []:
             try:
                 if self._syntax_check_multiple_gateway('inet', inet, addr,
-                                                       self.validate_ipv4network):
+                                                       IPv4Network):
                     inet = True
                 if self._syntax_check_multiple_gateway('inet6', inet6, addr,
-                                                       self.validate_ipv6network):
+                                                       IPv6Network):
                     inet6 = True
             except Exception as e:
                 self.logger.warning('%s: address: %s' % (ifaceobj.name, str(e)))
diff --git a/ifupdown2/addons/addressvirtual.py b/ifupdown2/addons/addressvirtual.py
index 9b025dd..1eb668e 100644
--- a/ifupdown2/addons/addressvirtual.py
+++ b/ifupdown2/addons/addressvirtual.py
@@ -9,10 +9,7 @@ import glob
 import subprocess
 
 from collections import deque
-from ipaddress import ip_network, IPv6Network
-
-def IPNetwork(ip):
-    return ip_network(ip, False)
+from ipaddr import IPNetwork, IPv6Network
 
 try:
     from ifupdown2.lib.addon import Addon
diff --git a/ifupdown2/addons/vxlan.py b/ifupdown2/addons/vxlan.py
index c5d9103..e005b30 100644
--- a/ifupdown2/addons/vxlan.py
+++ b/ifupdown2/addons/vxlan.py
@@ -5,16 +5,7 @@
 #
 
 
-from ipaddress import ip_network, ip_address, IPv4Address, IPv4Network, AddressValueError
-
-
-def IPNetwork(ip):
-    return ip_network(ip, False)
-
-
-def IPAddress(ip):
-    return ip_address(ip)
-
+from ipaddr import IPNetwork, IPAddress, IPv4Address, IPv4Network, AddressValueError
 
 try:
     import ifupdown2.ifupdown.policymanager as policymanager
@@ -400,7 +391,7 @@ class vxlan(Addon, moduleBase):
                 local = IPv4Address(local)
             except AddressValueError:
                 try:
-                    local_ip = IPv4Network(local, strict=False).network_address
+                    local_ip = IPv4Network(local).ip
                     self.logger.warning("%s: vxlan-local-tunnelip %s: netmask ignored" % (ifname, local))
                     local = local_ip
                 except:
@@ -481,7 +472,7 @@ class vxlan(Addon, moduleBase):
                 group = IPv4Address(group)
             except AddressValueError:
                 try:
-                    group_ip = IPv4Network(group, strict=False).network_address
+                    group_ip = IPv4Network(group).ip
                     self.logger.warning("%s: vxlan-svcnodeip %s: netmask ignored" % (ifname, group))
                     group = group_ip
                 except:
@@ -501,7 +492,7 @@ class vxlan(Addon, moduleBase):
                 mcast_grp = IPv4Address(mcast_grp)
             except AddressValueError:
                 try:
-                    group_ip = IPv4Network(mcast_grp, strict=False).network_address
+                    group_ip = IPv4Network(mcast_grp).ip
                     self.logger.warning("%s: vxlan-mcastgrp %s: netmask ignored" % (ifname, mcast_grp))
                     mcast_grp = group_ip
                 except:
diff --git a/ifupdown2/ifupdown/ifupdownmain.py b/ifupdown2/ifupdown/ifupdownmain.py
index b75cfde..a51d97f 100644
--- a/ifupdown2/ifupdown/ifupdownmain.py
+++ b/ifupdown2/ifupdown/ifupdownmain.py
@@ -15,14 +15,7 @@ import pprint
 
 from collections import OrderedDict
 
-from ipaddress import ip_network, ip_address, IPv4Network, IPv6Network, IPv4Address, IPv6Address
-
-def IPNetwork(ip):
-    return ip_network(ip, False)
-
-def IPAddress(ip):
-    return ip_address(ip)
-
+from ipaddr import IPNetwork, IPv4Network, IPv6Network, IPAddress, IPv4Address, IPv6Address
 
 try:
     import ifupdown2.lib.nlcache as nlcache
@@ -892,25 +885,17 @@ class ifupdownMain:
             self.logger.debug('keyword: check list: %s' % str(e))
             return False
 
-    @staticmethod
-    def validate_ipv4network(value):
-        return IPv4Network(value, strict=False)
-
-    @staticmethod
-    def validate_ipv6network(value):
-        return IPv6Network(value, strict=False)
-
     def _keyword_ipv4(self, value, validrange=None):
         return self._keyword_check_list(value.split(), IPv4Address, limit=1)
 
     def _keyword_ipv4_prefixlen(self, value, validrange=None):
-        return self._keyword_check_list(value.split(), self.validate_ipv4network, limit=1)
+        return self._keyword_check_list(value.split(), IPv4Network, limit=1)
 
     def _keyword_ipv6(self, value, validrange=None):
         return self._keyword_check_list(value.split(), IPv6Address, limit=1)
 
