diff --git a/src/core/rectangle-default-value.cc b/src/core/rectangle-default-value.cc
index 96fa63be7..1526f5a8e 100644
--- a/src/core/rectangle-default-value.cc
+++ b/src/core/rectangle-default-value.cc
@@ -28,37 +28,29 @@ RectangleDefaultValue::RectangleDefaultValue (std::string name,
 					      double xMin, double xMax,
 					      double yMin, double yMax)
   : DefaultValueBase (name, help),
-    m_xMinDefault (xMin),
-    m_xMaxDefault (xMax),
-    m_yMinDefault (yMin),
-    m_yMaxDefault (yMax),
-    m_xMin (xMin),
-    m_xMax (xMax),
-    m_yMin (yMin),
-    m_yMax (yMax)
+    m_default (xMin, xMax, yMin, yMax),
+    m_rectangle (xMin, xMax, yMin, yMax)
 {
   DefaultValueList::Add (this);
 }
 
-double 
-RectangleDefaultValue::GetMinX (void) const
+Rectangle
+RectangleDefaultValue::GetValue (void) const
 {
-  return m_xMin;
+  return m_rectangle;
 }
-double 
-RectangleDefaultValue::GetMinY (void) const
+double
+RectangleDefaultValue::ReadDouble (std::string str, bool &ok)
 {
-  return m_yMin;
-}
-double 
-RectangleDefaultValue::GetMaxX (void) const
-{
-  return m_xMax;
-}
-double 
-RectangleDefaultValue::GetMaxY (void) const
-{
-  return m_yMax;
+  double value;
+  std::istringstream iss;
+  iss.str (str);
+  iss >> value;
+  if (iss.bad () || iss.fail ())
+    {
+      ok = false;
+    }
+  return value;
 }
 bool 
 RectangleDefaultValue::DoParseValue (const std::string &value)
@@ -77,17 +69,12 @@ RectangleDefaultValue::DoParseValue (const std::string &value)
   std::string yMinString = value.substr (yMinStart, yMinEnd);
   std::string yMaxString = value.substr (yMaxStart, yMaxEnd);
 
-  std::istringstream iss;
-  iss.str (xMinString);
-  iss >> m_xMin;
-  iss.str (xMaxString);
-  iss >> m_xMax;
-  iss.str (yMinString);
-  iss >> m_yMin;
-  iss.str (yMaxString);
-  iss >> m_yMax;
-
-  return !iss.bad () && !iss.fail ();
+  bool ok = true;
+  m_rectangle.xMin = ReadDouble (xMinString, ok);
+  m_rectangle.yMin = ReadDouble (yMinString, ok);
+  m_rectangle.xMax = ReadDouble (xMaxString, ok);
+  m_rectangle.yMax = ReadDouble (yMaxString, ok);
+  return ok;
 }
 std::string 
 RectangleDefaultValue::DoGetType (void) const
@@ -98,7 +85,7 @@ std::string
 RectangleDefaultValue::DoGetDefaultValue (void) const
 {
   std::ostringstream oss;
-  oss << m_xMinDefault << ":" << m_xMaxDefault << ":" << m_yMinDefault << ":" << m_yMaxDefault;
+  oss << m_default.xMin << ":" << m_default.xMax << ":" << m_default.yMin << ":" << m_default.yMax;
   return oss.str ();
 }
 
diff --git a/src/core/rectangle-default-value.h b/src/core/rectangle-default-value.h
index f81388780..9e0448290 100644
--- a/src/core/rectangle-default-value.h
+++ b/src/core/rectangle-default-value.h
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 
 #include <string>
 #include "default-value.h"
+#include "rectangle.h"
 
 namespace ns3 {
 
@@ -34,23 +35,15 @@ class RectangleDefaultValue : public DefaultValueBase
 			 double xMin, double xMax,
 			 double yMin, double yMax);
 
-  double GetMinX (void) const;
-  double GetMinY (void) const;
-  double GetMaxX (void) const;
-  double GetMaxY (void) const;
+  Rectangle GetValue (void) const;
  private:
+  double ReadDouble (std::string str, bool &ok);
   virtual bool DoParseValue (const std::string &value);
   virtual std::string DoGetType (void) const;
   virtual std::string DoGetDefaultValue (void) const;
 
-  double m_xMinDefault;
-  double m_xMaxDefault;
-  double m_yMinDefault;
-  double m_yMaxDefault;
-  double m_xMin;
-  double m_xMax;
-  double m_yMin;
-  double m_yMax;
+  Rectangle m_default;
+  Rectangle m_rectangle;
 };
 
 } // namespace ns3
diff --git a/src/core/rectangle.cc b/src/core/rectangle.cc
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9fdd739d5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/core/rectangle.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+/* -*-  Mode: C++; c-file-style: "gnu"; indent-tabs-mode:nil; -*- */
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2007 INRIA
+ * All rights reserved.
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2 as
+ * published by the Free Software Foundation;
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
+ * Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307  USA
+ *
+ * Author: Mathieu Lacage <mathieu.lacage@sophia.inria.fr>
+ */
+#include "rectangle.h"
+
+namespace ns3 {
+
+Rectangle::Rectangle (double _xMin, double _xMax,
+		      double _yMin, double _yMax)
+  : xMin (_xMin),
+    xMax (_xMax),
+    yMin (_yMin),
+    yMax (_yMax)
+{}
+
+Rectangle::Rectangle ()
+  : xMin (0.0),
+    xMax (0.0),
+    yMin (0.0),
+    yMax (0.0)
+{}
+
+} // namespace ns3
diff --git a/src/core/rectangle.h b/src/core/rectangle.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b108f9c21
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/core/rectangle.h
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+/* -*-  Mode: C++; c-file-style: "gnu"; indent-tabs-mode:nil; -*- */
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2007 INRIA
+ * All rights reserved.
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2 as
+ * published by the Free Software Foundation;
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
+ * Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307  USA
+ *
+ * Author: Mathieu Lacage <mathieu.lacage@sophia.inria.fr>
+ */
+#ifndef RECTANGLE_H
+#define RECTANGLE_H
+
+namespace ns3 {
+
+class Rectangle
+{
+public:
+  Rectangle (double _xMin, double _xMax,
+             double _yMin, double _yMax);
+  Rectangle ();
+  double xMin;
+  double xMax;
+  double yMin;
+  double yMax;
+};
+
+} // namespace ns3
+
+#endif /* RECTANGLE_H */
diff --git a/src/node/position.cc b/src/node/position.cc
index 802fe3bb7..b4efadb7f 100644
--- a/src/node/position.cc
+++ b/src/node/position.cc
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #include "position.h"
+#include "ns3/rectangle.h"
 #include <cmath>
 
 namespace ns3 {
@@ -16,6 +17,14 @@ Position::Position ()
     z (0.0)
 {}
 
+bool 
+Position::IsInside (const Rectangle &rectangle) const
+{
+  return 
+    x <= rectangle.xMax && x >= rectangle.xMin &&
+    y <= rectangle.yMax && y >= rectangle.yMin;
+}
+
 double 
 CalculateDistance (const Position &a, const Position &b)
 {
diff --git a/src/node/position.h b/src/node/position.h
index 261ba2e99..7a97dede7 100644
--- a/src/node/position.h
+++ b/src/node/position.h
@@ -3,11 +3,14 @@
 
 namespace ns3 {
 
+class Rectangle;
+
 class Position
 {
 public:
   Position (double x, double y, double z);
   Position ();
+  bool IsInside (const Rectangle &rectangle) const;
   double x;
   double y;
   double z;