diff --git a/include/SimCore/UtilFunctions.hpp b/include/SimCore/UtilFunctions.hpp
index 4305fcb..13fa6be 100644
--- a/include/SimCore/UtilFunctions.hpp
+++ b/include/SimCore/UtilFunctions.hpp
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ namespace SimCore {
             static std::string implode(const std::vector<std::string> &v , char delim);
 
             static bool isNumber(const std::string& s);
+            static std::uint16_t StringToUShort(std::string str);
             static void check_host_name(int hostname);
             static void check_host_entry(struct hostent * hostentry);
             static void IP_formatter(char *IPbuffer);
diff --git a/src/SimCore/UtilFunctions.cpp b/src/SimCore/UtilFunctions.cpp
index 6afdb61..ff27ca8 100644
--- a/src/SimCore/UtilFunctions.cpp
+++ b/src/SimCore/UtilFunctions.cpp
@@ -37,6 +37,18 @@ namespace SimCore {
         return ret;
      }
 
+     std::uint16_t UtilFunctions::StringToUShort(std::string str)
+     {
+        std::uint16_t myInt16(0);
+        if(!std::empty(str))
+        {
+        int myInt(std::stoi(str));
+        if (myInt <= static_cast<int>(UINT16_MAX) && myInt >=0) {
+            myInt16 = static_cast<uint16_t>(myInt);
+        }
+        }
+        return myInt16;
+     }
 
 
     bool UtilFunctions::isNumber(const std::string& s)