diff --git a/TestON/drivers/common/api/controller/onosrestdriver.py b/TestON/drivers/common/api/controller/onosrestdriver.py
index a9676a9..50e4847 100644
--- a/TestON/drivers/common/api/controller/onosrestdriver.py
+++ b/TestON/drivers/common/api/controller/onosrestdriver.py
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@
             main.log.exception( "Error parsing jsonObject" )
             return None
 
-    def send( self, ip, port, url, base="/onos/v1", method="GET",
+    def send( self, url, base="/onos/v1", method="GET",
               query=None, data=None, debug=False ):
         """
         Arguments:
@@ -94,6 +94,9 @@
         # TODO: should we maybe just pass kwargs straight to response?
         # TODO: Do we need to allow for other protocols besides http?
         # ANSWER: Not yet, but potentially https with certificates
+        ip = self.ip_address
+        port = self.port
+
         try:
             path = "http://" + str( ip ) + ":" + str( port ) + base + url
             if self.user_name and self.pwd:
@@ -137,7 +140,7 @@
                 main.log.warn( "No port given, reverting to port " +
                                "from topo file" )
                 port = self.port
-            response = self.send( ip, port, url="/intents" )
+            response = self.send( url="/intents" )
             if response:
                 if 200 <= response[ 0 ] <= 299:
                     output = response[ 1 ]
@@ -185,7 +188,7 @@
                 port = self.port
             # NOTE: REST url requires the intent id to be in decimal form
             query = "/" + str( appId ) + "/" + str( intentId )
-            response = self.send( ip, port, url="/intents" + query )
+            response = self.send( url="/intents" + query )
             if response:
                 if 200 <= response[ 0 ] <= 299:
                     output = response[ 1 ]
@@ -248,7 +251,7 @@
                 main.log.warn( "No port given, reverting to port " +
                                "from topo file" )
                 port = self.port
-            response = self.send( ip, port, url="/applications" )
+            response = self.send( url="/applications" )
             if response:
                 if 200 <= response[ 0 ] <= 299:
                     output = response[ 1 ]
@@ -291,7 +294,7 @@
                                "from topo file" )
                 port = self.port
             query = "/" + str( appName ) + "/active"
-            response = self.send( ip, port, method="POST",
+            response = self.send( method="POST",
                                   url="/applications" + query )
             if response:
                 output = response[ 1 ]
@@ -347,7 +350,7 @@
                                "from topo file" )
                 port = self.port
             query = "/" + str( appName ) + "/active"
-            response = self.send( ip, port, method="DELETE",
+            response = self.send( method="DELETE",
                                   url="/applications" + query )
             if response:
                 output = response[ 1 ]
@@ -401,7 +404,7 @@
                                "from topo file" )
                 port = self.port
             query = "/" + project + str( appName )
-            response = self.send( ip, port, url="/applications" + query )
+            response = self.send( url="/applications" + query )
             if response:
                 if 200 <= response[ 0 ] <= 299:
                     output = response[ 1 ]
@@ -451,9 +454,7 @@
                 main.log.warn( "No port given, reverting to port " +
                                "from topo file" )
                 port = self.port
-            response = self.send( ip,
-                                  port,
-                                  method="POST",
+            response = self.send( method="POST",
                                   url="/intents",
                                   data=json.dumps( intentJson ) )
             if response:
@@ -603,9 +604,7 @@
                 main.log.warn( "No port given, reverting to port " +
                                "from topo file" )
                 port = self.port
-            response = self.send( ip,
-                                  port,
-                                  method="POST",
+            response = self.send( method="POST",
                                   url="/intents",
                                   data=json.dumps( intentJson ) )
             if response:
@@ -644,9 +643,7 @@
                 port = self.port
             # NOTE: REST url requires the intent id to be in decimal form
             query = "/" + str( appId ) + "/" + str( int( intentId, 16 ) )
-            response = self.send( ip,
-                                  port,
-                                  method="DELETE",
+            response = self.send( method="DELETE",
                                   url="/intents" + query )
             if response:
                 if 200 <= response[ 0 ] <= 299:
@@ -747,7 +744,7 @@
                 main.log.warn( "No port given, reverting to port " +
                                "from topo file" )
                 port = self.port
-            response = self.send( ip, port, url="/hosts" )
+            response = self.send( url="/hosts" )
             if response:
                 if 200 <= response[ 0 ] <= 299:
                     output = response[ 1 ]
@@ -793,7 +790,7 @@
                                "from topo file" )
                 port = self.port
             query = "/" + mac + "/" + vlan
-            response = self.send( ip, port, url="/hosts" + query )
+            response = self.send( url="/hosts" + query )
             if response:
