diff --git a/lib/browser.ts b/lib/browser.ts
index 4e70dd2d7..c4b37eea3 100644
--- a/lib/browser.ts
+++ b/lib/browser.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ import {Plugins} from './plugins';
 import {protractor} from './ptor';
 import * as helper from './util';
 
+import {extend as extendWD, ExtendedWebDriver} from 'webdriver-js-extender';
+
 let clientSideScripts = require('./clientsidescripts');
 let webdriver = require('selenium-webdriver');
 
@@ -118,9 +120,9 @@ export class Browser extends Webdriver {
    * The wrapped webdriver instance. Use this to interact with pages that do
    * not contain Angular (such as a log-in screen).
    *
-   * @type {webdriver.WebDriver}
+   * @type {ExtendedWebDriver}
    */
-  driver: webdriver.WebDriver;
+  driver: ExtendedWebDriver;
 
   /**
    * Helper function for finding elements.
@@ -248,23 +250,29 @@ export class Browser extends Webdriver {
     // wait for Angular to sync up before performing the action. This does not
     // include functions which are overridden by protractor below.
     let methodsToSync = ['getCurrentUrl', 'getPageSource', 'getTitle'];
-
+    let extendWDInstance: ExtendedWebDriver;
+    try {
+      extendWDInstance = extendWD(webdriverInstance);
+    } catch (e) {
+      // Must not have a driver that can be extended (e.g. directly provided)
+      extendWDInstance = webdriverInstance as ExtendedWebDriver;
+    }
 
     // Mix all other driver functionality into Protractor.
     Object.getOwnPropertyNames(webdriver.WebDriver.prototype)
         .forEach((method: string) => {
-          if (!this[method] && typeof webdriverInstance[method] == 'function') {
+          if (!this[method] && typeof extendWDInstance[method] == 'function') {
             if (methodsToSync.indexOf(method) !== -1) {
               mixin(
-                  this, webdriverInstance, method,
+                  this, extendWDInstance, method,
                   this.waitForAngular.bind(this));
             } else {
-              mixin(this, webdriverInstance, method);
+              mixin(this, extendWDInstance, method);
             }
           }
         });
 
-    this.driver = webdriverInstance;
+    this.driver = extendWDInstance;
     this.element = buildElementHelper(this);
     this.$ = build$(this.element, webdriver.By);
     this.$$ = build$$(this.element, webdriver.By);
diff --git a/lib/runner.ts b/lib/runner.ts
index 2a5a109c2..e01d42e40 100644
--- a/lib/runner.ts
+++ b/lib/runner.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ import {Logger} from './logger';
 import {Plugins} from './plugins';
 import {protractor} from './ptor';
 import * as helper from './util';
+// TODO(sjelin): patch() will no longer be needed with `selenium-webdriver` 3.x
+import {patch} from 'webdriver-js-extender';
 
 var webdriver = require('selenium-webdriver');
 let logger = new Logger('runner');
@@ -91,6 +93,14 @@ export class Runner extends EventEmitter {
    * 5) try to find the seleniumServerJar in protractor/selenium
    */
   loadDriverProvider_(config: Config) {
+    // `webdriver-js-extender` needs to overwrite `DeferredExecutor` and some
+    // associated functions so that it can define custom commands.  In version
+    // 3.x of `selenium-webdriver`, this will no longer be necessary and will
+    // have to be removed
+    patch(
+        require('selenium-webdriver/lib/command'),
+        require('selenium-webdriver/executors'),
+        require('selenium-webdriver/http'));
     this.config_ = config;
     if (this.config_.directConnect) {
       this.driverprovider_ = new Direct(this.config_);
diff --git a/lib/selenium-webdriver/webdriver.js b/lib/selenium-webdriver/webdriver.js
index f19fc67de..676d46fa0 100644
--- a/lib/selenium-webdriver/webdriver.js
+++ b/lib/selenium-webdriver/webdriver.js
@@ -537,3 +537,40 @@ webdriver.WebElement.prototype.isDisplayed = function() {};
  *     resolved to the screenshot as a base-64 encoded PNG.
  */
 webdriver.WebElement.prototype.takeScreenshot = function(opt_scroll) {};
+
+
+// EXTENDED WD METHODS
+
+/**
+ * Schedules a command to retrieve the network connection type
+ *
+ * Network connection types are a bitmask with:
+ *    1 -> airplane mode
+ *    2 -> wifi
+ *    4 -> data
+ *
+ * @example
+ * expect(browser.getNetworkConnection()).toBe(6); //Expect wifi and data on
+ *
+ * @returns {!webdriver.promise.Promise.<number>} A promise that will be
+ *     resolved with the current network connection type.
+ */
+webdriver.WebDriver.prototype.getNetworkConnection = function() {};
+
+/**
+ * Schedules a command to set the network connection type
+ *
+ * Network connection types are a bitmask with:
+ *    1 -> airplane mode
+ *    2 -> wifi
+ *    4 -> data
+ *
+ * @example
+ * browser.setNetworkConnection(1); //Turn on airplane mode
+ * expect(browser.getNetworkConnection()).toBe(1);
+ *
+ * @param {number} type The type to set the network connection to
+ * @returns {!webdriver.promise.Promise.<void>} A promise that will be
+ *     resolved when the network connection type is set
+ */
+webdriver.WebDriver.prototype.setNetworkConnection = function(type) {};
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 4abca61a8..06426c075 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
     "saucelabs": "~1.2.0",
     "selenium-webdriver": "2.53.3",
     "source-map-support": "~0.4.0",
+    "webdriver-js-extender": "^0.2.2",
     "webdriver-manager": "^10.2.1"
   },
   "devDependencies": {