The DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) is a trade organization that sets standards and guidelines for home networking devices. It makes media file access within your home network easier. This includes sharing content across PCs, smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, Blu-ray Disc players, home theater receivers, and media streaming devices and more.
DLNA Certification remains in demand for consumer electronics manufacturers, middleware vendors and software. Because of this, you can get a router with DLNA media server functionality which means turning your router into a media library that can instantly share content. So, what can this feature do for you?
What is DLNA?
DLNA is an organization but also stands for Digital Living Network Alliance. (Similar to how MoCA stands for Multimedia over Coaxial Alliance.) A DLNA-certified device can become a DLNA Media Server, which is a standard that allows you to share content between other DLNA-certified devices around your house over your home WiFi network. To do this, you need a router that supports DLNA and other certified connected devices.
If your router is DLNA-certified, you can set up the media server on your device easily by going to the settings menu.
How it works is like this:
When a DLNA-certified device is added to your home network, it can automatically communicate and share media files with other connected DLNA device on the network. DLNA-certified devices can do things like:
- Find and play movies
- Send, display, or upload photos
- Find, send, play, or download music
- Send and print photos between compatible network-connected devices
And more.
What Devices Are DLNA-Certified or Compatible?
You can turn almost any device into a DLNA Media Server if it is a DLNA-certified device. For example, you can:
- Send audio and video from your smartphone to a DLNA-certified TV.
- Access audio, video, or photos on a DLNA-certified PC and play them on a certified TV, Blu-ray Disc, or other DLNA player.
- Send photos from a certified digital camera to a DLNA-certified TV, PC, or other compatible devices.
Digital Media Server (DMS) on my Router
Digital Media Server (DMS) is a DLNA certification category that applies to devices that store a media library. So, in this instance, with having a DMS on your router, this means that the router needs to store a media library. The qualifications for this include having a hard drive or memory card where the media is saved so that the device can call up the files to a connected streaming device or player.
DLNA opens a lot of possibilities on a home network. With it, you can get home from vacation, walk in with your smartphone and load videos from your trip onto your TV with the press of a button to watch and relive the trip. No extra connections needed. And so many more examples like this.
Hitron’s CODA 5610 Cable Modem Routers have an integrated DLNA Media Server with support for video, audio and image serving, and can be paired with WiFi Extenders or Mesh for extra coverage. For more information on Cable Modem Routers, check out Hitron’s Learn Page.