             # NOTE: What if the person wants other values? would it be better
             # to have a function that gets a key and return a value instead?
@@ -832,7 +829,7 @@
                 main.log.warn( "No port given, reverting to port " +
                                "from topo file" )
                 port = self.port
-            response = self.send( ip, port, url="/topology" )
+            response = self.send( url="/topology" )
             if response:
                 if 200 <= response[ 0 ] <= 299:
                     output = response[ 1 ]
@@ -869,7 +866,7 @@
                 main.log.warn( "No port given, reverting to port " +
                                "from topo file" )
                 port = self.port
-            response = self.send( ip, port, url="/devices" )
+            response = self.send( url="/devices" )
             if response:
                 if 200 <= response[ 0 ] <= 299:
                     output = response[ 1 ]
@@ -1032,7 +1029,7 @@
                 main.log.warn( "No port given, reverting to port " +
                                "from topo file" )
                 port = self.port
-            response = self.send( ip, port, url="/flows" )
+            response = self.send( url="/flows" )
             if response:
                 if 200 <= response[ 0 ] <= 299:
                     output = response[ 1 ]
@@ -1075,7 +1072,7 @@
             if flowId:
                 url += "/" + str( int( flowId ) )
             print url
-            response = self.send( ip, port, url=url )
+            response = self.send( url=url )
             if response:
                 if 200 <= response[ 0 ] <= 299:
                     output = response[ 1 ]
@@ -1123,9 +1120,7 @@
                                "from topo file" )
                 port = self.port
             url = "/flows/" + deviceId
-            response = self.send( ip,
-                                  port,
-                                  method="POST",
+            response = self.send( method="POST",
                                   url=url,
                                   data=json.dumps( flowJson ) )
             if response:
@@ -1292,9 +1287,7 @@
                 port = self.port
             # NOTE: REST url requires the intent id to be in decimal form
             query = "/" + str( deviceId ) + "/" + str( int( flowId ) )
-            response = self.send( ip,
-                                  port,
-                                  method="DELETE",
+            response = self.send( method="DELETE",
                                   url="/flows" + query )
             if response:
                 if 200 <= response[ 0 ] <= 299:
@@ -1365,7 +1358,7 @@
                     url += "/" + subjectKey
                     if configKey:
                         url += "/" + configKey
-            response = self.send( ip, port, url=url )
+            response = self.send( url=url )
             if response:
                 if 200 <= response[ 0 ] <= 299:
                     output = response[ 1 ]
@@ -1415,8 +1408,7 @@
                     url += "/" + subjectKey
                     if configKey:
                         url += "/" + configKey
-            response = self.send( ip, port,
-                                  method="POST",
+            response = self.send( method="POST",
                                   url=url,
                                   data=json.dumps( cfgJson ) )
             if response:
@@ -1462,8 +1454,7 @@
                     url += "/" + subjectKey
                     if configKey:
                         url += "/" + configKey
-            response = self.send( ip, port,
-                                  method="DELETE",
+            response = self.send( method="DELETE",
                                   url=url )
             if response:
                 if 200 <= response[ 0 ] <= 299:
@@ -1667,9 +1658,7 @@
                                "from topo file" )
                 port = self.port
             url = "/flows/"
-            response = self.send( ip,
-                                  port,
-                                  method="POST",
+            response = self.send( method="POST",
                                   url=url,
                                   data=json.dumps( batch ) )
             #main.log.info("Post response is: ", str(response[0]))
@@ -1712,9 +1701,7 @@
                 port = self.port
             # NOTE: REST url requires the intent id to be in decimal form
 
-            response = self.send( ip,
-                                  port,
-                                  method="DELETE",
+            response = self.send( method="DELETE",
                                   url="/flows/",
                                   data = json.dumps(batch) )
             if response:
diff --git a/TestON/drivers/common/cli/onosclidriver.py b/TestON/drivers/common/cli/onosclidriver.py
index c7ae79b..b487096 100644
--- a/TestON/drivers/common/cli/onosclidriver.py
+++ b/TestON/drivers/common/cli/onosclidriver.py
@@ -301,6 +301,87 @@
             main.cleanup()
             main.exit()
 
+    def startCellCli( self, karafTimeout="",
+                      commandlineTimeout=10, onosStartTimeout=60 ):
+        """
+        Start CLI on onos ecll handle.
+
+        karafTimeout is an optional argument. karafTimeout value passed
+        by user would be used to set the current karaf shell idle timeout.
+        Note that when ever this property is modified the shell will exit and
+        the subsequent login would reflect new idle timeout.
