Anti-idle in OpenSSH client?

[mandar at webchat.chatsystems.com]

Heya,

   Most of the windows ssh clients (putty, securecrt) have anti-idle
features. They offer either a null packet or protocol no-op or user
defined string to be sent over every x seconds.

   Is this possible or planned with the OpenSSH client? Our draconian
firewall admins have started timing out ssh sessions. Yes I'm aware I
could hack up a port forwarding dumb traffic process, but was looking for
a more elegant solution like the windows clients have. e.g. a command line
option to ssh that lets you anti-idle..


   Discussion on how to implement this in the code is also welcome ;)

Thanks

- Mandar