diff --git a/openbsc/include/openbsc/ipaccess.h b/openbsc/include/openbsc/ipaccess.h
index dbd9f37..76acf7c 100644
--- a/openbsc/include/openbsc/ipaccess.h
+++ b/openbsc/include/openbsc/ipaccess.h
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@
 struct msgb *ipaccess_read_msg(struct bsc_fd *bfd, int *error);
 void ipaccess_prepend_header(struct msgb *msg, int proto);
 int ipaccess_send_id_ack(int fd);
+int ipaccess_send_id_req(int fd);
 
 /*
  * Firmware specific header
diff --git a/openbsc/src/input/ipaccess.c b/openbsc/src/input/ipaccess.c
index 6c7ab03..7fc7578 100644
--- a/openbsc/src/input/ipaccess.c
+++ b/openbsc/src/input/ipaccess.c
@@ -170,6 +170,11 @@
 	return write(fd, id_ack, sizeof(id_ack));
 }
 
+int ipaccess_send_id_req(int fd)
+{
+	return write(fd, id_req, sizeof(id_req));
+}
+
 /* base handling of the ip.access protocol */
 int ipaccess_rcvmsg_base(struct msgb *msg,
 			 struct bsc_fd *bfd)
@@ -536,7 +541,7 @@
 	}
 
 	/* Request ID. FIXME: request LOCATION, HW/SW VErsion, Unit Name, Serno */
-	ret = write(bfd->fd, id_req, sizeof(id_req));
+	ret = ipaccess_send_id_req(bfd->fd);
 
         return ret;
 	//return e1inp_line_register(line);