+        Below is an example to start a session with 60 seconds idle timeout
+        ( input value is in milliseconds ):
+
+        tValue = "60000"
+
+        Note: karafTimeout is left as str so that this could be read
+        and passed to startOnosCli from PARAMS file as str.
+        """
+
+        try:
+            self.handle.sendline( "" )
+            x = self.handle.expect( [
+                "\$", "onos>" ], commandlineTimeout)
+
+            if x == 1:
+                main.log.info( "ONOS cli is already running" )
+                return main.TRUE
+
+            # Wait for onos start ( -w ) and enter onos cli
+            self.handle.sendline( "/opt/onos/bin/onos" )
+            i = self.handle.expect( [
+                "onos>",
+                pexpect.TIMEOUT ], onosStartTimeout )
+
+            if i == 0:
+                main.log.info( self.name + " CLI Started successfully" )
+                if karafTimeout:
+                    self.handle.sendline(
+                        "config:property-set -p org.apache.karaf.shell\
+                                 sshIdleTimeout " +
+                        karafTimeout )
+                    self.handle.expect( "\$" )
+                    self.handle.sendline( "/opt/onos/bin/onos" )
+                    self.handle.expect( "onos>" )
+                return main.TRUE
+            else:
+                # If failed, send ctrl+c to process and try again
+                main.log.info( "Starting CLI failed. Retrying..." )
+                self.handle.send( "\x03" )
+                self.handle.sendline( "/opt/onos/bin/onos" )
+                i = self.handle.expect( [ "onos>", pexpect.TIMEOUT ],
+                                        timeout=30 )
+                if i == 0:
+                    main.log.info( self.name + " CLI Started " +
+                                   "successfully after retry attempt" )
+                    if karafTimeout:
+                        self.handle.sendline(
+                            "config:property-set -p org.apache.karaf.shell\
+                                    sshIdleTimeout " +
+                            karafTimeout )
+                        self.handle.expect( "\$" )
+                        self.handle.sendline( "/opt/onos/bin/onos" )
+                        self.handle.expect( "onos>" )
+                    return main.TRUE
+                else:
+                    main.log.error( "Connection to CLI " +
+                                    self.name + " timeout" )
+                    return main.FALSE
+
+        except TypeError:
+            main.log.exception( self.name + ": Object not as expected" )
+            return None
+        except pexpect.EOF:
+            main.log.error( self.name + ": EOF exception found" )
+            main.log.error( self.name + ":    " + self.handle.before )
+            main.cleanup()
+            main.exit()
+        except Exception:
+            main.log.exception( self.name + ": Uncaught exception!" )
+            main.cleanup()
+            main.exit()
+
     def log( self, cmdStr, level="" ):
         """
             log  the commands in the onos CLI.
diff --git a/TestON/drivers/common/cli/onosdriver.py b/TestON/drivers/common/cli/onosdriver.py
index 8572131..1aed954 100644
--- a/TestON/drivers/common/cli/onosdriver.py
+++ b/TestON/drivers/common/cli/onosdriver.py
@@ -795,7 +795,7 @@
                 handleMore = self.handle.before
 
                 cell_result = handleBefore + handleAfter + handleMore
-                print cell_result
+                #print cell_result
                 if( re.search( "No such cell", cell_result ) ):
                     main.log.error( "Cell call returned: " + handleBefore +
                                handleAfter + handleMore )
@@ -2253,3 +2253,39 @@
             return localhost
         except Exception:
             main.log.exception( "Uncaught exception" )
+
+    def startBasicONOS(self, nodeList, opSleep = 60, onosStartupSleep = 60):
+
+        '''
+        Start onos cluster with defined nodes, but only with drivers app
+
+        '''
+        import time
+
+        self.createCellFile( self.ip_address,
+                                       "temp",
+                                       self.ip_address,
+                                       "drivers",
+                                       nodeList )
+
+        main.log.info( self.name + ": Apply cell to environment" )
+        cellResult = self.setCell( "temp" )
+        verifyResult = self.verifyCell()
+
+        main.log.info( self.name + ": Creating ONOS package" )
+        packageResult = self.onosPackage( opTimeout=opSleep )
+
+        main.log.info( self.name + ": Installing ONOS package" )
+        for nd in nodeList:
+                    self.onosInstall( node=nd )
+
+        main.log.info( self.name + ": Starting ONOS service" )
+        time.sleep( onosStartupSleep )
+
+        onosStatus = True
+        for nd in nodeList:
+            onosStatus = onosStatus & self.isup( node = nd )
+            #print "onosStatus is: " + str( onosStatus )
+
+        return main.TRUE if onosStatus else main.FALSE
+