DLNA protocol inspection tool for compatibility analysis

The propagation of smart devices and the rapid expansion of wireless mobile networks have increased the need for ubiquitous device connectivity and contents access. DLNA is currently being used as the de facto standard for connectivity of consumer devices in the digital home. The guidelines provided by DLNA are intended to facilitate device and contents discovery, management, sharing and distribution. However, consumer experience with DLNA has been rather poor and usability not up to speed. Different problems and issues in limited compatibility have been reported due to manufacturer customizations. Such compatibility issues are often difficult to identify by average consumers who are not savvy in information communications and multimedia technology. In this paper, the design and implementation of a DLNA protocol inspection tool is presented for compatibility analysis among DLNA certified devices. The tool monitors the home network and performs analysis of the underlying protocols used by DLNA. The tool can be used for diagnostics and troubleshooting, enabling the user to identify compatibility issues between devices or problems in the network.