     def _keyword_ipv6_prefixlen(self, value, validrange=None):
-        return self._keyword_check_list(value.split(), self.validate_ipv6network, limit=1)
+        return self._keyword_check_list(value.split(), IPv6Network, limit=1)
 
     def _keyword_ip(self, value, validrange=None):
         return self._keyword_check_list(value.split(), IPAddress, limit=1)
diff --git a/ifupdown2/ifupdown/utils.py b/ifupdown2/ifupdown/utils.py
index 1097799..e519636 100644
--- a/ifupdown2/ifupdown/utils.py
+++ b/ifupdown2/ifupdown/utils.py
@@ -16,14 +16,7 @@ import logging
 import subprocess
 
 from functools import partial
-from ipaddress import ip_network, ip_address
-
-def IPNetwork(ip):
-    return ip_network(ip, False)
-
-def IPAddress(ip):
-    return ip_address(ip)
-
+from ipaddr import IPNetwork, IPAddress
 
 try:
     from ifupdown2.ifupdown.iface import *
diff --git a/ifupdown2/lib/iproute2.py b/ifupdown2/lib/iproute2.py
index cfbd12a..89d13c5 100644
--- a/ifupdown2/lib/iproute2.py
+++ b/ifupdown2/lib/iproute2.py
@@ -27,10 +27,7 @@ import shlex
 import signal
 import subprocess
 
-from ipaddress import ip_network
-
-def IPNetwork(ip):
-    return ip_network(ip, False)
+from ipaddr import IPNetwork
 
 try:
     from ifupdown2.lib.sysfs import Sysfs
diff --git a/ifupdown2/lib/nlcache.py b/ifupdown2/lib/nlcache.py
index 8814e36..26a9fa3 100644
--- a/ifupdown2/lib/nlcache.py
+++ b/ifupdown2/lib/nlcache.py
@@ -33,11 +33,7 @@ import logging
 import threading
 import traceback
 
-from ipaddress import ip_network
-
-def IPNetwork(ip):
-    return ip_network(ip, False)
-
+from ipaddr import IPNetwork
 from logging import DEBUG, WARNING
 from collections import OrderedDict
 
diff --git a/ifupdown2/nlmanager/nlmanager.py b/ifupdown2/nlmanager/nlmanager.py
index 9320fa3..be11e44 100644
--- a/ifupdown2/nlmanager/nlmanager.py
+++ b/ifupdown2/nlmanager/nlmanager.py
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 #
 
 from collections import OrderedDict
-from ipaddress import IPv4Address, IPv6Address
+from ipaddr import IPv4Address, IPv6Address
 from .nlpacket import *
 from select import select
 from struct import pack, unpack
diff --git a/ifupdown2/nlmanager/nlpacket.py b/ifupdown2/nlmanager/nlpacket.py
index c36d2ea..c2c4933 100644
--- a/ifupdown2/nlmanager/nlpacket.py
+++ b/ifupdown2/nlmanager/nlpacket.py
@@ -31,16 +31,7 @@
 import socket
 import logging
 import struct
-
-from ipaddress import ip_network, ip_address, IPv4Address, IPv6Address
-
-def IPNetwork(ip):
-    return ip_network(ip, False)
-
-def IPAddress(ip):
-    return ip_address(ip)
-
-
+from ipaddr import IPNetwork, IPv4Address, IPv6Address, IPAddress
 from binascii import hexlify
 from pprint import pformat
 from socket import AF_UNSPEC, AF_INET, AF_INET6, AF_BRIDGE, htons
@@ -1340,6 +1331,8 @@ class AttributeIPAddress(Attribute):
 
     def __init__(self, atype, string, family, logger):
         Attribute.__init__(self, atype, string, logger)
+        self.value_int = None
+        self.value_int_str = None
         self.family = family
 
         if self.family == AF_INET:
@@ -1383,8 +1376,14 @@ class AttributeIPAddress(Attribute):
                     self.value = IPNetwork('%s/%s' % (self.value, parent_msg.prefixlen))
                 except AttributeError:
                     self.value = IPNetwork('%s' % self.value)
+
+            self.value_int = int(self.value)
+            self.value_int_str = str(self.value_int)
+
         except struct.error:
             self.value = None
+            self.value_int = None
+            self.value_int_str = None
             self.log.error("%s unpack of %s failed, data 0x%s" % (self, self.PACK, hexlify(self.data[4:])))
             raise
 
@@ -1394,11 +1393,7 @@ class AttributeIPAddress(Attribute):
         if self.family not in [AF_INET, AF_INET6, AF_BRIDGE]:
             raise Exception("%s is not a supported address family" % self.family)
 
-        try:
-            raw = pack(self.HEADER_PACK, length, self.atype) + self.value.network_address.packed
-        except:
-            raw = pack(self.HEADER_PACK, length, self.atype) + self.value.packed
-
+        raw = pack(self.HEADER_PACK, length, self.atype) + self.value.packed
         raw = self.pad(length, raw)
         return raw