diff --git a/pyogp/lib/base/utilities/parse_packet.py b/pyogp/lib/base/utilities/parse_packet.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..783d4f0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pyogp/lib/base/utilities/parse_packet.py
@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+#!/usr/bin/python
+
+import sys, os
+sys.path.append(os.path.abspath(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(sys.argv[0]), '..', '..', '..', '..')))
+
+from optparse import OptionParser
+import binascii
+from pyogp.lib.base.message.udpdeserializer import UDPPacketDeserializer
+from logging import getLogger, StreamHandler, Formatter, CRITICAL, ERROR, WARNING, INFO, DEBUG
+
+logger = getLogger('parse_packet')
+log = logger.log
+
+
+def main():
+
+    (options) = parse_options()
+
+    if options.verbose: enable_logging()
+
+    data = options.data
+    datatype = options.datatype
+
+    msg_buff = gen_message_buffer(data, datatype)
+    
+    deserializer = UDPPacketDeserializer(msg_buff)
+    packet = deserializer.deserialize()
+
+    #print packet.__dict__
+    display_packet(packet)
+
+def parse_options():
+
+    parser = OptionParser()
+
+    parser.add_option("-t", "--type", dest="datatype", default="hex", help="datatype to parse, default = hex")
+    parser.add_option("-d", "--data", dest="data", help="data to parse")
+    parser.add_option("-v", "--verbose", dest="verbose", default=True, action="store_false")
+
+    (options, args) = parser.parse_args()
+
+    return options
+
+def gen_message_buffer(data, datatype):
+
+    if datatype == 'hex':
+        return message_buff_from_hex(data)
+
+    return
+
+def message_buff_from_hex(data):
+
+    return binascii.unhexlify(''.join(data.split()))
+
+def display_packet(packet):
+
+    delim = "    "
+    print 'Packet Name:%s%s' % (delim, packet.name)
+
+    for k in packet.__dict__:
+        if k == 'name': pass
+        if k == 'message_data':
+            print k
+            for ablock in packet.message_data.blocks:
+                print "%sBlock Name:%s%s" % (delim, delim, ablock)
+       
+                for somevars in packet.message_data.blocks[ablock]:
+                    for avar in somevars.var_list:
+                        zvar = somevars.get_variable(avar)
+                        print "%s%s%s:%s%s" % (delim, delim, zvar.name, delim, zvar.get_data_as_string())
+        #print '%s:\t%s' % (k, packet.__dict__[k])
+        #print '%s:\t%s (%s)' (k, packet.__dict__[k], type(packet.__dict__[k]))
+
+    '''
+    for k,v in packet.__dict__:
+        if type(v) == type(object)
+            print 'Block Name:\t%s' % (v.name)
+            for k, v in getattr(packet, k):
+    '''               
+
+def enable_logging():
+
+    console = StreamHandler()
+    console.setLevel(DEBUG) # seems to be a no op, set it for the logger
+    formatter = Formatter('%(name)-30s: %(levelname)-8s %(message)s')
+    console.setFormatter(formatter)
+    getLogger('').addHandler(console)
+
+    # setting the level for the handler above seems to be a no-op
+    # it needs to be set for the logger, here the root logger
+    # otherwise it is NOTSET(=0) which means to log nothing.
+    getLogger('').setLevel(DEBUG)
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()
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