diff --git a/dlib/sockets/sockets_extensions.cpp b/dlib/sockets/sockets_extensions.cpp
index 2e30cfece..8ddcb35a3 100644
--- a/dlib/sockets/sockets_extensions.cpp
+++ b/dlib/sockets/sockets_extensions.cpp
@@ -12,10 +12,76 @@
 #include "../algs.h"
 #include "../timeout.h"
 #include "../misc_api.h"
+#include "../serialize.h"
 
 namespace dlib
 {
 
+// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    void serialize(
+        const network_address& item,
+        std::ostream& out
+    )
+    {
+        serialize(item.host_address, out);
+        serialize(item.port, out);
+    }
+
+// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    void deserialize(
+        network_address& item,
+        std::istream& in 
+    )
+    {
+        deserialize(item.host_address, in);
+        deserialize(item.port, in);
+    }
+
+// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    std::ostream& operator<< (
+        std::ostream& out,
+        const network_address& item
+    )
+    {
+        out << item.host_address << ":" << item.port;
+        return out;
+    }
+
+// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    std::istream& operator>> (
+        std::istream& in,
+        network_address& item
+    )
+    {
+        std::string temp;
+        in >> temp;
+
+        std::string::size_type pos = temp.find_last_of(":");
+        if (pos == std::string::npos)
+        {
+            in.setstate(std::ios::badbit);
+            return in;
+        }
+
+        item.host_address = temp.substr(0, pos);
+        try
+        {
+            item.port = sa = temp.substr(pos+1);
+        } catch (std::exception& )
+        {
+            in.setstate(std::ios::badbit);
+            return in;
+        }
+
+
+        return in;
+    }
+
+// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
     connection* connect (
@@ -45,6 +111,15 @@ namespace dlib
         return con;
     }
 
+// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    connection* connect (
+        const network_address& addr
+    )
+    {
+        return connect(addr.host_address, addr.port);
+    }
+
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
     namespace connect_timeout_helpers
@@ -167,6 +242,16 @@ namespace dlib
         return data->con;
     }
 
+// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    connection* connect (
+        const network_address& addr,
+        unsigned long timeout
+    )
+    {
+        return connect(addr.host_address, addr.port, timeout);
+    }
+
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
     bool is_ip_address (
diff --git a/dlib/sockets/sockets_extensions.h b/dlib/sockets/sockets_extensions.h
index c9e20e1be..1aa69e49c 100644
--- a/dlib/sockets/sockets_extensions.h
+++ b/dlib/sockets/sockets_extensions.h
@@ -7,10 +7,46 @@
 #include "../sockets.h"
 #include "sockets_extensions_abstract.h"
 #include "../smart_pointers.h"
+#include <iosfwd>
 
 namespace dlib
 {
 
+// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    struct network_address
+    {
+        network_address() : port(0){}
+
+        network_address(
+            const std::string& host_address_,
+            const unsigned short port_
+        ) : host_address(host_address_), port(port_) {}
+            
+        std::string host_address;
+        unsigned short port;
+    };
+
+    void serialize(
+        const network_address& item,
+        std::ostream& out
+    );
+
+    void deserialize(
+        network_address& item,
+        std::istream& in 
+    );
+
+    std::ostream& operator<< (
+        std::ostream& out,
+        const network_address& item
+    );
+
+    std::istream& operator>> (
+        std::istream& in,
+        network_address& item
+    );
+
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
     connection* connect (
@@ -18,6 +54,12 @@ namespace dlib
         unsigned short port
     );
 
+// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    connection* connect (
+        const network_address& addr
+    );
+
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
     connection* connect (
@@ -26,6 +68,13 @@ namespace dlib
         unsigned long timeout
     );
 
+// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    connection* connect (
+        const network_address& addr,
+        unsigned long timeout
+    );
+
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
     bool is_ip_address (
diff --git a/dlib/sockets/sockets_extensions_abstract.h b/dlib/sockets/sockets_extensions_abstract.h
index 27b2b62bd..bf27f8a60 100644
--- a/dlib/sockets/sockets_extensions_abstract.h
+++ b/dlib/sockets/sockets_extensions_abstract.h
@@ -11,6 +11,88 @@
 namespace dlib
 {
 
+// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    struct network_address
+    {
+        /*!
+            WHAT THIS OBJECT REPRESENTS
+                This object is simply a container for two things:
+                    - A host machine address which is either an IP address or DNS name
+                      for a machine.
+                    - A port number.
+            
+                Together, these things define a machine and port on that machine.
+        !*/
+
+        network_address(
+        );
+        /*!
+            ensures
+                - host_address == ""
+                - #port == 0
+        !*/
+
+        network_address(
+            const std::string& host_address_,
+            const unsigned short port_
+        );
+        /*!
+            ensures
+                - #host_address == host_address_
+                - #port == port_
+        !*/
+            
+
+        std::string host_address;
+        unsigned short port;
+    };
+
+    void serialize(
+        const network_address& item,
+        std::ostream& out
+    );
+    /*!
+        ensures
+            - provides serialization support
+    !*/
+
+    void deserialize(
+        network_address& item,
+        std::istream& in 
+    );
+    /*!
+        ensures
+            - provides deserialization support
+    !*/
+
+    std::ostream& operator<< (
+        std::ostream& out,
+        const network_address& item
+    );
+    /*!
+        ensures
+            - writes the given network_address to the output stream.  The format is the
+              host_address, then a colon, then the port number.  So for example:
+                cout << network_address("localhost", 80);
+              would print:
+                localhost:80
+            - returns #out 
+    !*/
+
+    std::istream& operator>> (
+        std::istream& in,
+        network_address& item
+    );
+    /*!
+        ensures
+            - reads a network_address from the given input stream.  The expected format is
+              the same as the one used to print them by the above operator<<() routine. 
+            - returns #in
+            - if (there is an error reading the network_address) then
+                - #in.good() == false
+    !*/
+
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
     connection* connect (
@@ -23,11 +105,19 @@ namespace dlib
               given port
         throws
             - dlib::socket_error
-              This exception is thrown if there is some problem that prevents us from
-              creating the connection
+                This exception is thrown if there is some problem that prevents us from
+                creating the connection
             - std::bad_alloc
     !*/
 
+    connection* connect (
+        const network_address& addr
+    );
+    /*!
+        ensures
+            - returns connect(addr.host_address, addr_port);
+    !*/
+
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
     connection* connect (
@@ -42,12 +132,21 @@ namespace dlib
             - blocks for at most timeout milliseconds
         throws
             - dlib::socket_error
-              This exception is thrown if there is some problem that prevents us from
-              creating the connection or if timeout milliseconds elapses before
-              the connect is successful.
+                This exception is thrown if there is some problem that prevents us from
+                creating the connection or if timeout milliseconds elapses before the
+                connect is successful.
             - std::bad_alloc
     !*/
 
+    connection* connect (
+        const network_address& addr,
+        unsigned long timeout
+    );
+    /*!
+        ensures
+            - returns connect(addr.host_address, addr_port, timeout);
+    !*/
+
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 
@@ -83,8 +182,8 @@ namespace dlib
               has finished.
         throws
             - std::bad_alloc or dlib::thread_error
-              If either of these exceptions are thrown con will still be closed via
-              "delete con;" 
+                If either of these exceptions are thrown con will still be closed via
+                "delete con;" 
     !*/
 
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -108,8 +207,8 @@ namespace dlib
               has finished.
         throws
             - std::bad_alloc or dlib::thread_error
-              If either of these exceptions are thrown con will still be closed and
-              deleted (i.e. #con.get() == 0).
+                If either of these exceptions are thrown con will still be closed and
+                deleted (i.e. #con.get() == 0).
     !*/
 
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------