diff --git a/fail2ban/server/filter.py b/fail2ban/server/filter.py
index baf4bc9b..b808a6e3 100644
--- a/fail2ban/server/filter.py
+++ b/fail2ban/server/filter.py
@@ -1102,11 +1102,10 @@ class IPAddr(object):
 		for family in [socket.AF_INET, socket.AF_INET6]:
 			try:
 				binary = socket.inet_pton(family, ipstring)
-			except socket.error:
-				continue
-			else: 
 				self.valid = True
 				break
+			except socket.error:
+				continue
 
 		if self.valid and family == socket.AF_INET:
 			# convert host to network byte order
@@ -1178,9 +1177,13 @@ class IPAddr(object):
 		return self.family < other.family or self.addr < other.addr
 
 	def __add__(self, other):
+		if not isinstance(other, IPAddr):
+			other = IPAddr(other)
 		return "%s%s" % (self, other)
 
 	def __radd__(self, other):
+		if not isinstance(other, IPAddr):
+			other = IPAddr(other)
 		return "%s%s" % (other, self)
 
 	def __hash__(self):
diff --git a/fail2ban/tests/filtertestcase.py b/fail2ban/tests/filtertestcase.py
index 7198185a..371db3bc 100644
--- a/fail2ban/tests/filtertestcase.py
+++ b/fail2ban/tests/filtertestcase.py
@@ -1383,20 +1383,16 @@ class DNSUtilsNetworkTests(unittest.TestCase):
 		self.assertEqual(res, None)
 
 	def testAddr2bin(self):
-		res = DNSUtils.addr2bin('10.0.0.0')
-		self.assertEqual(res, 167772160L)
-		res = DNSUtils.addr2bin('10.0.0.0', cidr=None)
-		self.assertEqual(res, 167772160L)
-		res = DNSUtils.addr2bin('10.0.0.0', cidr=32L)
-		self.assertEqual(res, 167772160L)
-		res = DNSUtils.addr2bin('10.0.0.1', cidr=32L)
-		self.assertEqual(res, 167772161L)
-		res = DNSUtils.addr2bin('10.0.0.1', cidr=31L)
-		self.assertEqual(res, 167772160L)
-
-	def testBin2addr(self):
-		res = DNSUtils.bin2addr(167772160L)
-		self.assertEqual(res, '10.0.0.0')
+		res = IPAddr('10.0.0.0')
+		self.assertEqual(res.addr, 167772160L)
+		res = IPAddr('10.0.0.0', cidr=None)
+		self.assertEqual(res.addr, 167772160L)
+		res = IPAddr('10.0.0.0', cidr=32L)
+		self.assertEqual(res.addr, 167772160L)
+		res = IPAddr('10.0.0.1', cidr=32L)
+		self.assertEqual(res.addr, 167772161L)
+		res = IPAddr('10.0.0.1', cidr=31L)
+		self.assertEqual(res.addr, 167772160L)
 
 	def testIPAddr_Equal6(self):
 		self.assertEqual(