diff --git a/start_testbed.py b/start_testbed.py
index 9b58f8cef6cc31d11e7d99f4be53f4984b07575f..5d828c5368b51f1c61d4147b83a1456e4d9afee5 100755
--- a/start_testbed.py
+++ b/start_testbed.py
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ def make_route(f,net,fdev):
         'src', f['addr']
        ])
 
-def connect_nodes(node1, node2):
+def connect_nodes(node1, node2, route_subnet=False):
     ctr1 = nodelist[node1]
     ctr2 = nodelist[node2]
     print ctr1, ctr2
@@ -88,6 +88,8 @@ def connect_nodes(node1, node2):
         make_route(f,t['addr']+'/32',fdev)
     route_from_to(ctr1,ctr2,dev_1)
     route_from_to(ctr2,ctr1,dev_2)
+    if route_subnet:
+        make_route(ctr2,subnet,dev_2)
 
     # Configure the link for network emulation.
     def enable_netem(ns, dev):
@@ -98,6 +100,7 @@ def connect_nodes(node1, node2):
             ])
     enable_netem(ctr1['name'],dev_1)
     enable_netem(ctr2['name'],dev_2)
+    return (dev_1,dev_2)
 
 
 def make_mesh():
@@ -110,10 +113,30 @@ def make_mesh():
 def make_star():
     global nodelist
     def get_dev(i):
-        return 'bac0_{i}_0'.format(i=i)
+        return '{name}_{i}_0'.format(name=ntwk['name'],i=i)
+    bridge_ns = nodelist[0]['name']
+    bridge_dev = '{}_bridge'.format(bridge_ns)
+    bridge_addr = nodelist[0]['addr']
+    subprocess.call([
+        'sudo', 'ip', 'netns', 'exec', bridge_ns,
+        'brctl', 'addbr', bridge_dev
+    ])
+    subprocess.call([
+        'sudo', 'ip', 'netns', 'exec', bridge_ns,
+        'ip', 'address', 'add', 'dev', bridge_dev, 'local', bridge_addr
+    ])
+    subprocess.call([
+        'sudo', 'ip', 'netns', 'exec', bridge_ns,
+        'ip', 'link', 'set', 'dev', bridge_dev, 'up'
+    ])
+
     num_nodes = len(nodelist)
-    [ connect_nodes(0,n) for n in range(1,num_nodes) ]
-    [ make_route(n,subnet,get_dev(n)) for n in range(1,num_nodes) ]
+    devs = [ connect_nodes(0,n,True)[0] for n in range(1,num_nodes) ]
+    for d in devs:
+        subprocess.call([
+            'sudo', 'ip', 'netns', 'exec', bridge_ns,
+            'brctl', 'addif', bridge_dev, d
+        ])
 
 def start_node(base_name,i):
     global nodelist