diff --git a/openwrt_backup/utils.py b/openwrt_backup/utils.py
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..b42378b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openwrt_backup/utils.py
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+import paramiko
+import os
+from subprocess import list2cmdline
+
+
+def connection_from_config(name):
+    """Create a connection from a Host entry in the .ssh/config file"""
+    config = paramiko.config.SSHConfig()
+    cp = os.path.expanduser("~/.ssh/config")
+    with open(cp) as file:
+        config.parse(file)
+    info = config.lookup(name)
+    info["username"] = info.pop("user")
+    info["key_filename"] = info.pop("identityfile")
+    info["port"] = int(info["port"])
+    client = paramiko.client.SSHClient()
+    client.load_host_keys(os.path.expanduser("~/.ssh/known_hosts"))
+    client.connect(**info)
+    return client
+
+
+def scp_put(connection: paramiko.sftp_client.SFTPClient, src, dst):
+    """Function to copy files from src to dst using connection (local to remote)"""
+    connection.put(src, dst)
+
+
+def scp_get(connection: paramiko.sftp_client.SFTPClient, src, dst):
+    """Function to copy files from src to dst using connection (remote to local)"""
+    connection.get(src, dst)
+
+
+def exec_remote(connection: paramiko.SSHClient, command):
+    """Function to execute specified command on conection"""
+    if not isinstance(command, str):
+        command = list2cmdline(command)
+    stdin, stdout, stderr = connection.exec_command(command)
+    return stdout, stderr