diff --git a/netx_api/ne_session_factory.py b/netx_api/ne_session_factory.py
index f438916..d4dc3e6 100644
--- a/netx_api/ne_session_factory.py
+++ b/netx_api/ne_session_factory.py
@@ -231,6 +231,17 @@ def _bastion_ssh_connect(
     )
 
 
+def _netmiko_driver_class(device_type: str) -> type:
+    """Resolve Netmiko driver class (ConnectHandler is a factory func, not a base class)."""
+    from netmiko.ssh_dispatcher import CLASS_MAPPER
+
+    dt = str(device_type or "").strip()
+    cls = CLASS_MAPPER.get(dt)
+    if cls is None:
+        raise ValueError(f"unsupported_device_type: {dt}")
+    return cls
+
+
 def _netmiko_over_ssh_client(
     ssh_client: paramiko.SSHClient,
     *,
@@ -243,8 +254,9 @@ def _netmiko_over_ssh_client(
     session_timeout: int | None,
 ) -> ConnectHandler:
     """Netmiko session over an already-authenticated SSH client (bastion protocol proxy)."""
+    base_cls = _netmiko_driver_class(device_type)
 
-    class _PreauthConnectHandler(ConnectHandler):
+    class _PreauthSession(base_cls):
         def establish_connection(self, width: int = 511, height: int = 1000) -> None:
             from netmiko.channel import SSHChannel
 
@@ -267,7 +279,7 @@ def _netmiko_over_ssh_client(
         enable_secret=enable_secret,
         session_timeout=session_timeout,
     )
-    return _PreauthConnectHandler(**dev)
+    return _PreauthSession(**dev)
 
 
 def _base_connect_kwargs(
diff --git a/tests/test_bastion_hop.py b/tests/test_bastion_hop.py
index 8470435..94833ac 100644
--- a/tests/test_bastion_hop.py
+++ b/tests/test_bastion_hop.py
@@ -64,6 +64,13 @@ class BastionTemplateTests(unittest.TestCase):
             "ssh ZTE-FIVIE@ca-admin@114.1.198.1@10.34.145.25",
         )
 
+    def test_netmiko_driver_class_resolves_zte(self) -> None:
+        from netmiko.zte.zte_zxros import ZteZxrosSSH
+
+        from netx_api.ne_session_factory import _netmiko_driver_class
+
+        self.assertIs(_netmiko_driver_class("zte_zxros_ssh"), ZteZxrosSSH)
+
 
 class BastionConnectRoutingTests(unittest.TestCase):
     @patch("netx_api.ne_session_factory._connect_via_bastion")